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Here’s what you learn studying fascism: it’s never actually popular. It gains power from intimidation and because the powerful think they can use it and then look up and realize it controls everything.
In Germany a media mogul saw the Nazis as a means to an end. He lent his media empire to them, amplified their propaganda, and was shocked when they controlled the government.
The standard, status quo politicians make deals, believe that cooperation with fascism will tamp down extremism, but then, they realize it grows beyond them and conquers the system they invited them into.
It feeds off economic and masculine insecurity, not to mention white, racist fear. It coalesces a majority afraid of losing its sway and holds them regardless of ideological inconsistencies.
It hardly ever wins a majority in an election but wins via systematic weakness. It creates a cult with its section of followers wherein inconsistencies and lies go unchallenged while democratic norms fall by the wayside.
