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Fascism has mostly occurred in societies where change was occurring rapidly. Crises relating to economics, like depressions or unemployment, and political dislocation-or indeed cultural change-generate insecurity, which leads individuals toward radical ideologies that appear active. During these periods of uncertainty, fascist movements grow popular by offering visions of a nationally unified state whereby it will be restored to greatness under a strong, usually authoritarian leadership. These come as representation of the will of the people in the name of salvation, consolidating the masses with populist rhetoric and appearing as the redeemers of a weakened nation. These are manifestations of the so-called fascist ideology hostile to democratic values and aspired by an organization that harks to the centralist exercise of power absolutely. Principles to fascism, in turn, belong to extreme nationalism, militarism, and negation of liberal democracy. It defines the nation in racial terms and advocates the unity of an "in-group" by excluding or persecuting outsiders. Fascist regimes often glorify military strength and view violence as a legitimate tool for reaching political goals. These movements also foster a cult of personality around their leader, who is presented as the figure who can restore order and achieve national greatness. The leader's rule is unquestioned, and political opposition is frequently suppressed through intimidation, legal obstruction, or outright violence.

What attracted people to fascism was the promise of order, strength, and the restoring of national pride, especially in periods of national humiliation or perceived decline. Fascism feeds off the innate fear of social dislocation, an economic meltdown, or a cultural dilution wherein a story, simple and emotionally captivating, points at a specific group or a foreign influence as the source of problems that the nation faces. By framing the crisis as an existential battle between the "true" nation and its enemies, fascism is able to create a sense of collective identity and unity, even at the expense of personal freedoms or tolerance for diversity.

In today's world, fascist ideologies do not typically manifest in their classical form, but elements of neo-fascism are evident in several countries. Take Hungary, for example: the country's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has boasted of his "illiberal democracy," as he has consolidated power, weakened independent institutions, and used nationalist rhetoric. His government has adopted policies resembling fascist tactics, including blaming immigrants and portraying the nation's ills as a form of cultural struggle. In Poland, the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has similarly been criticized for undermining judicial independence, limiting media freedom, and fostering a nationalist agenda that echoes fascist themes of national purity and social conservatism.

In Italy, the rise of Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party, Brothers of Italy, has brought a return to nationalist rhetoric, with a focus on preserving traditional Italian values and opposing immigration. While Meloni's government does not fully represent the government of classical fascism, her party's exclusionary policies and rhetoric demonstrate that this country is getting increasingly closer to authoritarian nationalism. In like manner, in Brazil, the election of Jair Bolsonaro heralded a regime of far-right populism characterized by authoritarian rhetoric, praise for military dictatorships, and suppression of political opposition. Although Bolsonaro did not establish a fascist regime, his leadership style and policies really reflected elements of neo-fascism, especially in his strongman approach to governance.

These contemporary examples are but evidence that while fully fledged fascist regimes are extremely rare, the characteristics of fascist-like movements such as authoritarianism, nationalism, and the rejection of democratic norms can be seen to be resurging in many parts of the world. The romantic appeal of fascism will, therefore, be somewhat similar as that from yester-years-a promise for stability and unity through exclusionary or authoritarian methods that might supposedly hark back to national greatness.

It thus develops in society during crises in situations of social disintegration when fascism manages to point to easy, mostly violent answers to very complicated problems. Indeed, this promise it offers: restoring pride and strength under an authoritative leadership. The lesser incidence of the classical forms of fascism notwithstanding, neo-fascist movements in Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Brazil demonstrate that the underpinning forces of authoritarianism, nationalism, and populism are not to be underestimated. These movements are by no means photocopies of the fascist regimes, but they do echo much of the same dangers and portend that the conditions that foster fascism have not disappeared.

In facism the establishment of a nationalist state that has authoritarian rule is central to creating a society that is left powerless and under the full power of fascist rule. Leadership under fascism creates a unified national identity that excludes other groups as “others”. The state has control over aspects of life like politics, and social and economic functions. In How Fascism Works Jason Stanley explains fascism thrives off central power that reduces individual freedom.

However, we can not call something blatantly fascist, as characteristics of rule can not be seen as concrete. Throughout history, fascism has taken forms depending on historical context. For example, fascist movements in Spain, Italy, and Germany all exhibit unique fascist elements but have certain similarities. In Italy, the widespread suppression of political opponents and organizations was met with greater resistance by sources of authority such as the Italian Catholic Church which limited the impact Italian fascism had on society as a whole. However, German Nazism took hold, and traditional sources of German authority such as the German Protestant and Catholic Churches, did not have as great an influence on the resistance fascism.

Although fascism has had varying influence as a result of historical influence, there are structural similarities across all fascist societies that are important to recognize in order to prevent societal radicalization in the future.

Fascist society's nationalism often exhibits a need for territorial expansion that can be manifested in the glorification of violence as a way to achieve power and national goals. Violence inspires nationalism and populations begin to take pride in being stronger than others.

Extremist movements often use a charismatic leader figure who promises to achieve a goal to promote the greater good of a nation such as the movement to restore national power. So-called great leaders can be looked up to by fascist societies and are all controlling figures.

Today, political polarization has led to the increased casting of political opponents as enemies and it is vital to recognize patterns of facism to identify movements which could have a negative effect on democracy.

We can see trends of fascism today in the United States, as society has seen a rise in nationalism and xenophobia. This can be seen through the Donald Trump campaign using the “America First” slogan which has led to many far-right conservatives adopting extreme nationalism that has led to the discrimination of others.

Furthermore under Trump anti-immigration ideas have grown rapidly and taken on myths. Although, varying in severity, the idea that immigrants were consuming pets in a small Ohio town has been seen in fascist societies that are used to cast a " group" as others. In fascist Germany, myths arose such as the Protocols of the Elders Zion which labeled Jewish people as seeking world domination. This cast Jewish groups as common enemies for the German people who felt united in hate towards the hardships experienced in Germany following WWI.

Furthermore, right-wing political extremism has exhibited authoritarian tendencies such as his denouncement of the media for being “fake”. Trump has openly laid attacks on CNN and the New York Times labeling them as untrustworthy, these actions destabilize the media and promote state-run ideas that come from one central figure. The denouncement of the media also leads to the formation of a cult of personality where many supporters are unwavering in their support regardless of policy or actions because they are unable to be properly educated on the effects of policy which often comes from news.

In the United States strong constitutional checks are in place to prevent a branch of government from controlling too much power. Fascism historically rose as a result of inherently fragile democracies such as Hitler’s rise in Weimar Germany and the government has protections against a potential rise of authoritarianism. However, fascism does not always have to occur when there is a full political collapse and it can be gradual like the erosion of the rule of law and the idea of restoring national pride.

Today, the lack of belief in reliable media, the presence of authority figures, and the casting of an “other” group ultimately led to an erosion of trust in political institutions. Following the 2020 election, many political extremists doubted the election results and went as far as to storm the Capitol building in Washington. A central figure used his voice of authority to influence others to prevent a peaceful transfer of power. The mistrust in government creates fragility in democracy, a cornerstone of fascist movements.

The term "fascism" can mean different things to different people based on their history or point of view. It is a difficult concept to describe because it varies based on the context. Although we may point out historical instances of fascist leaders such as Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Germany, the concept of a fascist leader is not universal. Societies experiencing severe political, social, or economic crises that lead to general instability and dissatisfaction are more likely to experience fascism. People are more susceptible to extremist ideas when they feel helpless, unsure about the future of their countries.

When the current system begins to break down, people start questioning not just their leaders, but the very foundation of their society. This creates fertile ground for movements that promise a quick, decisive solution. Fascism often appeals by offering a vision of national unity or a return to former glory—Trump using “Make America Great Again”—, tapping into people's desire for security and a clear direction. At first, fascist leaders may seem like the answer, offering hope for a better future, but over time, they can shift toward authoritarian tactics. They may start by avoiding too much controversy, but eventually, they weaken democratic institutions, suppress opposition, and concentrate power, all in the name of maintaining national unity. The initial optimism and hope they inspire can mask more dangerous, authoritarian goals. While fascism may seem attractive to people desperate for change, once in power, it often leads to the erosion of freedoms and rights.

As for the United States, I do not think we are a fully neo-fascist society yet, but certain trends could push us in that direction. Donald Trump is not a fascist leader in the strictest sense, even though he shares some characteristics with past fascist leaders—things like populist nationalism, attacks on the media, and vilifying political opponents. Trump's rhetoric often echoed authoritarian themes, promoting an exclusive national identity and framing his opponents as enemies of the people. Many politicians will take a campion form of answering questions and policies by what they think the population wants to hear, on the contrary a fascist leader with take it to an extreme and way out of bounds to win an election. However, the U.S. still has stronger democratic checks and balances compared to the systems that allowed fascism to take hold in Europe. Even though Trump displayed authoritarian tendencies—like trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election—the overall system of government, along with the media and political opposition, helped prevent a complete collapse of democratic institutions.

That said, there are worrying signs. The U.S. has seen increasing political polarization, a rise in far-right movements, and more anti-democratic rhetoric in certain parts of society. Economic struggles, cultural fears, and a sense of losing national identity are all factors that can make fascism appealing. While we are not a neo-fascist society yet, these trends could lead the U.S. toward more authoritarianism if they are not addressed. To avoid that, we need to protect and uphold our democratic institutions and norms.

In my opinion, one important characteristic of fascism is anti-intellectualism. The Anti-Intellectual reading from How Fascism Works (Jason Stanley) says, “Fascist politics, however, makes room for the study of myths as fact. In fascist ideology, the function of the education system is to glorify the mythic past.” This glorification of the mythic past is present in every fascistic movement, like in Italy, where Mussolini worshipped ancient Rome. It’s interesting to see this anti-intellectualism in our own society. Many people, especially Republicans, ridicule those who study humanities. Gender studies, critical race theory, and many other courses are questioned for being useless or radical leftism. Another important characteristic of fascism is supremacy of the military. Worshipping the military is especially dangerous, because it encourages a culture of violence in society. Hitler and Mussolini both hailed the military as the greatest prize of the nation. America certainly has this trait. Our military spending is the highest of any country, and if you rank all of the countries in terms of military spending, our budget is higher than the next 9 combined. Ultra-nationalism is also a very important characteristic of fascism. In Germany, this ultra-nationalism was triggered after the treaty of Versailles, which was completely unfair and hurt the German people. The Nazis resurged the sense of nationalism for the German people. Demands for territorial expansion in Europe were supported by this ultra-nationalism, because the people viewed the needs of their state as being more important than the sovereignty of others. We can also observe this with the fascist movement in Italy, where Mussolini violently conquered Ethiopia. The identification of Jews as controlling the state and communists as being enemies to the state was also supported by this ultra-nationalism, because the needs of the state was the most important thing, killing people who were seen as hurting it was encouraged. The most important characteristic of fascism is its violence. Obviously, fascism in Germany came with the holocaust and the death of 6 million Jewish people. Violence is the most important because that is fascism’s supreme goal. Other characteristics can be viewed as ways to numb people to the extreme violence. Anti-intellectualism, especially against the humanities, gets people to not think about the violence they are seeing around them. Supremacy of the military creates a culture which encourages violence instead of condemning it. Dehumanization of certain groups of people allows the general population to look past or encourage murdering them. Propaganda and media control convince people that the violence they know is happening is good, or lies about the violence itself. Ultra-nationalism gets people to other those outside of their country, and thus encourage their destruction.

Fascism can manifest itself in many forms within various societies as it depends heavily on the culture that is present, as well as the social norms of the region. It can look different across various locations and the severity of it can vary depending on exposure level and conformity. Places such as the United States of America are often deemed unable to acquire the alleged extreme levels of fascism; however, many refuse to believe just how susceptible they are to manipulation, whether it is governmental or social. Fascist societies must obtain the trust of the people to proceed with any of its planned means of control, choosing a group that is oppressed and uplifting them through basic ideals that many can agree to. The media is used as a way to inform their followers, but manipulate it to limit how much they learn about their intentions.

Many people are drawn into fascist ideology because they are finally given a space where they feel represented and seen. A person is able to create a new identity for themselves, especially in the United States where people believe that the society would be better off how it used to be: more conservative. This idea has become more prevalent in the latest presidential elections as many became more open about their reasons for wanting one over another. In the New York Times’ article “With Trump’s Victory, Europe’s Populist Right Sees Return of a Fellow Believer,” Andrew Higgins shares information with readers regarding the positive reaction to Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election, seeing it as a win for their countries as well. These countries feel that Trump embodies their version of the most ideal leader and it could also be seen as a way that they plan to exploit the United States for their own gain, destroying anything that gets in their way. This raises concerns about the safety and well being of the citizens of the United States, but also for those of smaller, developing nations. They look to the United States as an example of how to lead their government, and if the United States is not displaying a peaceful transfer of power, then why should they? Many of the celebrating nations, on the other hand, envision Trump as an opposition to democracy, which would allow for chaos to ensue in the States as the fundamental roots of the country stem from democracy: the ability to freely speak and express one’s self.

All of these vast decisions made by the leaders of the United States are viewed by outside countries, primarily those that are newly industrialized such as Ghana. Ghana has held a significant level of democracy, despite being influenced by colonialism and imperialism; however, its government is heavily influenced by American policies. Many of their political views are based on the representation given by the United States, which is along the same standards as other developing nations. Oftentimes, people seek an example of how to run their societies and become the strongest of all, selecting portrayals of an idealized republic. Despite this, many fall victim to manipulation tactics made by already industrialized places that are power hungry, ignoring the consequences of their actions and how it affects innocent civilians of other regions.

Looking at the horrors of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany, it is easy to distance oneself from the reality of fascist societies. As living survivors reach old age and the term is used by politicians to smear their rivals, fascism becomes a ghost story—something to be whispered around fires or to frighten children into behaving. Perhaps most destructively, it becomes a thing of the past, only defined when comparable to the specific behavior of the Nazis. Fascism becomes a convenience, to be identified and fought against only in times of war, when such a thing would prove advantageous to the noble democratic nations of the West. While we fought valiantly against Hitler, Mussolini, and Castro, it seems we let other fascist governments slip past. Protected by treaties and trade deals, fascist governments and ideologies fester in China, Afghanistan, Iran, and painfully many other countries, remaining unaddressed by the seemingly righteous and just eyes of the world powers.

The first issue many face is the shaky definition of what exactly fascism is. A common mistake is to mush together Nazism and fascism into one monstrous amalgamation of what-not-to-do’s, providing the benchmark for all other fascist societies. Fascism existed before it became associated with Hitler, and it will exist after, because fascism adapts to the culture it exists in. Nevertheless, it has some defining criteria: ultra-nationalism (to the point of violence and xenophobia), devotion to a single leader, movements of anti-intellectualism, propaganda and media control, return to traditional gender roles, and intense “us vs. them” mentality to any identified “enemy” (Stanley). To truly define fascism, we must recognize that it will change appearances to fit the needs and perspectives of its government, so no one fascist government will look exactly like the other.

As does many things, fascism feeds off fear, of a need for order. In the beginning, fascism is happy to provide this; with a centralized and efficient government and a newfound sense of national pride, citizens become hopeful for a better future. As time goes on, however, fascism will start to change. The key to establishing a fascist government is to convince everyone that it isn’t. The stigma around anything remotely fascist is too strong to allow its leaders to be associated with it in any way. There are many strategies to achieve this. Inching the policies along incrementally is especially effective, as it will establish a sense of suspense, and most importantly, inaction. Another method is to desensitize citizens and government officials alike. Creating a norm of outrage eliminates outrage altogether, and no one rises to put a stop to it. The desensitization of the word itself is especially handy. By reducing it to a “swear word” used only for “emotional satisfaction,” the identifier itself becomes ambiguous (National Review). The next step is to identify an enemy. For a fascist government, this could range anywhere from a demonized minority to simply everyone outside of the mother country. An enemy will unify and provide direction, an essential aspect of fascist governments. If carefully executed, the fascist government will be able to thrive, and its people will be either too ignorant or powerless to stop it.

The tragedy of defining fascism is that it requires removal. In retrospect or distance, one can objectively analyze the facts and come to a conclusion, but in the midst of it, it is far more difficult. This is the power of fascism. How can you put a stop to something you can’t even name?

Fascism manifests as a way to combat a chaotic or failing political, social, or economic order seeking to provide stability and change at the cost of freedom and equality. It feeds on the fear of majority groups and appeals to their need for power and protection while breeding hostility towards any other minority groups. For a nation to be considered fascist the single most important aspect is a sense of ultra-nationalism which feeds into all aspects of life in a fascist society. Nationalism and a belief in the supremacy of a majority group is what ultimately leads to, and is used as a justification for, extremely conservative, xenophobic, and racist policies which also in many ways define fascism. Especially in a society suffering from political, social, or economic chaos, scapegoating plays a large role in the rise of fascism as minority groups are blamed for problems that they likely had nothing to do with.

Recently, fascist ideologies have been experiencing an unprecedented rise throughout Europe in countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, and Greece. In these countries it's likely that many members of the majority group feel as though their power is threatened by globalization, immigration, and equal rights movements. This is further compounded by a chaotic social environment, the likes of which have never been seen before, being greatly aided by the growth of social media. Fascist ideologies appeal to those who are confused by the modern political and social environment— those who can see problems in society but don’t know any way to fix them instead choosing to blame minority groups. To these people fascist ideologies make them feel heard. These ideologies speak to and foster their hatred even building communities based on the precedent of shared hatred. A lot of these people following these movements also likely don’t believe or understand that what they are advocating for is a form of fascism. In an article in The New Republic, ‘Does American Fascism Exist?’, one writer states that “When a right-wing provocateur like Matt Walsh refers to himself as a ‘theocratic fascist,’ he does so with a wink and nod, knowing that he’s using a term sure to rile up liberals and leftists. Fascism is a dead ideology”. This idea that fascism is impossible in our modern society is one of the most worrying mindsets that someone can have in a world that is experiencing an unprecedented rise is fascist ideas and ideologies. With that being said it is unsure as to whether or not we can call any modern country fascist, or at least not necessarily to the extent of Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy, although there are many modern countries that share many characteristics of fascism such as North Korea, Eritrea, and Turkmenistan. However, even though there may not be many, if any, countries that we can firmly say are fascist in the same vein as Nazi Germany, it is still possible that fascist ideas and ideologies can be spread. Fascism isn’t just a political structure that a country can follow, but also an idea that any single person or group of people can follow and that any politician can attempt to pursue, as a result fascism will never truly be ‘dead’.

Important characteristics are lack of pride in one’s country to set the pretense for a fascist society. There also must be an identification of the “other”. There must be a strong sense of nationalism. Ordinary people are most in danger of the identification of the other because often the other is either us or neighbors or friends. Fascism has been accepted by people in society in the past largely due to convincing propaganda that manipulated an already broken society. Fascism tends to expand on preexisting doubts and fears and radicalizes them. Fascism preys on the discontent and uses their harbored sentiments to unify themselves and focus their anger towards another. Fascism is appealing to those that simply want change. One that feels that the present regime has failed them then they look towards the radicals to provide change. Fascism thrives in a state with a lack of nationalist pride. Fascism offers unison to individuals that feel disconnected from society. Fascism effectively unites a failing state through a common enemy and sense of community. For example the reason that Germany particularly was so susceptible to fascism was from the outcome of WWI which left the German people with zero to no faith in the legitimacy of the Weimar Republic. The emotional burden of losing millions of young men to a war with no beneficial outcome left the majority of Germans in a state of despair. On top of the emotional impact ordinary Germans also suffered extreme economic strain. As a result of the reparations that were indebted to Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles the bank note became virtually worthless. On top of that national pride was close to non-existent as Germany was to accept sole responsibility for the war. These pre-existing factors is what Fascism thrives off of. Fascism provides extremist solutions for what citizens of a state lack. It is hard to notice when fascism is taking place within a country because fascism gains momentum incrementally. We can see this used by the Nazis who incrementally installed anti semitic laws and practices on the German people. Although I believe that it is too early to state if fascism is beginning to take place within the USA, I also believe that there are eerie similarities between the pretenses of fascism present in politics. One being the over fantasization of the leader which is undoubtedly present in MAGA supporters in their fantasization of Trump. Trump also believes in traditionality. For example Trump's slogan “Make America Great Again” is a clear presence of that. Trump also officially only recognizes 2 genders which is a return to traditional gender roles. Trump throughout his campaign has identified immigrants as the “enemy within”. This attack towards immigrants has united Trump supporters through a common fear . Also the events of Jan. 6 are also evidence of a non peaceful transfer of power. This is eerily similar to dictatorship practices of fascist leaders such as Hitler.

Fascist is one of the most loaded political terms, if not the most that someone can be accused of, due to its obvious history. However, for such a powerful word, its meaning itself is often debated, and answering if something is or isn't fascist can be a difficult task. Especially, because fascism takes on different forms in whatever culture it has found itself in. Generally, Fascism is a cult of the leader, in which a party has complete control over the government, and normal everyday life has close relations with the leading man. Currently, we may find it difficult to understand how fascism would even take root, due to our traditionally “Western” values of freedom. However, fascism still persists, and I argue it could even be brewing in the United States itself. In order for it to work, the fascist government must have a powerful leader, with this leader being glorified and idolized by the general public. Fascism usually occurs after a country has experienced a major loss, defeat, or humiliation, which is an argument for why it cannot exist in the US. Still, the fascism arises from a yearning for stability and restoration of a more powerful form of the government, a major component in its appeal. For Germans, the Nazi party offered greatness after their loss in World War 1, for Italians justice for their disregard after the War, and power which they had lost. The citizens of a fascist government feel wronged in a way, and this feeling allows for them to accept powerful radical leaders and policies. Once a following has been built, that's when in and out groups are created, and those who are not “in” the group, are ostracized, attacked, and sometimes even killed. This is what drives the immense support for the fascist leaders, the feeling of superiority of the group which they feel they have lost. It is then crucial that the outgroup must be people that the in group hates, as hatred is a powerful unifier. Many who argue that the US is not fascist cite this lack of hatred, and feelings of superiority, however just because it is not apparent it does not mean it does not exist. Conservative leaders may lean to fascism because of certain similarities they may hold, for example, the hatred of immigrants which exists amongst many conservatives. While conservatives are prioritized on the maintaining of traditional social values, which may include intense patriotism, many have morphed this patriotism into a fierce nationalism, and disdain for others. This hatred we see everywhere in the United States, from the border policies to the proposed “great wall”. The difficult thing about fascism is, as Bruce Kuklick describes, it as a “floating signifier”, a word which doesn't necessarily have a meaning, and morphs to whatever it is describing. As of now, I do not believe that American Fascism exists, however I do believe we could be very close, only when the fundamentals of the United States law has been lost (such as a third term or disregard for the Constitution) can we be certain of fascism. In other countries, especially in Europe, neo-Nazi or fascist parties exist as well, such as the Greek Golden Dawn party. In times like these, it seems even more important to be knowledgeable about our past and history, so we can be informed about our present.

I read The Psychology of Fascism: Wilhelm Reich Et Al by Kenneth Feigenbaum to look at a few key characteristics of a fascist society. Traits of general fascism include the encouragement of violence, extreme stress on masculinity, attacks on individual thinking and egalitarianism, and a charismatic and authoritarian style of leadership. The “patriarchal family” is central to the development of an authoritarian government, where the child is socialized through either severe physical or psychological punishment. This abusive upbringing leads to a weak concept of self and the development of narcissism in order to compensate, and that “Anger against the patriarchal home is displaced onto the weakest group in society.” I think we can see that with Hitler, as he grew up with an extremely abusive father who has been described as a “strict, short-tempered patriarch who demanded unquestioning respect and obedience from his children” by Volker Ullrich. It makes sense that Hitler’s possible hatred for himself due to his abuse would be projected onto others—labeled “character armor” in The Psychology of Fascism—and could have fueled his rage-filled campaign. Hitler relied on the hatred of Germans to keep himself in power, referring to Jewish, queer, Roma, communist, and other people as “internal enemies,” vermin, animals, and used eugenics to support the discrimination and extermination of these people.

In the same reading, it is said that Adorno and Horkheimer conversely believed that fascist ideology could be countered by rational thought. I disagree with this point. I believe that in any extremist movement, there are a number of supporters that are “true believers,” but there are also people that know the groups’ beliefs are nonsensical and extreme but support them anyway. It’s the same reason people say “You can’t argue with crazy”: people in fascist/extremist groups often know their beliefs have no substance, but will find as many loopholes and twisted logic they need to keep justifying themselves. This is why I believe that rational thought cannot battle fascist ideology, because at the end of the day people will believe what they want, and if a lie is told over and over again, everyone will believe it. Even still, I struggle to understand why people in lower classes support fascism. Why do you think fascism appeals to the middle and lower classes?

LTQ 4: Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism manifests in society when people are made to be scared of outside forces or during times of decline. If we look at historical examples and compare their characteristics with modern-day fascism we can see one of the biggest similarities is that the fascists rose during times of decline and manufactured uncertainty. For example, if you look at Nazi Germany, Hitler was able to use his charisma during the decade of economic decline, and the global embarrassment of the German state as well as mass anti “others” rhetoric to gain popular support from the people because he posed himself and the Nazi regime as the solution. This picture of Hitler being the savior created a strong populous movement that allowed the Nazis to use the Democratic systems already in place in Germany, along with deep corruption and propaganda, to take power and rule Germany as a fascist dictatorship. From Germany, we can see how fascism manifested during a time of great social decline and required a majority of the population to support the movement.

Additionally, when we compare the past with more recent examples of fascism John Henley, a European correspondent for the Guardian points out the populism present in the current Fascist movement. He finds, “Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, whose roots are widely considered neofascist, qualifies as far right, populist and socially conservative.” Nevertheless, the largest factor that we can use to explain how Fascist are able to take power is that they use a hatred for “other groups“ to unify the people to support the fascist party for example, Nazi Germany was able to effectively do this by targeting the Jews and blaming them for the economic devastation in Germany‘s embarrassment. Nevertheless, more recently, Trump has been able to create a popular following by uniting Americans into being xenophobic. John Henley furthers this claim by pointing out “A number of Europe’s mainstream center-right parties, including France’s Les Républicains (LR), the Netherlands’ VVD, and Britain’s Conservatives, have adopted nativist policy platforms, most notably on immigration.” this shows that many populist groups who may not be outright fascist still use many fascist tactics like their native platform to gain power. This indicates that many populist groups who may not be outright fascist still use many fascist tactics like their native platform to gain power.

However, despite many attempts to clearly define what is fascist or not it has become exceedingly hard to over time. For instance, in our discussion, we talked about how it is so problematic that people today tend to only describe something as fascist if it is exactly like Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy since it means that you could be fascist in many regards but not be considered one because you don’t commit genocide. This opens the door for Regimes to get away with horrible acts without being paired with the branding for being fascist. I think we need to lay out some criteria that when a country reaches just a few of them they should be labeled as fascist so as to protect the people who the regime is targeting and bring more awareness to their actions to prevent escalation. For example I think the criteria should be somewhat similar to what Abraham Maslow layed out in his 1950 essay on what causes fascism but they should be periodically updated so we don’t run into the aforementioned problems. The criteria he lays out 5 are, “1) Viewing the world as a “dog eat dog” one. “Your gain is my loss.” Zero sum reasoning 2) Believing that kindness is weakness 3) Exhibiting sado-masochistic tendencies 4) Containing intra-psychic conflicts and a sense of guilt that generates hostility 5) Manifesting a rigidity of thought.” In the end we must create a list of these criteria so as to prevent further fascist regimes from rising.