Many people have wondered, quite legitimately, how fascism could ever be appealing enough to develop a large following. Fascism was popular enough in Germany and Italy to take over those governments. Fascism also developed strong followings in other nations, like France and England. The unfortunate truth is that wherever it appears, fascism promises people what they want most.

In Mothers in the Fatherland: Women, the Family and Nazi Politics, Claudia Koonz explains how fascism could be so popular:

Americans today see no swastikas on their political horizons. Uniformed, goose-stepping militarism surely died out after the advent missile and guerillas. Still, underneath the unique and dated style of Nazism lurked a more universal appeal — the longing to return to simpler times, to restore lost values, to join a moral crusade. What needs drove those millions of "good Germans" willingly into dictatorship, war, and genocide? Did those needs exist in other nations at other times? ...

In my case, hundreds of Germans shared with their memories of a Nazism without genocide, racism, or war. They recalled a social world of close families, sports activities and vacations, a strong community spirit, high moral standards, and economic security. Men and women looked back with fondness, sad only about the war — that is, the defeat, not the brilliant military victories before the Battle of Stalingrad.

Fascism promises people all the wonderful things they think they want, to restore all the lost values, traditions, and morals which they believe society has lost. Even when fascism in fact also leads to mass violence, destruction, and murder, people later on only remember the good things: how traditional values and morality were restored, leading to a more peaceful society. Many Germans were never sorry about Nazism because they only perceived how the Nazis improved society. The Nazis delivered on their promises and now all those wonderful things are gone.

Could America be moving, slowly, to a more fascist social and political system? Some people think so, and there is no question but that some developments in politics and political debate points the way towards fascism. Whether fascism actually develops or not is, of course, an open question — the presence of proto-fascist ideas and policies does not necessitate actual fascism. We should, however, be very concerned about these developments and look for ways to make sure that it doesn't get any worse.

The problem with "creeping fascism" is that so few of those actually responsible for it are aware that this is what they are doing. In their own minds, their actions are entirely unproblematic. At worst, they are simply engaging in rough politics — but always justified, of course. In practical terms their efforts are directed at denying political legitimacy and social power to their rivals. In theoretical terms, their ideas are centered upon the denial of compromise and accommodation to those who fundamentally disagree on basic agendas and goals. These efforts and ideas are what lead a community towards fascism and that is why they are not acceptable in a democratic state.

Few, if any, Republicans actually think that fascism would be a good idea — they believe in democracy every bit as much as Democrats. That must never be forgotten. However, any Republican who argues that Democrats as a group are unpatriotic and disloyal, any Republican who acts to deny elected Democrats their due political power, any Republican who argues that a political victory for Democrats is a victory for the enemies of America, and any Republican who moves to deny the legitimacy of political accommodation and compromise with non-Republicans, is participating in proto-fascist attitudes and actions. They may not realize it and they may reject such an analysis, but I think that the evidence makes it clear that this is true and must be opposed.

 

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