Are You, Or Are You Not, A FASCIST?

ByJohn P.

Recently, there have been so many accusations coming from the “LEFT” that people on the “RIGHT” are Fascists – as well as people on the “RIGHT” claiming that those on the “LEFT” are just too Woke – that I think it’s worth taking a minute to understand who is technically right, and who is ignorant.

Academic Definition of Fascism

To start with, let’s hear what Jason Stanley (the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University) has to say about the definition of Fascism. While we’re at it, let’s establish why he’s even worth hearing out:

  • Stanley (at the time of filming) holds the position of Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy. It’s considered a high academic honor, roughly the equivalent of being promoted to a “distinguished” or “named” chair in one’s field. He’s not just A Professor of Philosophy – he’s THE Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy. Named professorships are awarded to scholars who have made significant contributions to their discipline.
  • He earned his PhD from MIT, and previously served as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers University, Professor at the University of Michigan (2000-4), and also Cornell University (1995-2000). These institutions are traditionally considered somewhat left leaning, based on the kinds of questions and frameworks that dominate discussions. However, philosophy as a discipline should, in principle, be neutral. Its aim is to use reason, logic, and argumentation to explore truth, ethics, and reality, not to advocate for any particular ideology. I believe the video below is fairly balanced in it’s observations and definition of Fascism.
  • Google Scholar maintains a list of academic citations, and Stanley’s work is widely cited. This is a sign that he is generally authoritative, at least on the topics which he is cited for. In this case, Philosophy, Linguistics, Political Theory, and Cognitive Science. All well related to the topic of defining Fascism.
Dr. Stanley’s Citations Per Year.

The Beginnings of Fascism

We need to back up for a minute and understand the foundation of what we define as actual Fascism. Historically, the term Fascism (in Italian: fascismo, derived from fascio meaning “bundle” or “league”) began being used by political activists in Italy around 1915. The word fascio had been used in Italian political-contexts well before 1915 to refer to leagues or bundles of workers/protesters.

During the 19th century the bundle of rods, in Latin called fascis and in Italian fascio, came to symbolise strength through unity, the point being that whilst each independent rod was fragile, as a bundle they were strong. By extension, the word fascio came into modern Italian political usage to mean group, union, band or league. It was first used in this sense in the 1870s by groups of revolutionary democrats in Sicily, to describe themselves. The most famous of these groups was the Fasci Siciliani during 1891–94.

It should be noted that the Fasci Siciliani dei Lavoratori (Sicilian Leagues of Workers), active from 1891 to 1894, were absolutely not ideologically the same as what later became fascism. In fact, they were almost the exact opposite.

  • The Fasci Siciliani were grassroots, left-wing labor movements made up of peasants, sulfur miners, and artisans in Sicily.
  • Their goals were better wages, fair rents, land reform, and improved working conditions.
  • They organized unions and cooperatives, inspired by socialist and anarchist ideas that were spreading through Europe at the time.
  • Their leaders, such as Rosario Garibaldi Bosco and Nicola Barbato, were socialists who advocated democratic rights and social justice, not authoritarian nationalism.
  • The term fascio in that period simply meant a league, group, or bundle, basically a “union”, with no authoritarian connotation.

When Mussolini and others later used the same root word (fascio) to form Fasci di Combattimento in 1919, they appropriated the term but completely inverted its meaning:

  • They took the symbolism of unity and strength in a bundle and turned it toward nationalist, militarist, and authoritarian ends.
  • Early fascists glorified the nation over the class, violence over negotiation, and hierarchy over equality.
  • Where the Sicilian fasci fought against landlords and elites, Mussolini’s fasci aligned with industrialists, the military, and eventually the monarchy.

Is America Leaning Into Fascism?

It’s only been 100 years since the general concept of Fascism entered our lexicon. So we don’t have millennia to compare against. However, we can draw parallels between what is happing in the current day United States and 20th century Europe.

The Cult of Personality & the “Only Savior” Narrative

Trump is a leader who has claimed “only I can fix it.”

This is a textbook hallmark of fascist and proto-fascist rhetoric.

Historical Context

  • Mussolini (Italy, 1920s): Cast himself as Il Duce, the embodiment of the nation. He portrayed liberal democracy as weak and disintegrating, promising to restore order and unity under his rule.
  • Hitler (Germany, 1930s): Framed himself as the sole redeemer of the Volk, capable of rescuing Germany from humiliation and economic despair.
  • Both used emergency rhetoric to justify extraordinary powers.

“Us” vs. “Them” Polarization

Fascist movements thrive by dividing society into righteous insiders, and dangerous outsiders.

  • Donald J. Trump: July 15 2019: “they hate our country … if you don’t like it, then leave” (referring to four congresswomen) – Washington Post
  • Trump / Administration: March 5 2025: White House article titled “Democrats Showed Whose Side They’re On – And it’s Not the American People” (implying Democrats are not aligned with Americans) – White House.gov
  • Trump / Administration: August 19 2025: The immigration policy change says it will vet for “anti-American views” on social media when reviewing applications – The Guardian
  • Mike Johnson: March 25 2025: “Democrats’ Message Has Gone from Anti-Trump to Anti-America” (press conference remark) – House GOP News
  • Mike Johnson: October 19 2025: On ABC’s This Week, called the nationwide “No Kings” protests “the hate America rally” and described them as “anti-American.” – ABC News
  • Mike Johnson: October 10 2025: Labelled upcoming protests a “hate America” event tied to “pro-Hamas,” “Antifa,” and “anti-American” groups. – Politico
  • Couy Griffin (Trump-endorsed supporter): 2019: “the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat … the Democrat agenda and policy is anti-American right now.” (retweet by Trump) – CBS News
  • Donald J. Trump: September 30 2019: Called Democrats’ impeachment efforts “treasonous … would spark a civil war-like fracture” (implying Democrats are enemies of the country) – PBS NewsHour
  • Donald J. Trump: (multiple speeches, 2024-25): Accused Democrats of wanting to “destroy America from within,” and dismissed their policies as “woke nonsense that nobody wants.” – Time article
  • Mike Johnson: October 19 2025: In transcript, said millions of demonstrators were coming out not because they hate America, but said “We call it the hate America rally.” – ABC News: This Week transcript

Historical Context

  • Mussolini vilified “anti-Italians” (socialists, intellectuals, southern peasants).
  • Hitler built his platform on “racial enemies” and “traitors.”
  • Both movements used fear to unify followers and scapegoating to rationalize oppression.

Attack on Free Press and Truth

Demonizing the press while claiming to defend it. That contradiction is exactly how fascist regimes erode reality itself.

Historical Context

  • Both Mussolini and Hitler branded journalists as “enemies of the people.”
  • Once distrust was sown, state-controlled propaganda became the “sole truth.”
  • Free press was formally allowed for a while, but rendered powerless by intimidation and lies.

Elites and Corruption Cloaked as Populism

Self-styled “protectors of the people” often enrich themselves and align with oligarchic power.

Historical Context

  • Fascist regimes maintained capitalist elites while crushing labor movements.
  • They wrapped elite protectionism in nationalist populism, a hybrid of plutocracy and demagoguery.

Erosion of Democratic Guardrails

Dismantling guardrails is critical. Fascism almost never begins with tanks in the street. It begins with:

  • Defying Subpoenas and Ignoring Oversight – Trump administration directed former White House Counsel Don McGahn to ignore a lawful congressional subpoena, it invoked a claim of “absolute immunity”, a concept rejected by the courts.
  • Politicizing the Justice System – Repeated efforts to “weaponize” investigations and prosecutions for political gain have weakened public confidence in impartial enforcement of law.
  • Delegitimizing Elections Before They Happen – In the lead-up to and aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, claims of a “rigged” system, pressure on state officials, and the fake-elector scheme directly attacked the legitimacy of the democratic process itself.
    These actions primed supporters to distrust any unfavorable outcome, a strategy historically used to justify anti-democratic power grabs.
  • Erosion of Informal Norms – Democracy depends on forbearance (self-restraint in using power) and mutual toleration (accepting rivals as legitimate). Attacking judges, journalists, and election officials, while refusing to concede lawful defeats, corrodes cultural norms even when formal laws remain.
  • Expanding Executive Power and Weakening Oversight – Autocrats often consolidate control legally, stretching executive power while sidelining checks and balances. Recent pushes to bypass Senate confirmation, override independent agencies, and punish internal dissent echo early-stage authoritarian consolidation.

Historical Context

  • In 1922 Italy, Mussolini’s Blackshirts openly intimidated courts and civil authorities.
  • In Weimar Germany, Hitler’s followers disrupted court proceedings and physically attacked political opponents.
  • In Nazi Germany, after 1933, Hitler purged judges and lawyers, replacing them with ideologically loyal figures.
  • Joseph Goebbels repeatedly claimed that previous elections had been “stolen” by Marxists and Jews.
  • In post-war authoritarian regimes like Franco’s Spain, informal norms such as free press tolerance vanished before formal laws changed, allowing repression to appear “normal.”
  • Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have used the same mechanism in modern times — extending term limits, rewriting constitutions, and weaponizing bureaucratic loyalty.

That is precisely how Mussolini and Hitler rose legally within democratic systems, then hollowed them out from within.

So, Are You – Or Are You Not – A FASCIST?

Feel free to ask yourself these questions, or more importantly, judge others by how you feel the answers to the questions define their speech and actions. The more questions you answer “yes”, the closer your beliefs align with fascist principles, whether you call it that or not.

(Every authoritarian regime starts by defining who the “others” are.)

(Fascists respect strength more than justice.)

(Fascism replaces dialogue with loyalty.)

(Fascism depends on propaganda and rejection of objective truth.)

(Moral relativism in service of power is a fascist hallmark.)

(Fascists trade liberty for control.)

(The fascist worldview divides society into pure and corrupt, insiders and enemies.)

(Fascists view violence as cleansing or patriotic.)

(Fascism begins with the myth of national or cultural supremacy.)

(Fascism thrives on personal rule, not institutional balance.)

Final Thoughts

  • Personality cults ultimately lead to institutional corrosion, which leads to violence against dissent which results in authoritarian consolidation.
  • Democracy dies when disagreement is criminalized. People should support political ideals, not other people.
  • In the USA, the specific conditions (militarization, censorship, collapsed judiciary) aren’t fully in place, but the trajectory and rhetoric are eerily consistent and supremely worrying.

What I’m saying isn’t hyperbole. It’s a fact-pattern match to the early stages of fascist movements in Europe. The difference today is that we have the historical record and context. We KNOW what CAN happen. If citizens, courts, and institutions remain vigilant, those patterns can be stopped before reaching the critical mass that engulfed Europe in WWII. If not – God help humanity.

Because if America falls, it could take the whole world down with it.

You may also want to see my follow up article entitled: Fascism Eventually Destroys EVERYTHING – Even Itself

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John P.

John P. is a former CEO, former TV Show Host, and the Founder and Wizard behind Texas Metal Works. You can find him on X, Facebook and LinkedIn. Feel free to send shoutouts, insults, and praise.

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