Jon Huer’s recent column predicted a choice between “capitalist democracy” and “fascist democracy” [“Ignorance, stupidity completely different,” Recorder, Jan. 27].

Dictionaries define fascism as authoritarian or dictatorial — i.e., not democracies. “Fascist democracy” is an oxymoron. Huer then used his idiosyncratic definitions as a springboard for a disquisition on ignorance and stupidity whose real goal was to bash Donald Trump and his supporters.

I’m no fan of Trump, but I think it’s important to keep our feet planted in reality when we discuss what’s going on. Trump is many things, but he’s not stupid, and neither are many of his followers (that, some would say, is the problem).

Huer argued that because Trump only thinks of himself, he’s stupid. I say he’s a sociopath. Huer said, “Thanks to Trump, we have now added political power to stupidity.” I say that’s ignorant. Stupidity has been part of American politics for a long time, as have intelligence, greed, generosity, malevolence, compassion, narrow-mindedness — indeed, all the qualities that we share and express as human beings.

I agree that ignorance “can be corrected by appropriate knowledge”; using a dictionary and learning American history would be a good start.

We Americans have much to be proud of, and much to be ashamed of (or at least to prompt humility when comparing ourselves to others). Trumpism is not new, and neither is anti-Trumpism. We’re not perfect, but I think we’re better than we were, and it’s our job to try to keep going in the right direction. Knowledge will help.

Mike Naughton

Millers Falls