What is fascism, and how is it manifested in a democratic (or republic) society like America?
This video essay answers that very question...
Hint: "When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross."
---- Unknown
The video is a little repetitive. The person who made it would have benefitted from an editor to tighten it up and make it a little shorter for all the ADD people in the world who are more accustomed to something shorter in our digital age.
Having said that, it captures the White victimhood and grievance complaints perfectly that were at the heart of the MAGA movement. It's easy to see now that when Trump expressed his own personal grievances, his followers had no problem translating that to mean THEIR grievances.
It all fits. The demagoguery, the authoritarianism, the heavy-handed police presence, the us versus them arguments, the blind obedience of the followers, the dismissal of any facts that didn't fit the narrative, the use of the term 'fake news' to brush away any and all criticism without addressing the content of the criticism.
Unfortunately, it's true that fascism can grow in a democracy. It's also unfortunate to say that the weaker a democracy is, the more likely that fascism can take hold. Alas, the political deadlock and partisanship that took a much greater hold in DC in the aftermath of Newt Gingrich's cynical and successful attempt to undermine confidence in Gov't over 25 years ago combined with RW talk radio railing against Democrats first and then Republicans later on, just stoked the fires of fascism, and here we are today waiting for the other shoe to drop.