Is Fascism Back? How It Returns—and What It Looks Like Before It Wins
A new video making the rounds—**“Is Fascism Back?”**—asks a question people keep tripping over because the word “fascism” has become both a warning flare and a sloppy insult.
So let’s treat the question like it matters.
Fascism is when a mass movement that worships the nation, elevates a strongman, scapegoats out-groups, glorifies force, and treats democratic restraints as obstacles to be removed—not principles to be honored.
1) First, define it: fascism isn’t just “authoritarian”
Many experts describe fascism as an extreme nationalist mass movement that elevates the nation above the individual—hostile to liberal democracy’s core promises: pluralism, dissent, and equal rights.
Historically, fascists also say the quiet part out loud: the state is everything; independent groups and loyalties are threats; the individual matters only inside the national project.
Umberto Eco’s famous “Ur-Fascism” framework adds something modern audiences need: fascism is adaptive—it can rebrand, remix, and “coagulate” around even a handful of recognizable traits (cult of tradition, fear of difference, obsession with plots, disdain for critical thinking, and more).
Being Centered’s Read
If a movement can’t tolerate disagreement without calling it treason, it’s not “strong leadership.”
2) Fascism rarely arrives in one dramatic moment—it grows through “normal” erosion
One reason people argue about the label is that fascism is often less a single switch than a process: democratic institutions get hollowed out while elections still happen, courts still meet, and the TV anchors still smile.
Broader global context matters. Multiple democracy trackers describe a long period of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space—especially around freedom of expression and press freedom.
When independent media weakens, accountability weakens with it. When accountability weakens, corruption and impunity rise. When impunity rises, political violence becomes easier to justify—and harder to punish.
Being Centered’s Read
In democracies, the guards are institutions and habits, and when the habits collapse, the paperwork still looks legitimate.
3) The accelerator: grievance + conspiracy + permission for violence
Fascist movements begin with mood:
1) humiliation (real or imagined)
2) nostalgia for “order”
3) resentment toward elites and outsiders
4) a story that explains everything (“it’s a plot”)
5) a leader who promises purification
Today, the permission structure around intimidation is changing.
In the U.S., 85% of Americans told Pew that politically motivated violence is increasing.
Reports and research organizations also note spikes in threats and harassment aimed at public officials—another quiet indicator that politics is becoming less persuasion and more coercion.
4) What the “return” looks like in 2025–2026: not always jackboots—often ballots and vibes
If you’re looking for contemporary tells, track power.
Across parts of Europe, far-right parties have gained ground in elections and polling, shaping mainstream agendas on migration, security, and civil liberties.
In Italy, news reports described videos of youths chanting fascist slogans linked to Mussolini-era imagery, prompting public backlash and political responses.
None of this means every right-wing party is “fascist.” But it *does* mean the conditions fascism historically feeds on—polarization, scapegoating, institutional mistrust, and appetite for force—are present enough to be politically profitable.-
5) So—is fascism “back”?
The most honest answer is: the architecture is being rebuilt in pieces.mYou can have “fascist energy” without a fully fascist state:
leader worship
propaganda ecosystems
attacks on the press
weakening courts and constraints
selective policing of protest
dehumanizing rhetoric toward out-groups
tolerance for political violence
Democracy reports don’t have to use the word “fascism” to describe the same trendline: more countries sliding toward autocratization, more pressure on expression, more attacks on accountability.