There’s no sugarcoating it anymore: fascism is on the rise in America, and it’s winning. The question isn’t whether we’re headed toward authoritarian rule — it’s how long we have before we’re too far gone to stop it. And the truth is, we’re already seeing the cracks widen. If we don’t wake up and confront what’s happening head-on, we’ll lose the fight before it even begins.
Let’s be clear: Fascism is not just about a single man. It’s a movement. It’s an ideology. And it’s being propelled by forces that have been simmering under the surface of American politics for decades, only to be given a voice and a megaphone by people who have a vested interest in stoking fear, hatred, and division. We can’t ignore it anymore. It’s not coming — it’s here.
The Appeal of Fascism: Fear and Nostalgia
What makes fascism so dangerously seductive in America right now? The answer is simple: fear and nostalgia. People are terrified of a world they don’t understand — a world that’s changing too fast for them to keep up with. In their eyes, the country they once knew is slipping through their fingers. And that’s where fascism thrives: it promises certainty, order, and the return to a past they believe was better.
Fascists offer a convenient scapegoat. The ones who benefit from the chaos always need someone to blame. In this case, it’s immigrants, racial minorities, progressives, anyone who isn’t “like them.” They’ve created a narrative where these groups are the enemy — and that makes it easier for people to rally around a leader who promises to “take back” the country. It’s a lie, of course. But it’s a lie that’s easy to swallow when you’re angry and afraid.
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The War on Democracy
Fascism isn’t just about overt control. It’s about the slow, deliberate erosion of the democratic structures that have kept this country functioning. It’s the dismantling of the very checks and balances that allow us to hold power accountable. This isn’t just happening at the top, either. Local and state-level legislatures are being infiltrated by extremists, pushing bills that undermine voting rights, restrict free speech, and remove protections for marginalized communities. These aren’t isolated incidents. It’s a concerted effort to chip away at the pillars of democracy.
We see it every day in the courts, in the media, and in the rhetoric of political leaders. Fascists are working to rewrite history, strip away rights, and shut down any dissent. They want to make sure that the only voice that matters is theirs. And the more we ignore it, the closer we get to a reality where democracy is nothing more than a hollow shell.
The Corporate-Political Complex
One of the most dangerous aspects of the rise of fascism in America is how it has been absorbed into the corporate-political machine. The power dynamics in this country aren’t just about what politicians say on the campaign trail. They’re about who’s funding the campaigns, who controls the media, and who stands to profit from a system that keeps people divided.
Big corporations, billionaires, and oligarchs have long had a hand in shaping the political landscape. But under the cover of populism, they’ve made deals with fascists to secure their power. Tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, and corporate welfare are all designed to keep the system rigged in their favor. In return, they help fund the rise of authoritarian figures, people who will ensure that the rich get richer while the rest of us suffer.
The Media Ecosystem That Fuels It
Let’s not kid ourselves: the media plays a massive role in the rise of fascism. The right-wing media ecosystem — with its talk radio hosts, cable networks, and social media influencers — has been a breeding ground for the kind of hate speech, misinformation, and propaganda that fuels fascism. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Fox News, Breitbart, or the endless stream of toxic content online platforms like X (formerly Twitter). They’ve created an alternate reality for millions of Americans, one where facts don’t matter, and the truth is whatever makes them feel better about themselves.
Fascists don’t need a monopoly on power — they just need control of the narrative. They need a base of angry, disillusioned people who will blindly follow whatever they’re told. And with the rise of social media, they’ve found a way to amplify their message to an unprecedented degree.
The Benefits They Don’t See
Here’s the hard truth that too many refuse to acknowledge: the very people who stand to benefit most from progressive policies are the ones most likely to fall for the rhetoric of the far-right. White working-class voters — the ones Democrats should be reaching out to — are taking all the benefits that these policies have provided, and they don’t even realize it.
They’re collecting Social Security. They’re using Medicare. They’re paying less for prescriptions, earning higher wages, accessing better jobs, and benefiting from better infrastructure and broadband. They’ve gotten relief from the American Rescue Plan. They’ve been helped by the Infrastructure Law, received disaster relief, and gained protections in healthcare that prevent discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. All of this came from Democratic policies.
But do they know that? No, they don’t. Why? Because Democrats have failed to communicate it. They’ve done a terrible job of showing people how these policies directly impact their lives. Instead of proudly standing behind their accomplishments, Democrats have let the far-right hijack the narrative. And as a result, the people who would benefit the most don’t even see the connection between the policies that improve their lives and the party behind those policies. They don’t see that Democrats are the ones fighting for them — they see a fractured, disjointed party that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
If Democrats are failing to get their message out, the media isn’t doing them any favors. In fact, they’re actively distorting it. The media landscape has been taken over by a right-wing disinformation machine that does everything it can to keep voters in the dark. They’re being fed a steady diet of distraction, manipulation, and false narratives.
Right-wing media thrives on fear, resentment, and lies. When people are confused, hey can’t see how their own self-interest aligns with the policies that actually help them.
The real policies that benefit these voters aren’t being talked about. What’s being discussed instead? The fear of “the other,” the supposed decline of America, the false narrative that progressives are out to destroy the country. Instead of telling people the truth — that these policies are making their lives better — the media keeps the focus on divisive issues, creating a perpetual state of outrage.
The Failure of the Left
And where is the Left in all of this? MIA. The Democrats, who should be the loudest voices in this fight, are too often too quiet, too hesitant, too divided. They’ve failed to communicate the connection between their policies and the real benefits these policies bring to people’s lives. Instead of pushing forward with a clear, unified message, they’ve allowed the right-wing to define the debate.
What’s the point of passing good policies if nobody knows about them? Democrats have spent far too much time in internal battles and bureaucratic squabbles, all while the Right has mounted a full-scale assault on reality. The party has failed to speak to voters in ways that resonate with their daily lives. And in the process, they’ve allowed the far-right to frame the conversation. The Left can’t keep playing defense on every issue.
It’s time to fight back. But fighting back means making the case. It means standing up, loudly and proudly, and telling people what has been accomplished — even if they don’t realize it yet. It means making clear the connection between policies that are working and the party that passed them. It means being unapologetic about the good Democrats have done for the country. If the Democrats don’t want to be steamrolled by fascism, they need to speak with the urgency and clarity this moment demands.
Why It’s Happening Now
Fascism is taking root because it thrives on division and confusion. It thrives when people feel helpless, angry, and afraid. And it thrives when the Left doesn’t make the case for why democracy, human rights, and progress are worth fighting for.
Fascism isn’t a sudden arrival. It’s been building — piece by piece, policy by policy, and rhetoric by rhetoric. The rise of fascism in America is not some distant threat; it’s happening right now. And it’s happening because too many people who would benefit from progressive policies are being misled. They’re being misled by a media that only tells part of the story and by a political system that hasn’t done enough to speak directly to the issues that matter most.
Fascism doesn’t need to win all at once. It just needs to win a little bit at a time — and it’s doing that right now.
What We Can Do
So, what do we do about it? First and foremost, we need to wake up. We need a clear, unified message. Democrats need to stop hiding behind jargon and half-measures. They need to speak plainly and powerfully about the policies they’ve passed and how these policies have helped working people. It’s not enough to hope that voters will figure it out on their own. The party must own its successes and push back against the lies and misinformation that are keeping people in the dark.
We need to understand that fascism isn’t just a political movement. It’s an ideological attack on everything that makes this country democratic, inclusive, and just. We need to get serious about defending democracy, about holding those in power accountable, and about organizing against the forces that seek to tear it all down.
We need to support independent journalism, not just the corporate media that has sold its soul for clicks and views. We need to amplify the voices of truth-tellers, activists, and organizers who are already fighting this battle on the ground. We need to vote — and we need to make noise, and make sure those in power know that we are watching.
If we don’t wake up, we will lose this country to a movement that’s actively working to undo everything we’ve built — and when that happens, it might be too late to ever take it back.
