Authoritarianism is the traditional value they're trying to maintain

Speaking of traditional values, I still want to know what Southern Pride is if it isn't glorifying the Confederacy.

People don't recognise fascism when it's in front of their faces.

• Huge military budget

• weaponized, authoritarian police force with little oversight.

• Nationalist habits like pledging allegiance regularly when young and national anthems when together.

• a strong belief that they are the best nation on earth, often backed with religious certainly.

Ummm many fascists are disguised as intellectuals whose sophistry is only revealed by challenging their assumptions. There were a number of such people who came to rise in Nazi Germany and afterwards, and there are many who are their contemporaries

Sure, it's theoretically possible, but I've never met a conservative anywhere who actually wants to conserve what they have today. In practice, they all want to go back to the past, and most prefer some kind of fictional 1960s past.

Conservatism is a distinct political ideology that basically says not all change is for the better, nothing more

Based on what? Conservatism's roots go back to royalists after the French Revolution. Conservatives were the American colonists who objected to the war of independence calling it treason against the crown. It's not about change in a general way, it's about resisting democratic movements and preserving autocratic rule.

It's possible to be conservative and liberal at the same time

Liberalism is an offshoot of Conservatism that favors empowerment of the economic elite and institutions over kings and politicians. It's economic totalitarianism instead of political totalitarianism. These become indistinguishable when the economic elite capture the body politic.

US republicans are fascists through and through that wear a disguise of conservatism

This is backwards. The disguise is the thing that turns conservatism info fascism. It's the dressing up of conservative totalitarianism with nationalism, religious fundamentalism, racism, and other forms of identitarianism.

Because by "conserve" they mean conserve the status quo.

Rich people stay rich poor people stay poor and anyone who tries to change that is a commie.

It seems useful to note that the EPA was signed into law by Nixon. We have fallen a long way since Reagan took office.

They only thing they want to conserve is their capital/social status.

Eh, depends on what you mean by "conservative" and "progressive".

Authoritarianism is the defining characteristic of the right. The right consolidates wealth and power. The left is egalitarian, and is focused on ensuring that wealth and power is shared more evenly. There is no such thing as "auth left".

If you use "conservative" as a synonym for the right and progressive as a synonym for the left, then there is no such thing as "auth progressive" - you are just using incorrect terminology to talk about different flavors of rightism.

Now if you mean "conservative" as "resistant to change" and "progressive" as "advocates of change" then that's a completely different thing... but the language is STILL messy, because many who call themselves "conservative" are actually advocates of change in favor or more authoritarianism while those who call themselves "progressive" are also advocates of change, but generally in a leftward anti-authoritarian direction... which once again leads us to "auth progressive" being a contradiction.

It's hard because, yes you are right, but when can you start calling somone a fascist? Do you have have to wait for them to actually start rounding you up and putting you in prison, or can you point it out early in order to avoid the complete fascist takeover?

I guess my point is that, once a group is actually fully fascist, you will no longer be allowed to call them that.