"Fascism will return, and when it does, it will do so in the name of freedom." These prophetic words of Thomas Mann were spoken in the United States in the 1950s after his dramatic experience of Nazism. The totalitarian impulse never truly disappeared, and today the conditions are ripe for its powerful resurgence. For some years now, we have spoken of the right's mutation toward populism. However, we have ample evidence that we are witnessing the return of fascism in both form and substance, and that what lies before us is a new battle between fascism and democracy. Although history does not repeat itself, the political, social, and ideological conditions of 1930s Europe are being fulfilled. Now, the playing field is the entire world. The leadership of the totalitarian project is spearheaded by the United States—see the events in Minneapolis—but it has contaminated the domestic politics of almost every country. What were initially illiberal proposals, in Orbán's words, have ended up becoming an open bid to revive dictatorships. The culture of force and contempt for individual and national freedoms is being openly imposed.
We are facing organized chaos with very precise objectives. As Victor Klemperer wrote in his magnificent book on the language of Nazism, the first thing fascism does is redefine words and flaunt the most brutal expressions. There is renewed talk of Lebensraum (living space) and the global defense of freedom, understood in totalitarian terms. In a short time, Donald Trump has blown up the world's geopolitical order and consigned international law and the practice of diplomacy to the dustbin of history. All subtlety has vanished from the intentions of the United States as a superpower. Respect and good manners have disappeared. Brutalism prevails, displaying speeches that are ridiculous, parodic, and chilling. This behavior, somewhere between mad and childish, serves its purpose of frightening us and rendering us incapable of any response. No one wants to antagonize the demented giant. Only a few countries of the European Union have responded, however, appealing to moderation and to an international law that has become a useless reference point. However, the battle is not only, or even primarily, in the realm of geopolitics. It is taking place within each country, where the political debate is now openly between political freedom and totalitarian subjugation.
One of the most brutal ways to wield power is by generating fear among those one seeks to dominate, whether individuals or nations. Terror's most effective means of manifesting itself and operating is unpredictability. The complete lack of certainty about whether one will be accused or repressed, and the absence of any need for motivation. Stalin was a master of this. Millions ended up in the Gulag, and many were tortured or disappeared without cause or explanation. German Nazism also operated on this logic. With ICE, but also with the National Guard, Donald Trump already has armed and paramilitary forces at his disposal that create terror within his own territory and under his control, with the aim of imposing a particular culture and, especially, preventing the exercise of democracy. This model will soon be copied. The key is the absence of rules, while the law is shackled.
For the past year, in media, analysis, and discussions of all kinds, the striking actions of Trump or the local right wing have created a mixture of expectation, fear, uncertainty, threat, and a great deal of spectacle. Reason, analysis, dialogue, and civilized debate have disappeared. Some even seem to enjoy this. The only certainty we have left is that only the threat and use of force matter as the ultimate justification for everything. The digital world, social media, has proven to be a magnificent instrument for spreading lies and hate speech, trapping citizens within echo chambers that make us prisoners of simplistic and emotional messages. Digital technology is not neutral; it cannot be used progressively and rationally—its logic is different. As McLuhan said about television, the medium is the message. We may end up accepting totalitarian discourse as the "new" normal.
It is now up to Europe to react in defense of the values that have distinguished it and given it meaning. Trying to appease the monster through acts of submission is futile. Trump is not an accidental slip-up. Europe must become independent, "kill" its father, and understand the current challenge. The Canadian Prime Minister has set the course: we cannot continue acting as if rules and norms still exist when they have ceased to exist. In totalitarian politics, democratic values must be confronted, both there and here. First and foremost, we restore meaning to words and define the trench of freedom against fascism.
