The Dangers of Fascism &
Ultra-nationalism In The United States
Introduction
Fascism & Ultra-nationalism growing in the U.S is dangerous to democracy and the well being of the people.
​
What is Fascism? Merriam-Webster defines fascism as "a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition" as this is a broad description I will focus on fascism as a political philosophy and as a movement in the United States. I wont focus on fascism as a regime so much as the U.S on its principals and practices is not a complete fascist regime.
What is Ultra-Nationalism? Merriam-Webster defines ultra-nationalism as "radical loyalty and devotion to a nation" this can be exemplified in the alt-right groups claiming the election was stolen therefor needing to storm the capitol to protect democracy.
​
Fascism and Ultra-Nationalism in the U.S has had its roots in the Isolationism of the early 19th century and the deep seeded racism within. In the contemporary era of today these threats to our democracy have taken to new avenues and growth. With the rise of social media fascism has been able to reach new people and target younger audiences. Many on the alt-right or even the broader conservative base doesn’t see fascism or ultra-nationalism as a pressing matter. Promoting laissez faire capitalism and a continuation of the status quo regarding the distribution of wealth in the U.S conservatives. Referred to as the “New Gilded Age” or “Second Gilded Age” today is an age of great prosperity for the small 1% but stagnant if not dropping conditions for the rest. When referring to fascism in the U.S it is important to know that this isn’t referring to the U.S being fascist but simply the tendencies that can lead to this way of thought. Conservatives in the U.S are the biggest drivers of fascism in the U.S today promoting these ideals in the form of anti-immigration rhetoric along with sustaining the status quo. This status quo relies on the economic disparity along racial and classist lines.
The U.S has had its own form of fascism in the form of organized attacks and oppression of black people. From Jim Crow laws of the redeemers following reconstruction to the thin blue line that spurted up after the BLM protests of 2020. From the eugenics of the early 20th century to the great replacement theory advertised on Fox News's Tucker Carlson Tonight. Attacks on minorities in the U.S have been common throughout its history and this is no different today. A common misconception amongst conservatives today is that racism in most forms are gone. This cannot be further from the truth as we still live in a more divided and segregated society than when the civil rights act was passed.
The history of fascism in the U.S is intertwined with its history of racism. In the 1915 the first ever film shown in the white house was The Birth of The Nation viewed by 28th President Woodrow Wilson. This film features racist stereotyped depictions of black men in congress, after the films release the rebirth of the KKK in the 1920s saw millions of new members with 300,000 in Ohio according to PBS. The rebirth of the KKK was not limited to the south as seen in reconstruction but saw growth throughout the north and west. The third iteration of the KKK is the most recent starting in the late 1950s in response to civil rights these more modern groups have been smaller and less organized. This has started to change with the response to BLM and the isolated alt right groups coming together to storm the capitol.
Social Media/ Online Platforms have become a key tool in outreach for the alt-right and fascism. With many younger generations turning to YouTube and other online platforms for their daily media intake conservatives have made efforts to generate this media with their bias attached. Instead of Fox News’s Tucker Carlson younger audiences turn to Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson. Ben Shapiro has 4.37 million subscribers on YouTube with one clip in March 2020 reaching 15 million views. This level of influence is vast creating an aura of credibility that anyone uninformed to the topic might rely on. Shapiro although a promoter of what he refers as “constitutional conservatism” claims that he denounces the alt-right movement but retains the same broad political consensus.
Conservatives in the U.S have long refused to acknowledge the presence of fascism in the U.S if it served their larger political agenda. The U.S has always been founded on the ideals of the political elites, in this aristocratic system fascism thrives as a populist tool. Trumps election is a great example of right-wing populism being used to further the aristocratic conservative agenda. In Steve Fraser’s article Bottomless Superficialities, Aristocracies of Wealth he wrote how Trump “behaves like a patriarch in an alien political universe” referring to “a rebirth in dynastic capitalism” where the aristocratic wealthy abstain from the mainstream political theater watching Trump preform this amongst his populist bases.