Here is the societal recipe for fascism to get entrenched in a democracy, based on historical patterns and modern analysis:
1. Societal and Political Conditions
- A Pervasive Sense of Crisis Humiliation: Society perceives that the nation is in decline, humiliated, or facing an existential crisis that normal democratic politics cannot solve.
- Cult of the Leader: The emergence of a leader who claims to uniquely represent "the people," overriding traditional democratic checks and balances, experts, and established institutions.
- Scapegoating: Society is divided into "us" and "them," blaming minorities, immigrants, political opponents, or marginalized groups for societal problems, economic decline, or cultural decay.
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Erosion of Truth: The deliberate destruction of a shared reality through propaganda, where feelings and conspiracies replace facts, and the media is branded as the "enemy".
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2. The Stages of Entrenchment
- Normalization of Fascist Rhetoric: Far-right rhetoric—militarism, ultranationalism, and misogyny—is normalized by conservative elites who, in a miscalculation, ally with the fascist movement to gain power or maintain control, believing they can manage the "strongman".
- Disdain for Equality and Rule of Law: Fascist politics replaces the legal principle of "justice for all" with "order for our group," often treating opponents as enemies who are not law-abiding.
- Attack on Democratic Institutions: Institutions that promote diversity, expertise, or historical perspective (universities, judiciary, free press) are targeted, rebranded as ideologically biased, and systematically weakened.
- Mass Mobilization via Social Media/Rallies: Unlike simple authoritarianism, which desires passive populations, fascism thrives on organizing public support through rallies, loyalty demonstrations, and, in the modern context, social media to create a feeling of solidarity and power.
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Removal of Limits on Authority: The democratic "guardrails" are removed—election bodies become compromised, and opponents are disqualified or arrested using "law and order" or "national security" pretexts.
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3. Key Cultural Motivators
- Victimhood of the Majority: The dominant group is convinced they are the true victims of equality and that the "Other" is taking over their country.
- Nostalgia for a Mythic Past: A promise to return to a "pure," patriarchal, or culturally homogeneous past.
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Violence as Politics: Physical violence, intimidation, and paramilitary force are used to impose obedience and create an environment where supporters feel "protected" and opponents feel vulnerable.
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Ultimately, fascism becomes entrenched when a significant portion of the population willingly trades freedom for security or the prom
Note that in 1986, approximately 29 companies controlled the majority of American media.
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This figure represents a midpoint in a period of rapid consolidation. In 1983, roughly 50 corporations owned 90% of the media market; by 1992, that number had dropped to 20.
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Major Ownership Shifts in 1986
Several landmark deals occurred this year that redefined the media landscape:
- GE and NBC: General Electric completed its $6.3 billion acquisition of RCA and its subsidiary, NBC.
- Capital Cities and ABC: Capital Cities Communications purchased ABC for $3.4 billion.
- CBS: Laurence Tisch acquired a controlling interest in CBS.
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The Rise of Fox: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp launched the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986, establishing a fourth major network.
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Comparison of Media Concentration
The following table illustrates the trend of media ownership concentration over several decades, showing how ownership of 90% of U.S. media shifted from many entities to a small "Big Six":
Year Number of Companies Controlling 90% of U.S. Media
1983
~50 Companies
1986
~29 Companies
1992
~20 Companies
2011
6 Companies (GE/Comcast, News Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS)