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Originally posted by mwah_thequeen on November 23, 2025 19:56

When fascism is talked about in a society, it is important to understand what fascism truly is. According to Umberto Eco’s Ur Facism, fascism is not one single set of rules but instead “a collage of different ideas,” which just means that it can take form and shape at any time or place. Still, there are some common characteristics which are a belief in a charismatic leader, extreme nationalism, the rejection of democratic debate, fear of outsiders, and the idea that differences of opinion are disagreements are dangerous. These few characteristics follow fascist movements to grow because they simplify complex problems and give people answers during a time of fear or instability.

For citizens, the most dangerous fascist characteristics are those that attack individualism or an individual's freedom. When a society starts to treat disagreements as a threat, or when the government claims there's this one leader who can “save” the nation, the public loses the ability to challenge harmful decisions. Eco explains that fascism depends on “the cult of tradition,” and many refuse to question authority. When people are encouraged to stop thinking for themselves, it becomes a lot easier for leaders to manipulate the public’s view and justify violence. Historically, many societies accepted fascism because it offered a sense of belonging or community, which, at a time when economic problems are present, makes people desperate for stability or a community they can depend on.

Today, lots of countries, even the United States, show certain characteristics that reflect past fascist societies, even if they are not fully fascist nations. Some of these characteristics are rising political polarization, strong populist leaders who claim they represent “the real people” or, like Trump, will “Make America Great Again,” and a lack of trust in democratic institutions. For example, many far-right groups in modern Europe use themes like protecting national identity and rejecting and alienating outsiders, which are similar to earlier fascist movements. In the U.S., this is especially present through debates about immigration, voting rights, and national “purity.” They are appealing today for the same reason they were appealing in the past, as they offer simple explanations for complicated issues. This gives people in a community a group to find a sense of belonging, whether they won’t feel ignored or powerless anymore, but instead empowered.

Thankfully, the U.S. is not the same as the fascist societies of the 20th century. Although we still have strong democratic institutions, regular elections, a free press, and laws that limit how much power any single leader can hold. People openly criticize the government without fear of arrest, and political power changes hands peacefully. These differences matter. They show that while fascist ideas may exist in the U.S., the country is not a part of a fascist system. It’s also important to stop labeling every right-leaning movement as fascist, as it takes away the importance of the word. The National Review article No, Trump Is Not a Fascist argues that the term “fascist” is used too casually, which weakens the word and turns every single political disagreement into accusations instead. Not every conservative idea comes from fascism, and many people who support right-leaning positions may be for religious purposes or economic reasons, not because they believe in total authoritarian rule. Calling every conservative movement fascist will only deepen division within a nation, which makes it harder to recognize when actual fascist ideas are spreading.

Even though the U.S. is a democracy, that doesn’t mean we are completely safe from fascism. History shows that fascism will only grow inside democratic countries when people stop paying attention and begin to lose trust in their government, or look for leaders who offer quick and easy answers. Eco warns that fascism can show up in the most innocent of disguises, which means it can appear slowly and unknowingly. Because of this, no society, including ours, is completely safe from this. The best way to prevent fascism is to stay informed, question leaders, support open discussion, and avoid treating any group of people like the enemy.

In conclusion, the United States now especially has some worrying signs, like extreme political divisions and people losing so much faith in institutions, but it is not a fascist country. Still, fascist ideas can spread if people are not careful. Knowing the real signs of fascism helps us stay aware and stop history from repeating itself.

The importance of what fascism truly is stressed heavily in this response. The example of President Trump’s MAGA movement particularly stood out as it highlights the return to traditional values in society, to make things how they were before, which is a characteristic of a fascist society. The idea of belonging in a community is important because having a community to depend on allows comfort and a system to depend on. The idea of history showing fascism and how it ends is something I also discussed in my response. This is important as we already know that fascism can grow in democratic countries and it can appear slowly without recognition. I agree with the idea that no country is safe because even if the ideas of fascism are recognized, many would still choose the fascist society due to their unhappiness with the way things currently are. The political divisions in the US and loss of faith in the government is worrisome especially with the checks and balances system having more cheat codes, however we must not throw the word fascism around. Just like this peer said, knowing the signs of fascism will help us recognize if we are headed in that direction and therefore we can stop history from repeating itself. This is the main point, that we must learn the characteristics of a fascist society and discuss them with meaning so that we understand what fascism is and ensure a fascist society does not rise now or in the future.

The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands are all democracies with a far-right leader. This has led to concerns over the strength of fascist ideologies in these countries. It may be unlikely that many of these countries will experience fascism—because most of them are long-standing democracies—but it’s nevertheless essential that we note signs of fascism instead of ignoring them.

In the United States, there are currently many elements of the current administration that could suggest a rise in fascist beliefs. Of the reliable list of red flags signalling fascist ideologies, the US and many of these other democracies seem to be experiencing most of them. Ultra nationalism, for example, is present in the US, UK, and the Netherlands with their strict immigration laws that many people argue are based in racism and xenophobia rather than genuine concerns over the country’s economy and population. The US has tried to avoid these accusations, but has failed. Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship proved that he is not concerned about attacking illegal immigration, but legal immigration too. ICE raids have shown the white supremacy and abuse rooted in the system: ICE officers often arrest civilians based on their appearance rather than immigration status, racially profiling them. This seems to all be done in the name of keeping US cities safe, but armed civilians patrolling the streets, threatening civilians, and showing excessive physical force to those they detain only creates violence, disruption, and fear.

This leads into the next factor, the supremacy of the military. In the US, this is not as minor as people may think. This doesn’t just refer to Trump’s birthday military parade, but also US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s crackdown on who may serve in the military. He does not believe women should serve in the military. He has gotten rid of shaving waivers, which are important for primarily black soldiers who have a disproportionately high chance of getting a skin condition that makes it painful to shave. If Hegseth is not truly misogynist and racist, he certainly expresses those qualities.

Another significant factor is anti-intellectualism. In his first term, Trump said “I love the poorly educated” (Politico, 2016). In his second term, Trump has threatened to get rid of the Department of Education and has made sweeping cuts to DoE funding. Trump’s far-right friend Charlie Kirk once said he doesn’t think schools should provide free school lunch because parents should simply provide it, regardless of income. By making school inaccessible and underfunded, Trump and his supporters may see their 9-year-long goal of making America poorly educated realized.

The most obvious in the US is the glorification of the past. Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” refers to an unspecified time when America was prosperous. The saying is up to interpretation, but when said in chant to a group of white supremacists or to a group who believes they weren’t hired for a job because of DEI, this term may remind people of the time in America when racism was normalized.

When looking at these factors, it’s important to consider their degree. None of the above examples constitute an issue that was as extreme as in Germany or Italy. However, understanding that this is what people said in Germany and Italy makes it important to call out fascism wherever it is seen, even if it’s not as bad as in Germany or Italy at that moment. Thus, I disagree with historian Bruce Kuklick, who believes that using the word “fascist” to describe politicians in today’s societies has no stable meaning because it’s frequently thrown around. But just because some people have called Hillary Clinton a fascist doesn’t mean we should prohibit ourselves from ever using the term “fascist” to describe our leaders (The New Republic, 2023). It is a dangerous promise. Whether the US is truly experiencing the rise of fascism or it’s just a combination of persuasive factors, Americans are aware of the warning signs of fascism, unlike in 1940s Germany and Italy, and we won’t let it happen.

Originally posted by star.gazing on November 24, 2025 18:14

Modern democracies, including the US, are not fascist states, but some political movements show traits that resemble elements of historical fascism, particularly during periods of economic strain, cultural conflict, or institutional distrust. Yet that does not mean that the nation is inherently fascist, it just means there are certain patterns that reappear because they satisfy social and psychological needs. Characteristics of fascism include strong “us vs them” nationalism, charismatic leadership, disdain for democratic institutions, clarification of violence and military, blaming national problems on minority groups, mass propaganda, fusion of state and business, the mythical past, and traditionalism. No modern nation matches all of these, but shows partial expressions.

The US remains a functioning democracy with strong institutions. (although many are dissatisfied with the government and there is a huge partisan division) However, some trends resemble historical patterns such as

• Using immigrants, political opponents, and racial/religious groups as scapegoats
  • Ex. Trump blaming immigrants for the economic problems, calling democrats treasonists, ethno-nationalist pride movements, cultural replacement conspiracies: "They're stealing American jobs”, dehumanization of minorities, violent hate crimes against marginalized groups and journalists
• Worship of a leader
  • Movements defined by personal loyalty and not policy, the cultist traits of the MAGA movement, attacks on courts, legislatures, independent media, and pre-existing laws
• Rising acceptance of political violence
  • Ex. January 6th, murder of two democrat lawmakers in their home, and the murder of Charlie Kirk, “Militia” groups (Proud Boys), death threats against public officials, “mainstreamification” of violence and increasing calls for “revolution” or “civil war” as political slogans
  • People believe the system is collapsing and violence in the only path to restore control for ones group
• Propaganda and conspiracy
  • Propaganda today does not require state control, social media amplifies misinformation organically
  • Ex. Partisan media platforms (Truth Social), politicians sharing conspiracy theories (attacks on minorities), a decline in knowing what information is real and what is fake (especially with the incorporation of AI)
  • Belief in election fraud
• State power, business, and party loyalty
  • Business and government become intertwined (Google and Meta sponsoring the White House Ballroom)
  • Intense political loyalty (the consistency of red states and blue states throughout elections)
  • Party loyalty replaces neutral government (governing only benefits those who are loyal to the party and the beliefs of that party are implemented even if they hurt the other party/ generally hurt the people)
• Mythic past and cultural restoration
  • “Make America Great Again” implying that America was great in the past and that we need to ‘return to normalcy’ (even though we have progressed forward as a society)
  • Cultural fundamentalism
  • Revival of mythic national identities (Trump pushing to rebuild confederate monuments)

Yet these are warning signs, not evidence of active fascism. These characteristics seem appealing to people today because of the fear and uncertainty from the modern crises: economic instability, rapid cultural change, the pandemic, and wars. A fascist rhetoric offers simple explanations, clear enemies, and promises of restored order. I think that many are so quick to call the modern US a fascist society because they are severely dissatisfied with the state of the country. Yes, horrible things are occurring in the nation at the moment, yet it should not be immediately described as fascism. Calling just anything that is remotely against one's own political and societal belief “fascist” waters down the word and discredits all of the experiences of people who actually had to live through a fascist regime. If people truly believe that the US is heading towards fascism then they need to actually do something about it. We aren't in the stage yet where no one can do anything, where people just let things happen, there is still time where people can stand up and fight against a system of government they don't agree with. But, the US still has a functioning democracy, meaning in essence there has not been a consolidation of power by one person therefore people still have opportunities to “replace” the government, vote for the changes they desire as in a fascist society, that isn't possible. We cannot allow one person to consolidate power in the same manner that actual fascists have.

The most interesting Idea that my peer had was our president: blaming immigrants for our struggles. This is an INCREDIBLE analogy. Now I realize there is a huge similarity between the U.S and Nazi Germany. Along with all of the other things, like worshiping a leader, or censorship, blaming is largely important in a fascist society. The Nazi’s blamed the jews, and ended up killing six million of them. It is important that we acknowledge our situation in the U.S so that we don’t start massacring immigrants.

My views are very similar to this peer. For example, when listing all of the things about our society with Trump, and the similarity to Germany. We have a lot in common in our beliefs. The main idea that we both went on was propaganda. Propaganda is a huge concept in America, that personally I think should be legally limited. The U.S has an unreal amount of propaganda, just like Nazi Germany once had.

I agree with everything that my peer said, and I was even enlightened to some more ideas. All in all, it is incredible how similar the U.S is to Nazi Germany. It should be a priority to avoid the traits of the Nazi’s.

The question of which characteristics must be present for fascism, its inherent dangers and how such an ideology gained acceptance in the past offers a lens which can be used to examine modern political climates. Trying to understand historical fascism is necessary before trying to compare modern societies including the United States. While certain contemporary American political movements have aggressive nationalist and populist tendencies the current climate is very different from the fascist movements of the 20th century because of the strength of the existing democratic institutions.

The US political system runs with a system of checks and balances with regular elections between different parties and constitutionally protected free press. Very importantly no current political movement has a genuine organized way to overthrow the government or suppress political enemies on a national scale which is a key part of historical fascist ascension. As Rich Lowry argues, a key difference between modern American figures and historical fascists is that historical fascists believed in an “all-consuming state” and the structural goal of “territorial aggrandizement through conquest.” Even though political rhetoric can be harsh and divisive, the institutional structure that is necessary for true totalitarian control remains intact and resistant to a sudden takeover.

However, saying that the United States currently isn't a fascist state does not necessarily mean that democracy is immune to fascist ideology. Fascism is not only defined by its final totalitarian form but by the ideological steps that get rid of democratic foundations. Immunity is a dangerous belief as history shows that democracies fail not because of a sudden coup but through the slow systematic erosion of norms, the politicization of institutions and the public acceptance of antidemocratic sentiment and political violence. When populist figures consistently undermine faith in the press, the electoral process, the judiciary and the intelligence community they are attacking the very procedural checks that differentiate democracies from dictatorships.This provides fertile ground for the core ideological components of fascism. The glorification of the leader, the rejection of national debate and the search for an absolute enemy.

The debate of whether right wing political movements are inherently fascist usually involves a lot of exaggerating from left wing organizations. The term “fascist” has become as lowry says one of the Left’s favorite swear words and it's sometimes applied to standard conservative figures who don't have said totalitarian beliefs. He emphasizes that the charge must make”sense on the merits” and shouldn't just be an “emotionally satisfying” label. For example promoting free enterprise or a focus on national interests even if they are aggressive does not inherently qualify as fascism. A political movement is only truly fascist when it commits to the anti democratic structure of rejecting parliamentary government or if it pursues an all consuming state. Also if it celebrates ideological violence as the means to power. While a movement can possess nationalist and authoritarian tendencies that overlap with historical fascism labeling the entire right leaning spectrum as inherently fascist risks making the public's sensitivity to the real danger of an anti constitutional or totalitarian threat more numb. The real danger comes in ignoring tendencies that threaten the rule of law regardless of which political party employs them.

Originally posted by Barbsy on November 25, 2025 08:48

Throughout history, there have been countless examples of fascism in different governments and different regions. While each of these examples of fascism have their own characteristics with unique differences, they all share the same core principles. Umberto Eco has classified these shared characteristics as Ur-Fascism. Ur-Fascism are the traits that every society must exhibit in order for it to be considered a fascist state. These characteristics include a nostalgic feeling and desire for the past. For instance reflecting on your past success and rallying people to go back to the old days with old values. Ur-Fascism also includes the rejection of modernity, for instance new values and new ways of thinking. It also rejects intellectualism, fascist states do not want critical thought, instead they want reactionary action, action without thought because it's easier to control. Furthermore, fascist states all push towards conformity, influencing others to conform in order to not be different, and forcing others into submission when they act out. They want absolute control. In addition to this, Ur-Fascism includes a return of masculinity. It preaches that masculinity is the pinnacle of all traits and that every man should strive to be more masculine by feeling emotions less, and using their power more. Everyone is made to be a hero. Which is why there is immense contempt for the weak. Lastly, fascist states need a charismatic leader. One who people want to follow, and feel that they will lead them in the right direction, no matter their actions. This ties in with the propaganda used in fascist states. Every fascist state uses propaganda to control the narrative and influence their people to do their biddings. For instance, typically they target the youth and younger generations, they create a cult of sorts that makes people worship their leader.

Ziegler terms these traits as generic fascism. Characteristics exhibited everywhere. “The characteristics of Generic Fascism may include identity politics; the creation of a nationalistic authoritarian state; the positive evaluation of violence; the extreme stress on masculinity; the exalting of youth over other phases of life; an attack on individual thinking and egalitarianism; and an authoritarian, charismatic style of leadership”(The Psychology of Fascism). I believe that the most dangerous trait to exhibit in a state is propaganda. I believe this because propaganda allows for complete control over the people. If one can control the narrative and how citizens perceive what is happening. They can control just about anything in their state. Propaganda results in worshiping the leader, it results in the inability for people to critically think, meaning they can't realize the wrong they are doing. In their minds they are acting completely just. I believe that nothing else is possible in a fascist state without propaganda controlling what people think, and telling them how to act. This is part of the reason why fascism was so easily accepted in these states. As the state slowly turned into a dictatorship, propaganda made everything appear good. It made everything appear like things were getting better and that their government and leader truly cared about them and their welfare. However, in reality, they were just using them to attain power.

Your response made me realize elements of fascism that I hadn’t picked up on in our readings. Your point about how fascist leaders convince people to use reactionary thinking is very interesting. I had forgotten about this element. I can tie back to my response, which discusses warning signs of fascism in the United States. In the US, social media disrupts and overemphasizes reactions. Algorithms show video after video of angry protestors, racist marchers, etc. Fortunately, this behavior is only exhibited by Americans of beliefs that are on the fringes of society. However, the high frequency of these posts on Instagram and X being made viral make it seem like this behavior is mainstream. It promotes political polarization. Since current leaders have influence on social media platforms, a fascist leader could further this polarization and increase hate to support their campaign. Therefore, reactions are easier for fascist leaders to control, as you pointed out!

This connection to social media ties into your belief that propaganda is a very dangerous tool in a fascist society. I agree. Propaganda can be used to relay misinformation, which creates hate, and to prop up the fascist leader, which furthers the adoption of fascism in a country. However, I think that marginalizing communities and playing the role of victim are more important and dangerous elements of fascist behavior. They lay the foundation for the hate that is perpetuated in propaganda. When propaganda and hate are combined, they seem to guarantee that fascism is in motion.

In a society, certain characteristics need to be present for it to fully be considered fascist. Fascism isn’t just one idea, it's a collection of many principles that relate to politics and democracy. To call a society fascist, it needs many different characteristics to achieve this name. Things such as a leader that people treat as their “god”, groups that thrive for violence that aren’t afraid to fight, and participating in many activities that disregard the laws that are put in place. The biggest danger fascism can do to people comes from blaming others, in other words being a scapegoat, and being an anti-intellectualist. When fascists blame a certain group for all of the problems that are going on in a country or the world, it makes them feel as though it is alright to treat that group with disrespect. This leads to basic rights being violated and violence.

When looking at modern nations including the United States, there are many characteristics of fascism that are shown through political movements. These can relate to being fascist because of their extreme nationalism, cult-like personality through certain leaders, and scapegoating. For example, some political groups in countries have claimed that they need a strong leader to look up to to make sure everything is running smoothly. The appeal of these characteristics relates to the sense of belonging the leaders and groups create. In a complex world, a fascist narrative can create a clearer picture of what is happening and can make it easier for many. Fascism also can promise a sense of community which unites people through similar likes and passions as well as common enemies. This desire for community is a powerful lure for people seeking help in times of economic struggles.

The current climate in the U.S. is very different from the situations that allowed fascist societies to come about. Fascism emerged when governments weren't strong and violence in politics was widespread. In the U.S. there are many strong protections in place, such as a system where no one in the government has too much power over others and judges and courts make fair decisions. These systems have the ability to thrive while fascist states lacked these. While they are strong decisions, no democratic society is really safe from ideas that can lead to a single, controlling leader. We will always need to watch to make sure the basic rules of democracy don’t fully disappear.

We should think about the words used in political debates. When deciding if a movement is actually fascist, it’s important to tell the difference between specific goals and the historical idea of fascism. Movements usually advocate for smaller policies like lower taxes and more national defense. Fascism on the other hand is dedicated to total government control and when people disagree with their ideas they completely shut down other suggestions. Calling every conservative idea fascist is typically exaggerated and not normally right. Calling an idea or democracy fascist is usually made to grab attention of the fact or make it a bigger deal than it normally is. It’s important to use the term accurately so we don’t make assumptions.

1. Which characteristics must be present for a society to be considered fascist? Which characteristics represent the most danger to ordinary people in society? Why was fascism so easily accepted by people in societies in the past?

There are many characteristics that make up a fascist society, but individually these characteristics cannot define a society as fascist, it is when they are put together that it really shows there is a fascist society. According to Umberto Eco in his book Ur-Facism, there are 14 characteristics of a fascist society and you can mix and match them to the different places that have fallen under fascism in the past. One of the most prominent examples of fascist ideology is the use of “othering”. In Nazi Germany, it was the Jewish population and in America, and multiple other countries today, it is immigrants. By creating an enemy, fascist movements are able to control their society by using hate. Eco also says that these characteristics connect with each other and lead into each other becoming coexistent. Two of the characteristics like this were, the cult of tradition and the rejection of modernism. These two characteristics go hand in hand because when you strive to follow the ideals of a traditional society, you must push away the new, the modern. This can be seen when leaders try to go back to old gender roles or old ideals that barred certain communities. Like in Nazi Germany, the party began to erase the minorities and push a new/old ideal onto the people, saying that the modern world was corrupt. Another two characteristics that link are ultra nationalism and the fear of being different. Because many often fear that being different can cause you to be shunned from society, and because that is actually true is fascist societies, finding common ground brings people together. This ideal of ultranationalism can be seen in many instances, for example the Armenian Genocide. During this time, the Turkish government pushed for a turkey for “the turks” this highlighted the uber nationalism they wanted to convey and pointed out the enemy. Therefore this poses an extremely dangerous and common factor in the definition of fascism and I think causes the most danger for ordinary people in society. By making an enemy of a certain group, every person becomes part of the problem. Even if a person only joined the fascist ideal because they were threatened or under certain circumstances, it is often the need to be part of the majority. That fear of being different returns and the us vs. them ideal grows. Also the obvious danger is for the people in these minority groups. The Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide were prime examples of one group being punished for not fitting into a society, and basically being chosen as the enemy. The people who died and suffered through these genocides were innocent but the society that put them there was taught to think they were the root of all their problems. The manipulation of the public is a key detail in any fascist society and what makes it so easy is the weakness of the society. To be able to push such harsh ideals and regimes onto a society, a group needs to swoop in at the right time, when the society is unstable and “needing” a guiding voice.

Fascism at its core can be attributed to the political and social climate of the nation that it takes over. The government is always in a time of weakness where its citizens are unhappy with the current state of their ruling and are looking for a change. Fascism is able to take over control of a nation under the promise that they will restore and fix the system of government. The figureheads of fascist leadership emphasize the glory that was once held in the past and take pride in wanting to restore history. This can be seen in the United States today in the phrase “Make America Great Again”, used by Donald Trump and his far right supporters who call their group “MAGA”. This slogan is meant to prey on United States citizens’ dissatisfaction with the current state of the country. The sector of people that end up in support of “make america great again” are often the ones with racial or religious biases against others and would prefer to go back to a time of greater segregation and white supremacy. This leads to another important characteristic of fascism which is that there is the urge to blame a whole group of people for problems with society, the government, and in the Nazi’s case, the loss of the war. There must always be some form of racism in a fascist government and usually the sheer level of racism that there is leads to violence against said group. The violence is stemming from the exaggeration of feelings that comes from the need to feel like you are an active member of a party. This is what makes fascism so dangerous. The psychology of people who participate in mass movements is what allows fascism to blow up as rapidly as it does. An excerpt from Ur-Fascism reads, “Fascism grows and seeks a consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference”. Not only do people naturally not want to stick out from the masses, but fascism in particular is run off potential punishment. The violence that the blamed race has to endure is used as an example for people who don’t follow the leader. There is a legitimate and psychological fear within fascism. The leader that starts a movement for fascism must be charismatic to get the movement going, yes, but fascism is also heavily attributed to the state of society during the time. Although the United States is displaying terrifying indicators of fascism, like antisemitism, the MAGA movement, and Trump’s cultish following, I don’t think that we will fall to fascism because of all the opposing views and that our society is relatively stable. As long as young people continue to get the right kind of education, I think we can resist the Trump movement and keep our democracy. In Fascist movements they were often against intellectuals and would kill them because the ability to form an individual thought is a threat to fascism so we must keep ourselves educated.

Characteristics like a period of moving away from tradition, a rising fear of different individuals whether it may be their race and or religion, a frustrated middle class, immense nationalism, identifying a scapegoat, rise of elitism, and finally we need a “hero” someone that promises to help the nation to defeat the “enemy”. The identification of a scapegoat and fear of the enemy represent the most danger to ordinary people in society because it leaves the feared “enemy” to experience extreme hate within society. Which causes many people that want to have a sense of belonging to start acting violent towards them, which commences antisematic acts towards the feared individuals. Fascism was so easily accepted by people in societies in the past because humans are destined to fear something or someone and since the world is such a diverse place they are always going to be someone to blame. Reich supports this by “5. The human structure is animated by the contradiction between an intense longing for and fear of freedom. 6. The fear of freedom of masses of people is expressed in the biophysical rigidity of the organisms and the inflexibility of the character.”

Originally posted by mwah_thequeen on November 23, 2025 19:56

When fascism is talked about in a society, it is important to understand what fascism truly is. According to Umberto Eco’s Ur Facism, fascism is not one single set of rules but instead “a collage of different ideas,” which just means that it can take form and shape at any time or place. Still, there are some common characteristics which are a belief in a charismatic leader, extreme nationalism, the rejection of democratic debate, fear of outsiders, and the idea that differences of opinion are disagreements are dangerous. These few characteristics follow fascist movements to grow because they simplify complex problems and give people answers during a time of fear or instability.

For citizens, the most dangerous fascist characteristics are those that attack individualism or an individual's freedom. When a society starts to treat disagreements as a threat, or when the government claims there's this one leader who can “save” the nation, the public loses the ability to challenge harmful decisions. Eco explains that fascism depends on “the cult of tradition,” and many refuse to question authority. When people are encouraged to stop thinking for themselves, it becomes a lot easier for leaders to manipulate the public’s view and justify violence. Historically, many societies accepted fascism because it offered a sense of belonging or community, which, at a time when economic problems are present, makes people desperate for stability or a community they can depend on.

Today, lots of countries, even the United States, show certain characteristics that reflect past fascist societies, even if they are not fully fascist nations. Some of these characteristics are rising political polarization, strong populist leaders who claim they represent “the real people” or, like Trump, will “Make America Great Again,” and a lack of trust in democratic institutions. For example, many far-right groups in modern Europe use themes like protecting national identity and rejecting and alienating outsiders, which are similar to earlier fascist movements. In the U.S., this is especially present through debates about immigration, voting rights, and national “purity.” They are appealing today for the same reason they were appealing in the past, as they offer simple explanations for complicated issues. This gives people in a community a group to find a sense of belonging, whether they won’t feel ignored or powerless anymore, but instead empowered.

Thankfully, the U.S. is not the same as the fascist societies of the 20th century. Although we still have strong democratic institutions, regular elections, a free press, and laws that limit how much power any single leader can hold. People openly criticize the government without fear of arrest, and political power changes hands peacefully. These differences matter. They show that while fascist ideas may exist in the U.S., the country is not a part of a fascist system. It’s also important to stop labeling every right-leaning movement as fascist, as it takes away the importance of the word. The National Review article No, Trump Is Not a Fascist argues that the term “fascist” is used too casually, which weakens the word and turns every single political disagreement into accusations instead. Not every conservative idea comes from fascism, and many people who support right-leaning positions may be for religious purposes or economic reasons, not because they believe in total authoritarian rule. Calling every conservative movement fascist will only deepen division within a nation, which makes it harder to recognize when actual fascist ideas are spreading.

Even though the U.S. is a democracy, that doesn’t mean we are completely safe from fascism. History shows that fascism will only grow inside democratic countries when people stop paying attention and begin to lose trust in their government, or look for leaders who offer quick and easy answers. Eco warns that fascism can show up in the most innocent of disguises, which means it can appear slowly and unknowingly. Because of this, no society, including ours, is completely safe from this. The best way to prevent fascism is to stay informed, question leaders, support open discussion, and avoid treating any group of people like the enemy.

In conclusion, the United States now especially has some worrying signs, like extreme political divisions and people losing so much faith in institutions, but it is not a fascist country. Still, fascist ideas can spread if people are not careful. Knowing the real signs of fascism helps us stay aware and stop history from repeating itself.

I agree with the author of this post that it is important for people to know the actual meaning of fascism and for it to not just get thrown around. The word fascist has become more of an insult than something that people take seriously and this can result in us missing it when there is a serious fascist threat. I also really like how this person brought up how dangerous it is to have one’s individualism taken away because without it people begin to go along with actions that they would normally never take part in. Fascism strives to strip people of their freedom of thought because the ability to form one’s own opinion means more chances of rebellion against a fascist party. I also agree that we shouldn’t brush the threat of fascism under the rug in the US but that we also are not likely to fall into a fascist regime. The US still has and values free speech and press and with the way our government is set up it would be hard to take those away. Of course this being said, in order to not repeat history we must remember and fear it because if we decrease the significance of such a time in history there will be less help when it comes to stopping it from happening again.

Fascist societies don’t always look the same but they still manage to be recognizable when looking back at history. An excerpt from Ur-Fascism by Umberto Echo explores the idea of how societies are defined by the term fascism, “The term 'Fascism' fits everything because it is possible to eliminate one or more aspects from a Fascist regime and it will always be recognisably Fascist.” Echo’s idea further highlights how much variety is possible for fascist societies as they do not have a certain look or clear guidelines as to what makes a fascist society. A society can have some elements of fascism but still not be considered fascist overall. Just because a society that exhibits the characteristics of fascism isn’t labeled as fascist initially, having the characteristics for it sets the groundwork for it to grow in the future. It is important to recognize the aspects of fascism so that they can be dealt with early on. Some important factors that are attributed to fascist societies are extreme nationalism, worship of leader, social conservatism, identification of scapegoats, and many more. It is important for regular citizens to recognize the signs of a fascist society as most start off as nationalist movements than turn into a dictatorship. The aspect of a fascist society that could be the most dangerous to a regular person is media control. The media presents people with the power to share their voice to others and additionally listen to what that have to say. If the government controls what people are able to say or see, they take away their freedom of speech and make it easier for propaganda to brainwash people. In a way repression of media also ties into anti-intellectualism since both work to keep people oblivious to their circumstances and make it easier for a fascist party or dictator to take the reigns of a country. Fascism was so easily accepted by societies of the past because they did not have as many historical warnings as we do. Modern day society can look back on places like Nazi Germany to make sure their society doesn’t look anything like that. Back then there were also so many wars that it caused a lot of political and social unrest that people itched for any sort of change. The United States has began to share more and more similarities with fascist societies of the past. The U.S. has recently been glorifying the past more and more with the “MAGA” movement being entirely focused on making America traditional like the past. The government has also made clear the power they have in their hands whrn they banned Tiktok, a popular social media site where people all over the world are allowed to share their voice, for a day and returned it with a message thanking the president for returning the app. The situation as a whole was very ridiculous and made people aware of how America had been changing. A concerning ad by Sydney Sweeney was also released a while ago thay contained heavy implications of Eugenics. This ad shows how America has also glorified ethnicity. Another aspect similar to that of a fascist society is a clear identification of scapegoats. Immigrants throughout time have received unwarranted backlash but lately a large part of the blame has been put on Hispanic immigrants as they are being painted as criminals who not only raise the crime rate, but lower employment rate for white Americans. These characteristics of fascism are appealing today because of two main things: the intense political polarization in the U.S. right now and the dissatisfaction of peoole with their own living situations. People grow restless when there begin to be internal problems in the nation and look for someone to blame for their own troubles. The current climate in the U.S. does share some differences with the fascist societies of the past. Some are just textbook differences where the U.S. fails to have some of the commonalities that fascist societies have: supremacy of the military, expansion, and value placed on youth all being examples of things the U.S. lacked Plenty of fascist societies. The article “No, Trump is Not a fascist” by Rich Lowry places a particular emphasis on how “Trump isn’t deploying a paramilitary wing of the GOP to clash with his enemies on the streets.” America lacks some of the extreme violence for now, but it shares enough commonalities with past fascist societies that America should still be wary and look out for more warning signs so that history doesn’t repeat itself. It’s worse to let fascism go unchecked on then to use the term in situations where it can’t exactly be applied. Ultimately, based off of how Hitler was elected in a democracy it is safe to assume that democracy is not safe from the claws of fascism.

Originally posted by dudeman18 on November 25, 2025 08:41

Fascism is a political ideology that has been around for a very long time. It sometimes can be hard to spot but overall is a movement that exalts nation and race above the individuals which is what makes it so dangerous. It feeds off of weaker societies or ones with lots of problems and people who are ready to be influenced. There is no straightforward way to point out if a society is fascist but it often follows the same key things which include extreme nationalism, race supremacy, and rejection of critical thought and intellectualism. The nationalism is a huge part which is often accompanied by Nativism. In the article “Populist, nativist, neofascist? A lexicon of Europe’s far right” the author Jon Henley dives deep into the European far right that has become more prominent recently with one of the main ones being the AfD in Germany. Cas Muddle an expert on the far right at the University of Georgia had this to say “radical right parties are defined as those that espouse two core ideologies: nativism (seen as the most significant), and authoritarianism. Nativism is the belief that “states should be inhabited exclusively by members of the ‘native group’, and that ‘non-native elements’ fundamentally threaten the homogeneous nation state” This point of nativism segways into what I see as the most dangerous aspect of common Facism which is the use of a scapegoat to explain why people’s lives are not what they want which I see as the most dangerous aspect. This can lead to extreme hate of groups that are just identified as scapegoats who have not actually done anything wrong. People are inclined to really latch on to this which makes it incredibly dangerous for that group of people. Societies in the past were easy to accept facism partly because their lives were not great. Post war Germany was terrible for many people and it was easy to get swept up. Also later it became socially unacceptable to be against Hitler and the Nazi’s. In the USA today I do see some fascist characteristics but the main one that pops up is the nationalism, and the anti intellectualism. Nationalism has gone a little bit out of whack in my opinion with one party completely claiming patriotism I feel. Also there has been college and school defunding along with an overall tone that is against being smart. Characteristics of facism are appealing today because people have lots of things that they are not happy with such as inflation and difficulties getting by. The climate in the USA is a bit different because the country is still thriving and also there is a different world with the internet. With the way that the internet is people get into echo chambers and hook onto ideas significantly faster. This makes it easy to spread extremism to others. Our society is not immune to facism because of it’s democracy because we could easily elect in someone who is committed to passing fascist policy. Right wing movements are not in my opinion inherently fascist but they can become that if people latch on to hard to more extreme ideas. There are many ways that a right wing movement could become a fascist one.

I think one of the most compelling parts of this person’s arguments, and something that I definitely agree with is the idea of the use of the scapegoat, and nativism, and how that all connects and is a large part of fascist regimes. I think they had really good points about how nativism and authoritarianism combine to be facism. I think it is important to understand that nativism is such a big part of facism because of that idea of the land being solely inhabited by the purely native people of that area. I think they did a good job talking about how it can lead to extreme hate, and it allows leadership to use minority groups as a scapegoat for certain bad events that happen. Something else that they talked about, which is something that I certainly agree with and actually talked about in my post, is the defunding of colleges in the US today. I think it is really important to see that de-valuing in education that is going on, and connect that to the main characteristics of facism. I think they did a good job using that as an example of how the US today could be connected to facism. Overall I definitely agree with a lot of what this person said and I think they explained their points well.

Originally posted by StevenAdrianCharles93 on November 25, 2025 08:23

I think that one of the biggest characteristics of a society that is able to be taken over by a fascist regime is a society filled with turmoil. You really need a country to be in a place filled with distrust and disturbance that allows for a more authoritarian presence to gain the trust of the people. A state that is having more success will have people more confident in their current government, and they won’t trust that type of authoritarian presence in the same way. When facism takes over, you can really tell by the loss of rights, and the mass control that is exerted. I think a big pointing to a fascist society is the mass amount of propaganda and media control. I think it can sometimes be so obvious with all this messaging and all the swaying of opinions that a government is trying to change the minds of the people. I think part of the reason that facism was easily accepted by societies in the past was because people back then had much less education and critical thinking, and the fascist governments appeared to them as great stabilizers for their countries during tough times. Umberto Eco’s Ur-Facism says that concerning facism, “there can be no advancement of learning. The truth has already been announced once and for all, and all we can do is continue interpreting its obscure message. This stress and downplaying on education is a large part of the control that comes from these governments. This regulation of learning stops people from getting education and being able to critically think, and it allows the government to limit people from seeing what is really going on. I think that the US definitely displays a lot of similar characteristics to fascist societies. Just from my experience, I have seen so much propaganda and media control, that it just really stood out as fascist tendencies. So many stories are taken and twisted and changed and just straight up lied about to make people believe certain things, and people can be in such a state that they believe it so easily. I also have seen such a large amount of attempts of restriction of learning. There was a lot going on with defunding of colleges, and I think that speaks to the attempt to stop people from critically thinking and looking at the changed that have happened in America recently. One thing that I think is a bit different in today’s US society than from fascist ones in the past is that I do feel like there are still a lot more critical thinkers and highly educated people, and I think there is a lot more pushback to the government than before. The extent to which the Nazi regime went is something that I think and would hope is impossible in todays America because I think humanity has hopefully reached a point where a country like America would never allow that to be possible ever again. I hope that our democrat society is immune to facism, even though there have definitely been signs and similarities.

I think that your most compelling argument is the idea that in order for a fascist ideology to take place, you need to have a turmoil filled society. I fully agree with this statement, as I personally spoke about a similar idea in my own response. There needs to be a reason for the people to turn to a new authoritarian presence, and this is a must in order for them to do that. However, I do slightly disagree with your comments on being able to tell there is a fascist takeover due to a loss of rights and mass control. During the moment that the takeover is happening, you are not guaranteed to notice, or pay a lot of attention to, these things. They are definitely noticeable as you look back in history upon events such as the Nazi takeover, but in the moment, the civilians are unlikely to be concerned with these things. I also agree with your concerns for current American society. With the defunding of colleges and an increased media control, there are definitely some early signs of fascism, but I don’t think that this means fascist society is near. You bring up a good point at how humans have evolved and learned, which I agree is definitely a factor in stopping the spread. I think that your response has a lot of powerful messages, but your writing and grammar could be improved on.

Certain characteristics of a government can determine whether it has become a fascist regime. According to excerpts from Ur-Facism, by Umberto Eco, these characteristics do not all have to be present for a fascist regime to exist, but one in extremity, or a combination of many can indicate fascism. Some of these characteristics include an extreme sense of nationalism, a suppression of opposing political parties, the full power or dictatorship of only one leader, and the removal of individualism from an entire society. The characteristic which poses the biggest threat to a society that falls susceptible to facism is accepting the suppression of opposing political parties. This is a significant characteristic of fascism because it embodies how a fascist regime turns itself from a movement people can choose to support to the only option for a “better future.” Fascism was so widely accepted by societies in the time leading up to World War II because of the havoc that the aftermath of World War I wreaked throughout Europe. For example, the Treaty of Versailles sent Germany into economic collapse, and Nazi fascism transformed the German people into a united front. This loss of individualism was accepted by Society because they felt that as a unit, they would be able to invoke more change and conditions would begin to look up. The United States could be experiencing the characteristic of full loyalty to a leader, which can sometimes lead to fascism. This is because many extreme supporters of our president acknowledge and even glorify his unlawful actions, which doesn't even have to do with politics or opinions about how good of a president he is. When people find themselves in a group that believes the same things as them, they feel heard or comforted, because no one opposes their viewpoint. Perhaps Trump supporters so eagerly accept the felonies he has committed because they know they have a group of people to confirm their beliefs. The current climate of the United States government is unlike historical fascist regimes because there is markedly less government propaganda being propagated throughout the country. If education systems, for example, were changed to support current political parties and beliefs, there would certainly be reason for concern. I do not think that right-winged political parties are inherently fascist, however I think that some exclusionary beliefs they may hold could lend themselves to fascist ideology, such as the idea of returning to the historical “glory” of a country. In addition it is wise to be wary of growing right wing extremist movements because their glorification of leaders who commit actual crimes is concerning. It is one thing to support a president who has right wing ideas, as America is a democracy, but that is far different from glorification of felonies that he may have committed. Like past governments that were meant to promote equality, it is a possibility that our democracy could fall susceptible to a fascist regime, however this seems unlikely in the near future based on the lack of glaring evidence, such as extreme forms of propaganda. Free speech is still allowed in our country after all.