The Fascism This Time

A new wave of fascism has swept the world under the guise of rightwing populism, but the fascism this time is not about taking down elites – and it is just as dangerous as the last. Fascism mobilizes fearful majorities in nihilistic attacks on the vulnerable. Yet, its subtler danger lies in its turn against reality, and since the world cannot be turned off, fascists try to tear it down instead. Fascists seek to escape the burden of freedom, smashing norms and institutions, and retreating into the myth of patriarchy. Yet, in a vast and complex world, their forced regression always ends in destruction.

The Fascism This Time elucidates a psychosocial model of fascism which predicted that Trump’s election would lead to immigrant concentration camps, an assault on democratic institutions, a global increase in authoritarianism, a massive rise in crimes against humanity, and the starvation of Yemen. 

It is an original and perceptive account tying the fascism this time to the overwhelming challenges with which the world is now faced. And it is a sweeping defense of democracy, inspiring action and reflection, and sparkling with insights, in the spirit of Hannah Arendt and Alexis de Tocqueville.