Captain Maga Storms the Capitol: on the embrace of a Fascist Icon.

           There is a scene maybe three quarters of the way through Avengers Civil War when Tony “Iron Man” Stark hands Captain “America” Steve Rogers a pen to sign some agreement or other placing the Avengers under some regulation or other. Stark proudly explains it is the same pen his father, Howard, used to sign America’s first Lend Lease Bill, authorizing military aid to Britain in World War Two.

            Rogers is unimpressed. “Some people say that led us closer to war”

            Woh. Back up a bit. Did he really just say that? Holy shit, oh my God. Did anyone else catch this line?

            It's a tiny little line, but it's got profound implications. A little history's in order: Lend Lease was the US plan to lend war materiel to Hitler's enemies in WWII.  America itself wasn't at war yet - the idea was if it could supply Britain, it wouldn't have be. It had an ESSENTIAL role in Britain’s survival in the face of Naziism. It was very nearly too little too late. For Lend Lease was not popular – many people against it. Many people did say it would bring the country closer to war, just like the Cap said. You know who?

           Anti-semites, fascists and nazi sympathizers. United with misguided pacifists in an “America First” movement (sound familiar?), they didn't just try to keep the US out of the war, but from anyone who was. Lend Lease was opposed by people who didn’t want to help the enemies of Naziism.

            And Captain America just echoed them.

            This was the moment the Marvel Universe lost me forever. Captain America, as portrayed in Avengers Civil War is a fascist. If not a full blown one, then an embryonic one. At the very least, he is thick-skulled, self-righteous, dangerous and delusional. He is a Captain America for Trump’s America.  

            Lo and behold, more than a few of the Capitol rioters were spotted sporting Captain America paraphernalia. Colour me unsurprised.

            What does surprise me is how many other people seem surprised. “Captain America is the absolute antithesis of Donald Trump,” said Neil Kirby, son of the great Jack Kirby who created the Cap. Alas, I wish I could believe him. Maybe Cap did once represent all those idealistic notions America has about itself, back when Kirby first uniced him.  Maybe in those early comics, he is an emblem of the nation’s better natures. I’ll bet you anything the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers waving Starred and Stiped shields in the Senate chamber haven’t read those comics. I’ll bet you my left toe their entire experience of Captain America is from Avengers Civil War.

            Think of it this way: the titular civil war of the film is triggered when someone tries to hold Captain Steve Rogers America accountable for his actions.  He balks at the notion of being answerable to anyone but himself. He reserves the right to intervene where and when he sees fit with as much force as he please. He leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. He uses violence to solve his problems, beats up anyone in his way, including his friends, and law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. His first act is to help a suspected terrorist evade arrest, and later aids and abets the killer of Howard and Maria Stark.  He has nothing but contempt for the rule of law, or civilian oversight. He is utterly incapable of self reflection. He treats the world like his personal battlefield/playground. He cannot be reasoned with. He doesn’t recognize higher authority, does not abide by decisions he doesn’t like, and take it upon himself to reverse said decisions, by force if necessary.

            Sound like anyone else?

Photograph: John Lamparski/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

            It is really not a stretch to see Civil War as an analogy for very different visions of how America should conduct itself in the world. Is it a citizen of the world, subject to the UN, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Geneva Convention? Or a freewheeling cowboy doing what it likes? It might actually have been thought provoking if it approached this with anything resembling even-handedness. But it doesn’t. Steve Rogers and his allies are clearly meant to be the heroes here. Not once do any of them question their actions or accept responsibility for the consequences. They don’t even recognize another side to their argument. Their foes on the other hand, are full of doubts. Tony Stark, who at least seems to have a conscience, questions his actions constantly. Rogers is full of blind faith and terrible certainty. The former is shown as weakness; the latter as righteousness.

            This sort of intellectual blockheadedness, crouched in blatantly nationalist colours, is already a indicator of fascism. Writing in “How to Spot a Fascist”, Umberto Eco writes that under fascism “Action is beautiful in itself, and therefore must be implemented before any form of reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation”. I think I’ve just spotted a fascist.

            I mean, he cast doubt on Lend Lease aid for God’s sake – LEND LEASE!

            Fascist or not, this particular Captain America is a superhero for whom personal conviction Trumps all, absence of restraint is the sum of all liberty, and getting one’s way the highest possible principle. It does not surprise me in the least that the Q-Anon types who honestly think their election’s been stolen would identify with him and do precisely what they think he would have done.

            Accept my analysis or not. But they were waving those shields. . .