Lincoln and FDR were fascists.

You just made the debate a lot easier for me. "Fascism: A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism." Lincoln and FDR fit the bill entirely. Both were dictators unconstrained by law, and any student of history would know this. There are even books on Lincoln that CELEBRATE him as a "benevolent dictator." Every historian knows that both Lincoln and FDR were entirely unrestrained by the Constitution and violated it on a daily basis. Your education failed you, my friend. You say no one stopped protests against Lincoln. ARE YOU JOKING? Lincoln ordered the destruction of hundreds of northern newspapers and had their editors jailed without charges. It was a crime to speak out against Lincoln in the North. He jailed the entire Maryland legislature before they could take office, and held them for the duration of the war. Please tell me this is some kind of joke. FDR also silenced dissent by centralizing economic decision-making and refusing to hire or grant permits to people who didn't vote for him. More blatantly, FDR was a dictator because he totally aggrandized the executive branch, beyond even what Lincoln was able to do. When the Supreme Court threatened to stand in his way, he fired back that he would "pack the court" with enough pro-fascism judges to make sure his unconstitutional policies were allowed to pass. That's a dictator! How does a nation build up its own industry without tariffs? Through free-market economics. Duh. Ever heard of Adam Smith and WEALTH OF NATIONS? There is not even one modern economist who is for protectionism. Only idiotic socialist political "scientists" and uneducated dolts support tariffs. You are an advocate for central planning, a hallmark of fascism. Wow, the ignorance is overwhelming. You think FDR and the New Deal got us OUT of the Great Depression? I don't even know what to say to that, it's so absurd. Everyone knows that the Federal Reserve caused the Great Depression, and that we weren't out of it until after WWII, when there was massive wealth redistribution from Europe to the U.S., as part of the rebuilding efforts. The New Deal prolonged the Great Depression, and the vast majority of economists share that view today. You make constitutional arguments for actions by Lincoln and FDR that you agree were heinous. I would say that just because a power is (allegedly) within the Constitution, it doesn't mean that to exercise it to its fullest degree is not fascistic. Imagine a 100% tariff or a 200% excise tax on food. These would both be constitutional, but horribly authoritarian. Under the Original Intent of the Constitution, membership to the Union is voluntary. Madison and Jefferson agreed. There were threats of secession early in our history, but never any counter-threats of invasion. Certain states, including Virginia, specifically reserved the right to secede when they ratified the Constitution. But regardless, secession is a right under the 9th and 10th amendments, because any power not prohibited to the states is thus reserved to the states or the people, and secession is not prohibited. What's wrong with unity? Nothing, it it's voluntary. But America was founded on the principle of individual liberty, not "unity." You don't see how controlling the economy makes you a fascist? BECAUSE THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT IT MEANS. You're essentially saying, "I don't know how performing an abortion makes you an abortionist." Lincoln and FDR were both hardcore fascist anticaptialists. You don't even put up a defense, you just concede the point. The Constitution does not permit the confiscation of gold. That's not for a "public purpose" like roads. And replacing it with worthless paper money is not just compensation. The Constitution says only gold and silver can be legal tender! Lincoln and FDR absolutely disregarded the law and the Original Intent. If it walks like a fascist and quacks like a fascist, it's a freaking fascist!