Welcome to the Era of Rising Democratic Fascism: Trump, Putin, Europe, and the Assault on Western Democracy and the International Order

Fascism comes in many forms; if Hitler and genocide can be one end of the spectrum, there's plenty of room for fascism that falls far short of that standard, eschewing pogroms and other forms of mass violence, forms of fascism that include what we are seeing now: a democratic fascism (small "d" referring to democracy in general, as opposed to a capital "D" associated with America's Democratic Party) empowered by populations, media, and elections that rewards and empowers those willing to feed off division and fear as it overwhelms norms, dissenting minorities, and even the law. As this democratic fascism rises, the losers are the liberal democratic governments that have been dominant since the end of WWII; in effect, it is no longer a question of if, but how fast we will see the unraveling of the post-WWII U.S.-led international order. What we do now will define the West and the world for decades to come, but the growing far left must grow up quickly and act within the clear choices of present reality if we are to have a good chance of stopping democratic fascism from destroying our societies, the West, and the international order as we know it. First, this pamphlet by historian and policy/political expert Brian Frydenborg will define the terms democracy, fascism, and democratic fascism so as to effectively set up a larger discussion of the present and the risk it poses for the future, whether Trumpism in America or other forms of democratic fascism spreading their tentacles in democracies throughout Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

This edition includes a Preface and an Afterword, both previously unpublished.