Fascism is a serious word, mainly due to its abhorrent history as a system of government. Using any form of the word risks being labeled extremist, and using it flippantly only serves to erode its gravitas. Our country, thankfully, is not a fascist state; the Constitution has protected us for almost 250 years. But sadly, some elements of fascism are visible in the actions of the federal government. For example:

• Extreme nationalism is foundational to a fascist state. The populace is held up as special but is victimized by dark forces, requiring government action. The “forces” demonized by the government today are Dems, liberals, minorities, immigrants, women, DEI advocates, queer people, elites, judges, scientists, Muslims and more. These groups, our fellow countrymen and women, do not fit the mold of white, fundamental Christian and appropriately patriotic, and are exploited as the source of national decay. 

• Fascist governments are militaristic in nature and will use the threat of force that the military can provide. We now hold military parades in the name of patriotism, make threats regarding Greenland and the Panama Canal, and masked federal officers catch innocent American citizens in a dragnet. We threaten cities with “jokes” about making war on then, and use armed military personnel for civilian policing; the pretense is maintaining law and order, but the actions serve more as a federal power grab over local municipalities while everyday citizens become normed to soldiers on streetcorners. The real enemies are here at home…

• Dissent, free speech, and opposition parties are not allowed in fascist states as they conflict with a single-party system. By limiting voting rights (e.g., ending mail-in voting), legislative gerrymandering to pad the ruling majority, and inhibiting demonstrations against the administration we suppress citizens’ rights to express their views, in public and at the polls.

— In a fascist country, a free press is replaced by state-run propaganda that extols the ideology of the ruling party. Information and data are withheld or spun to the government’s advantage. History is rewritten; books are banned, lies are sold as news. Climate and weather, labor stats, vaccine effectiveness and links to autism, crowd size and polling numbers are all fair game for cooking the books.

• An authoritarian leader demanding personal loyalty is central to the fascist equation. Fascists welcome a dictator, assured that this form of leadership will accomplish cultural and political goals. Fascism is historically strongly anti-communist, but it is just as strongly anti-democracy. The fascist leader isn’t concerned with what the law says or allows, only with successfully asserting his will, and draping his picture on government buildings.

• Beyond government, fascism can include a makeover of politics, education, culture, and societal norms. Totalitarianism exerts power and control in all aspects of life, and individual choice is vain. Even the economy becomes merged with and managed by the state. Today we see government efforts to bowl over the independent Federal Reserve, to purchase financial stakes in private corporations, to withhold appropriated funds for education and scientific research, and to dictate what universities can and cannot do. Restrictions on vaccines and covid shots (even if you want one), abortion laws, classroom curriculum mandates, museum content censorship, environmental deregulation, limitations on alternative energy options in favor of fossil fuels…all at work to increase governmental reach, decreasing choice.

In my lifetime, the champion of individual choice, personal responsibility and limited government was the Republican Party. Now, having laid the groundwork for political hegemony, Republicans have done an about-face, dictating behavior from large corporations to individual citizens. The same party places a high value on pardoning insurrectionists and criminals, weakening the Civil Rights Act of 1964, currying dictators, and rewarding wealthy political donors with tax cuts, all the while ignoring many of the real problems facing us: disease outbreaks, crushing national debt, education, the cost of healthcare, climate change and the death of children by school shootings. 

Fascist? No. Wanna be fascist? You decide. 

Steve Chappuis is a retired educator, author and business person. He lives in Port Townsend.