CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: To the world’s democratic nations, the United States has long represented a beacon of liberty and democratic ideals. However, a sinister tide is rising that threatens to extinguish that guiding light from within. The forces of fascism and authoritarian rule are coalescing in a perfect storm, personified by the reactionary demagoguery of Donald Trump and his “America First” movement’s open hostility toward pluralistic governance.
The parallels to history’s darkest chapters are impossible to ignore. Fascist regimes have always initiated their reigns through the same brutish overtures– mainstreaming political violence, undermining institutional integrity, scapegoating minorities, and strongarming a captive media environment to monopolise the flow of information.
We are already witnessing Trump’s mordant flirtations with these time-honoured fascist tactics. His refusal to unequivocally condemn groups like the Proud Boys vigilante network can be viewed as nothing less than a tacit endorsement of their role as partisan enforcers. This precipitated the very real intimidation of election officials through a torrent of threats and harassment during the 2020 election cycle.
