Oh, I have a new very-controversial-sounding take that's actually not just technically correct but also meaningful:

Fascism isn't that bad.

Fascism isn't just death camps and extrajudicial killings. Fascism is encouraging "patriots" to intimidate civilians, watching your citizens die of disease, fearmongering about foreigners and political opponents, invading other countries for resources, banning abortions...

Suppressing the media, spying on your own population, cutting off immigration for people of the "wrong" religion, bailing out companies instead of their workers, paying other workers almost nothing while risking their lives, shutting down social studies courses...

Imprisoning political opponents, pardoning your allies, and giving more voting power to states that like you.

Sound familiar? Yep, I'm listing examples of the 14 characteristics of fascism, as described in Fascism Anyone?, by Laurence W Britt, in 2003. In order. Check 'em.

Fascism isn't that bad. And this should terrify you, because it means that fascists can arise anywhere, with devastating consequences if those fascists come into power. The Nazis didn't start killing immediately, they waited, they grew, and most people? Just kind of let them.

Most people aren't fascist. But fascism is disturbingly mundane and tolerable, and when enough people do tolerate it, it spreads, making bad people worse and good people dead. Fascism is not a bomb, but a slowly boiling pot, and we're the frog inside.

I guess I could compare it to the COVID-19 pandemic, or climate change: Most people would survive. Hell, a lot of people would barely notice it, wouldn't realize there was a problem unless someone specifically told them.

And millions of people die out of sight.

Whether they die in hospitals, poorer nations or concentration camps, they die, and people adjust, and they either don't know or don't care. Fascism isn't that bad. Until someone you know becomes a victim, and you can't speak out for fear of joining them.

Fascism will make monsters of your neighbors. They'll shake your hand and eat dinner with you and then they'll politely call the police after they leave because they thought they smelled marijuana in your living room and then you'll be shot to death in a no-knock raid.

People already live under fascism. It's not something far away or long ago. It's been here for a century and nobody cared until Hitler invaded Poland and pissed off the Allies. Even then, America, brave, beautiful America, didn't want to get involved until Japan dragged them in.

You don't have to worry about Trump seizing power and doing fascism after November. Because he's only the most recent fascist to win the election. You'll live.

Most of you, at least.