Fascism is no insult. It's a system. A far-right political theology built on myth, exclusion, nationalism and natural social supremacy. Unlike authoritarianism, fascism doesn't just demand obedience—it offers redemption through purification. It promises rebirth from decline. Its enemy is internal. Its method is symbolic seduction.
At its core, fascism operates through six constants
🏴Palingenesis – the myth of national rebirth after perceived decay
🏴Ultranationalism – nation as sacred body, people as racialised essence
🏴Enemy Construction – immigrants, dissenters, media and “elites”
🏴Mythic Truth over Empirical Fact – history rewritten, science denied, reality reinvented
🏴Aestheticised Power – politics as theatre: flags, marches, national pride, rituals
🏴Cult of Personality - leaders as charismatic and heroic figures
Unlike populism, fascism sacralises conflict. It does not tolerate pluralism. It transforms personal trauma into militant unity.
NEO-FASCISM LITERACY
In the 1930s, fascism wore uniforms. Today it wears algorithms, suits, and podcasts. But the signs are the same—if you know how to read them.
⚡Language: Vermin, America first, woke, fake news, remigration, radical left, patriots
⚡Symbolism: Nationalist kitsch, sacred soil, traditional gender, coded nostalgia (Roman eagles, bibles, flags)
⚡Strategy: Victimhood inversion, moral panic, enemy inflation, culture wars
⚡Communication: Leader worship, nationalism, conspiracy theories, spectacle over truth, danger
⚡Psychology: Purity, humiliation, greatness lost, revenge, hate
WHERE IT HAPPENS
👁️US: Trumpism blends Christian nationalism, QAnon mythos, strongman rule, scapegoatism. Jan 6th as sacrificial ritual
👁️Italy: Meloni invokes Mussolini symbols and rhetoric: God, family, homeland. Rhetoric softened - exclusionary myth intact
👁️France: Le Pen rebrands fascism in republican clothes—Vichy nostalgia, anti-Muslim panic
👁️Germany: AfD channels exclusionary nationalism, elitary conservatism and anti-liberalism
👁️India: Modi's Hindutva sacralises state, suppresses opposition and democracy, rewrites history into religious epic
👁️Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Israel: Each fuses messianic nationalism with democratic erosion and internal enemies
WHY IT WORKS
Fascism is emotional intelligence weaponised. It offers clarity in chaos, identity in confusion, transcendence in banality. It's not about belief—it's about belonging. That's why fact-checking fails and memes proliferate. People join for meaning, not data.
WHAT TO DO
Don’t wait for Hitler. Fascism doesn't repeat history—it returns as metaphor, style, longing. Today’s fascists win elections, run governments, and trend on X.
Learn the language—how it feels, not just what it says
Track its aesthetics—symbols, poses, rituals, heroes
Name its structure—enemy logic, rebirth myth, unity through exclusion
Because next time, it won’t come marching. It will come smiling.
#FascismLiteracy #PoliticalAwareness #NeoFascism #Leadership #Democracy