Every day I do the social media scroll through countless postings and comments. I pause on things I’m interested in. Viewpoints I resonate with. Helpful tips. Oddball claims. But like most of you I suspect, I scroll past the vast majority bypassing the most outrageous—or not, given the day and my mood. Very little sticks. In fact, hour for hour, I can’t recall much of what I’ve actually seen. Such is social media.
Except every once in a while…
I remember recently seeing someone comment that their appearance before a town council meeting was successful because they didn’t vomit.
And that has stayed with me.
It speaks in the most immediate way to the times we are living in. How many of us, because of circumstances, are being pushed out of our comfort zones? Being propelled into action. But not just doing things. These are activities far beyond what we ever thought we were capable of. Engaging with life in purposeful way crossing previously defined boundaries of who we thought we were and how we thought we’d behave. We believed that life was a certain way and we reacted to it. We expressed ourselves allowing that these parameters were fixed. Ah, but we learned that those constraints were artificial and as they began to tighten, we had to redefine ourselves. Not everyone did though. Uncomfortably for us, some liked the constriction and applauded it. Even as our souls cried out, they begged for more. Independence was never a core part of their identity but safety at any cost was something they could always get behind.
We were never alike but we lived together during better times.
But now, they are scooping up brown people and putting them in cages. It makes them feel safe. Of course, they don’t use those words…
Some of us are protesting in the streets (not nearly enough of us), appearing before city councils, writing letters to elected officials, recording ICE activities, and countless other things to push back. Because we have lived during better times. When we look back, we know America was never that great and when we look forward, we see the future in terms of what it could be. An unexpressed promise of a dream of better, never achieved but always dangled to move as toward an ideal.
This week I wrote, “No Kings 3, March 28th” in chalk in the park several times. An impermanent bulletin board for those scared and too afraid. I wish more Americans would rise up. The next day, one of the writings was obliterated but three remained. Once upon a time in America.
Please devote 90 minutes to this important training session to understand how authoritarianism works and view a plan to counter it together.
So many have asked, “What can I do?” Here’s the answer!
From the YouTube Channel:
“Join us for the first One Million Rising coordinating call and training! Get oriented to making meaning of this moment and the role you can play in coordinated strategic action. This 3-part training will equip you with a coordinated national strategy to organize locally, host community gatherings, and build a force bigger than fear. Sign up, show up, and take action together. Access your Community Resistance Gathering Host Toolkit here – it has everything you’ll need to host a gathering!” https://docs.google.com/document/d/18… Make sure you’re signed up for our last two sessions in the One Million Rising series – we’ll cover everything else you need to know then! https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event… Take the pledge to host a community resistance gathering! https://www.nokings.org/rise
In light of what’s going on in LA and everything else, we need everyone on the streets for this march. Find your local march (by zip code) at https://www.nokings.org
Check out the downloadable artwork under Art then Posters.
BTW- Everyone needs to watch the use of language in media/government sources now. Especially, note if “riot” replaces “protest”. It is a common ploy by fascism to weaponize language to escalate tensionsand then call for “law and order”.
They also have great resources like trainings here:
Most of us are struggling to understand what is going on in the country. A country that seems to have gone off-rail and is headed for disaster. This is the go-to book to start to understand the history and current dynamics at work behind it all. Best of all, Stanley’s book is easily readable and short. It also seems to be on sale on Amazon. Because it’s a bestseller, you can probably get a copy at your library as well. Grab it, it’s your sanity blanket as we navigate these turbulent times. It has been said that no other single book is more relevant to this moment in history.
Stanley used to teach at Yale but has recently relocated to Canada because of the current political situation. You’ll have a deeper understanding of how universities, who are on the frontlines of free speech always become targets under fascism, once you read his chapter on anti-intellectualism. Stanley also brings his unique perspective of being the child of WWII refugees who fled Europe to come to the US and begin a new life.
Photo by Paul Sableman
How Fascism Works contains ten chapters outlining the structure of fascist politics, how they become established, complete with historical examples including those from Poland, Hungary, Myanmar, India, and (sadly) the US. Stanley explores the powerful tactics used by a fascist regime that if not checked successfully can ultimately lead to authoritarianism. These tactics involve many policies including:
Fracturing a society into believing there’s an “US” versus a “Them,” which can be based on color, religion, or culture.
Creating a mythic past about the nation, steeped in nostalgia, intangible, and not based on reality. A place where patriarchy was strong and unthreatened.
Using propaganda to deliberately pervert meaning. Masking corruption under the guise of anti-corruption is a hallmark strategy. Ultimately, the twisting of democratic language through propaganda is aimed at dismantling the “rule of law” and replacing it with authoritarian rule. Propaganda elevates the irrational over the rational, emotion over intellect. Fascists reject Enlightenment ideals because they conflict with “natural law.”
Crafting a society that is anti-intellectual. Universities and experts are attacked and debased. Education is remade to support the mythic past where only that viewpoint is tolerated. Certain areas of study are suspect or eliminated (especially gender studies, African American studies, Middle Eastern studies, Women’s studies, etc.). In the US, fascist policy attacked government, science, academia, and the media. Fascism dumbs down the message and loves repeating slogans.
Building a state of unreality in which truth is in constant doubt. Fascism attacks information spaces that allow lively debate. Lying without consequence destabilizes causing a sense of loss and mistrust. Conspiracy theories target an outside group to benefit an in-group. Trusted media sources are questioned or vilified. These techniques stoke fear and allow the regime to curb freedoms with support from the populace. In Fascist politics, speech isn’t about truth it’s about stirring emotion. Truth is not necessary. In this world of unreality, news becomes sport, tribal identification extreme, and the strongman becomes the star.
Photo by Jvrijman
Supplanting democracy’s fundamental principle of equality with hierarchy. Hierarchy is the idea that a given society is at the top with regard to power and dominance and that this is a consequence of nature. The idea is inconsistent with everyone being equal or having human dignity. When a society faces outside pressure or is in decline, and its loss of exceptionalism is possible, liberal democracy frequently falls prey to fascist attacks. Fascist forces flourish in a fearful, uncertain society.
Cultivating victimhood. Fascism exploits feelings of victimization by a dominant group when a subordinate group achieves or tries to achieve a sharing of power. In the US, there has been a popularization of the fact that by 2050 the racial makeup of the country will be very different. This has been done purposely by certain activists to create and exaggerate fear and uncertainty. Additionally, there has been a general lack of education about how far blacks have come economically. Figures suggest we are still at Reconstruction levels, although most Americans think we have achieved close to equity. Affirmative Action has been attacked for decades and presented as something detached from merit when it never was. Immigrants have been targeted as criminals and usurpers stealing jobs. All of these kinds of things have allowed a part of society to decide it is being victimized. Fascism allows the victimhood to be manipulated to justify the past, to continue policies, or implement new policies of oppression.
Advancing a policy of “law and order” based on the underlying assumption that minority groups are criminals. Fascist policies reinforce “US v. Them.” In 2016, Trump ran on expelling criminal aliens. During his second term, Homeland Security has created an office to track crimes by aliens. These stories flood the headlines distorting reality and sparking fear. Fascism utilizes the intentional use of words like riot over protest, invasion over entry.
Exploiting a climate of sexual anxiety. Fascism promotes a fear of interbreeding where defending white purity becomes a calling. Anything that departs from the patriarchy and traditional values degrades purity and is seen as threatening. Fascism distorts male anxiety especially when the society already has outside pressures. This perceived existential crisis rallies the fearful into rejecting those outside the traditional structure. LGBT, trans, feminists, etc. become targets.
Rejecting pluralism (power sharing among parties) and tolerance. The rural v. urban divide is exploited as fascism promotes the idea that cities are parasites-filled with weak unproductive people, crime, and urban blight. The rural country is seen as full of healthy, productive, sacrificing citizens who haven’t been corrupted. Diversity is a city thing where low birthrates prevail. Cities become proxy targets as representing liberals, elites, cosmopolitans, religious diversity, sexual expression, and diverse culture. Everything fascism hates. The fact that cities are the economic powerhouse of the nation doesn’t matter because facts have been left behind.
Photo by All-Night Images
Curing laziness with hard work. (Albeit Macht Frei– work shall make you free, written on the gates of Auschwitz) Fascist ideology bases an individual’s worth on struggle and achievement over others. If you win, you get resources. Fascist society doesn’t grant worth based on merely being a human being (that’s a liberal democratic value). Therefore, anyone’s worth is strictly associated with productivity. Those who are not deemed productive or are branded lazy and are of no use to the state. They become disposable. Social programs are not seen as necessary to support productive citizens. Anything that supports the old, the weak, or the ill drain resources from a productive fascist society. Also under this category, is an attack on unions by fascists. Unions bring together diverse people in an attempt to gain resources. That solidarity threatens a fascist regime, and so unions become targets.
During the campaign of 2024, the American public seemed allergic to the use of the word fascism. It seemed extreme and was associated with the past and foreign regimes. Now, the word is everywhere, and it should be. We are in peril. Is there any one of the ten tenets above that we don’t see at work every day in American society? Some of them are a little better veiled than others but they are all in play. This is an important book. If you read only one book this year, let it be this one. The insights you’ll gain will help you to understand emerging Republican policy. It will all make sense.
ellisnelson 