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When Everything Is Fascism, Nothing Is

 

The word fascism has become one of the most overused and least understood political labels in modern discourse. It’s no longer reserved for describing historical regimes or clearly authoritarian systems. Instead, it’s often deployed as a rhetorical weapon to shut down debate, discredit opponents, or avoid engaging with uncomfortable facts.

 

Recently, I responded to a post circulating online that claimed modern America is displaying the classic characteristics of fascism. The post listed six examples: military supremacy, scapegoating minorities, abuses of law enforcement, fraudulent elections, anti-intellectualism, and the merging of religion with government.

 

What followed was a revealing exchange not because it was hostile, but because it exposed how loosely the term fascism is now being applied. This article breaks down that conversation point by point and asks a simple question:

If everything is fascism, then what is?

 

 

Military Supremacy Does Not Equal Fascism

 

The original claim argued that prioritizing military strength, especially at the expense of social programs, is a hallmark of fascism.

By that logic, the United States has been fascist since the end of World War II.

 

America has pursued military supremacy under Republican and Democratic presidents alike for nearly eighty years. That reality alone makes the claim historically incoherent. Military dominance may be debatable policy, but it is not proof of fascism.

In fact, one can argue for a smaller government focused primarily on national defense and oversight without endorsing authoritarianism at all. Size and scope of government are policy debates, not ideological proof.

 

 

Enforcing Immigration Law Is Not Scapegoating

 

Perhaps the most emotionally charged accusation was that immigration enforcement amounts to scapegoating minorities.

Deporting individuals who are in the country illegally is not racism. It is national security, and it is standard practice in every properly functioning nation on Earth.

 

Equally important: holding communities accountable when fraud occurs is not scapegoating. It is justice.

 

Current cases of large-scale fraud involving Somali-led organizations in Minnesota and Ohio are not examples of collective blame. They are examples of criminal investigations based on evidence. Ignoring wrongdoing because of identity creates protected classes and protected classes undermine equality under the law.

 

Ironically, insisting that some groups should be immune from scrutiny is far closer to fascism than enforcing equal standards for everyone.

 

 

Law Enforcement Is Not Fascism

 

Labeling law enforcement agencies like ICE as fascist simply for enforcing existing law is another category error.

Disagreeing with a law does not make its enforcement authoritarian.

 

ICE operates under laws passed by Congress. Criticizing tactics is fair game, but calling enforcement itself “fascism” strips the word of meaning and reframes accountability as oppression.

 

A society without law enforcement is not free, it is unstable.

 

 

Election Distrust Didn’t Start in 2024

 

The conversation around fraudulent elections is one of the few areas where both sides often talk past each other.

 

The erosion of trust in American elections has been building for decades, but it reached a turning point in 2016. When Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump, allegations of Russian collusion dominated headlines for years, despite the lack of evidence to support the narrative.

 

Since then, each election cycle has intensified the distrust.

 

Questioning elections is not inherently fascist. In fact, skepticism of institutions is a foundational element of democratic citizenship. The problem arises when distrust becomes reflexive and universal regardless of evidence.

 

Both political sides bear responsibility for escalating this dynamic.

 

 

Higher Education and the Myth of Anti-Intellectualism

 

Criticism of modern higher education is often dismissed as “anti-intellectualism.” But that dismissal ignores legitimate concerns.

As someone with a higher education background, I can say plainly: the system is financially predatory. It traps millions in debt cycles they may never escape.

 

More troubling, many institutions have abandoned open debate in favor of ideological conformity. Dissenting views are often punished socially or professionally, while approved narratives are rewarded.

 

True education thrives on debate, not obedience.

 

And historically speaking, blind obedience, not critical thinking, is one of the defining traits of fascistic systems.

 

 

Separation of Church and State Must Be Equal

 

On religion and government, there is partial agreement.

 

A separation of church and state is essential but it must apply equally to all belief systems.

 

You cannot remove Christian influence while permitting religious accommodations, dress codes, or prayer practices for other faiths within public institutions. That is not neutrality. It is selective enforcement.

 

If religion is excluded from government spaces, it must be excluded entirely:
No organized prayer times. No religious attire in government roles or schools. No faith-based exemptions.

Organizations like TPUSA are not the cause of this conflict they are a symptom of perceived unequal treatment.

 

Discrimination against a specific belief system has a name.

 

And yes, it’s fascism.

 

 

Conclusion: Words Matter

 

Fascism is real. History shows us exactly what it looks like.

 

But when the term is stretched to include law enforcement, border security, skepticism of institutions, or criticism of education systems, it loses all analytical value.

 

If everything becomes fascism, then nothing is.

 

And without shared definitions, meaningful conversation becomes impossible.

 

The solution isn’t louder accusations it’s intellectual honesty, historical literacy, and a willingness to debate rather than label.

If you found this analysis valuable, share it.

If you disagree, engage, but do so with definitions, not labels.

Conversation beats slogans every time.

 

 

📖 Want to go deeper?

Read The Fracture: How Political Division is Tearing America Apart — available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FV9Z4SD4

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