Fascism is Rising in the West

 

When one pays attention to geopolitics, one can detect governments in the west, so-called democratic societies, pulling towards authoritarian rule. As established by the US Constitution, this movement to the far right, where our fundamental human rights have been significantly eroding over the last 20 years. In "protection," our Rights have been incrementally taken away in the guise of protection. At first, these authoritarian actions were somewhat hidden, whereas now they are playing out in plain sight.

Currently, in the UK, laws are being passed that give the police the authority to imprison citizens without due process: rape, murder, and generally commit crimes in the guise of 'keeping order.' In other terms, like the Nazi SS in WWII, it can create mayhem in our society without any oversight. I mean, really, what are they thinking?

One of the salient aspects of fascism is the forcible suppression of any opposition, either ideologically or politically. What we have seen over a few years is violent suppression of the political left. This comes from censorship to any ideology that criticizes the mainstream narrative. Mainly, Left voices have been de-platformed on social media because of criticism of the reigning power. These giant private corporations act as judges and juries for what they deem appropriate information. At first, created as a public forum to express one's point of view, social media has become the tool of the powerful to snub out dissenting voices against them. One can agree about stopping voices of hate and violence, as the US Supreme Court doesn't consider hate speech to be protected under the Constitution. But to censor voices who simply call out the power is anathema to the First Amendment.

Since the actions of January 6^th in the US capitol, rather than relying on the already overfunded and all too powerful National Security apparatus are framing new laws to recognize through surveillance and otherwise, extreme groups such as far-right organizations and potential "terrorists." But when one reads the fine print, the administration goes much further, targeting any group that opposes Capitalism, the National Security State, or questions the government currently holding office. Specifically, left-wing voices are being targeted, reminiscent of the post-WWII hysteria against communism.

Censorship is the central tool of fascism.

I remember making a short film at university echoing the famous Bradbury novel Fahrenheit 451. Books are banned in this society because any contrary idea to the state is the enemy. In the short film, I showed the famous book burning news footage in Berlin in 1939. An action to silence any free thought and ensure all adhere to a single idea... that of the state. This is unadulterated fascism. Through extreme censorship and targeting dissenting voices with these new "laws," the UK and the US practice nothing less than full-blown totalitarianism.

When a peaceful climate change demonstration is met with violence and potential imprisonment, what are we to think?

The most disheartening is to see and hear once leftist voices cheering on censorship. Don't they realize that censorship applies to their voices as well?

When hearing about the UK's move towards SS tactics in their police force and the US's new laws to silence any dissenting voice, but for the States, I honestly wonder what will be next? From my point of view, nothing is good.