Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. (Wikipedia)
In a plutocracy (ie the United States), regimentation of the economy, as colored by the belief in a natural social hierarchy and the subjugation of the individual, generates a figurehead authoritarian functioning on behalf of persons, or corporations as defined by the US Supreme Court, of great wealth to redistribute wealth into the hands of the plutocratic class. This results in:
the wholesale privatization of property, wealth, and social services and the direct influence of all levels of government by private wealth,
the deregulation of manufacturing, banking, media, and other sectors of the economy as has been consistently practiced since the Reagan regime,
the abdicate of control over social systems (ie. education, healthcare, military, space exploration, and others) to private and religious organizations,
a public welfare system funding private research and development and protection against private financial failures,
the belief that the wealthy are “righteous” and are of superior stock and must excessively breed (ie. Elon Musk and others like him),
an increase in regulation of the individual creating a “criminal” class (ie. the drug war, anti-choice laws, anti-LGBTQ+ laws, anti-poverty laws targeting the unhoused and individuals who deliver supplies and food to them [hostile architecture, increased policing, etc. are included in this group], police training that focusses on an us-vs-them mentality where the people [especially people viewed as “minorities”] are the enemy of the state enforcers, etc),
a rise in nationalistic and race-supremacy rhetoric through the political class and a centralized media network (fewer than 10 companies control nearly all broadcasting, publishing, distribution, communications, and social media outlets in the US and they ALL use conflict to increase and maximize public engagement),
and, the use of a publicly-funded military to enforce private access to global resources and wealth.
The above are but a few examples of movements that have been going on for longer than I’ve been alive. Hell, US imperialistic expansion and the privatization of wealth are inherent in US social DNA.
While we’re witness to the blatant movements by the extreme right and Christian Nationalism, we don’t pay enough attention to the structural support of the fascist takeover of the United States from the Neo-Liberal “Left” and the US “Libertarian/Tea Party” movements. The only debate between any of these “sides” is how comprehensive the control over the individual private organizations and centralized private wealth will be.
There is no significant liberty movement within the US challenging its imperialistic authoritarianism, and I fear it is too late for one to turn the rising fascist tide. The People have been fooled into thinking freedom is being able to choose to which corporate entity they are subjugated.
And, because the US government has an unmatched monopoly on violence, a violent revolution will be nearly impossible. Corporate media keeps the population arguing over the 2nd Amendment’s granting of access to pea-shooters against a brutal military power while the 1st Amendment’s right to assemble is regularly violated without public response.
Resistance networks must be built now. They must focus on the communal redistribution of resources and the protection of the most at-risk individuals against state power. Subversive networks must focus on non-violent ways to minimize private profit (the theft of economic value by the plutocratic class). And they must reject superstitious or metaphysical justifications for their existence because these justifications are easily distorted and rebranded into new systems of social control that benefit more from authoritarian ideals than those of individual liberty.
I am late Gen-X. I’ve heard us referred to as Xennial because we couple the unbridled rebelliousness of Gen-X with the sense of social justice and hope for the future of the Millennials/Gen-Y. The reality is my generation seems to be aging out of the fight and are succumbing to the propaganda. It will require cross-generational, intersectional collaboration to resist what is coming. We will be expected to believe and accept allies for who they are and not who we think they should be. Ideological bigotry only serves to support our subjugation.
Let us unite over the small things. The things that affect us directly. Let us start there. I recommend reading Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic as a starting point. The ideals of freedom must be guarded against the corporate distortion that has convinced our brothers and sisters to fight over their masters.