Fascism And Authoritariansim

"into the Abyss" by Nancy Ohanian

-by Mark Pinsley,

Lehigh County Controller

Since 2016, I've reached out to people on the other side of the aisle to listen and learn, even when we disagree. I've built relationships where we can challenge each other and still maintain open communication.

When the news broke about what was happening in LA, I reached out to one of them. I texted him, and he responded. What follows is exactly what he sent me. I've left it untouched so you can experience your emotional reaction without my fixing grammar or normal texting errors.

"One learners from the past, we all saw what happened in Seattle CHop anarchists taking over and saw what happened in Minnesota burning down the city and killing people, with incompetent governors and mayors, with thugs waving Mexican flags, burning American flags and throwing rocks at police…. The full force of justice should be on, army , navy , marines , space force…. No more communist thuggery."

To me, his response wasn't about law and order. It was a call for war against fellow Americans.

Too often, we treat words like "authoritarianism" and "fascism" as interchangeable. We soften the blow by calling someone "illiberal" or "anti-democratic." We hedge. But now is not the time for hedging.

Authoritarianism is a system of government in which power is concentrated in a single authority, often limiting freedoms and suppressing opposition. Other systems of government include democracy, monarchy, and theocracy.

Fascism is a far-right political movement rooted in extreme nationalism. It builds authoritarian rule by mixing state power with racism, religious extremism, and violence. It begins within a democracy through fear, scapegoating, and myth, and reshapes government around loyalty, repression, and control.

And it always arrives promising: Safety. Order. Strength.

Here's the danger: fascism can rise within democracy. It uses elections. It uses courts. It uses laws, not by breaking them but by bending them until they become unrecognizable.

They use the words of the law but twist their meaning. And if the leader has judges who agree with them, they can alter how we understand even the most fundamental aspects of the Constitution.

The First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The sentence has two clear parts: Congress can't establish a religion, and it can't stop people from practicing their faith. Courts used to agree that both limits must be honored together. Now, some judges focus solely on the "free exercise" clause and overlook the part about not establishing a religion.

They say "free exercise" means people should be allowed to follow their religion anywhere, even while working for the government. So if a teacher at a public school wants to pray with students or a law is passed that follows one religion's rules, they say that's okay. Why? Because it's someone's free exercise of religion.

The Constitution doesn't target a teacher's personal beliefs; it prevents government employees from using their roles to promote religion. In public schools, teachers act as agents of the state.

If a law is created that stops a public school teacher from promoting religion at school, the law is:

• not targeting the teacher's personal beliefs

• preventing the government (through its employees) from establishing or endorsing a religion.

However, the courts are reinterpreting the meaning and arguing that, yes, we are infringing on a teacher’s right to practice their religion because the law is preventing them from doing so.

"The Last Act" by Nancy Ohanian

This is how authoritarianism develops: not by outright disregarding the law but by distorting it or focusing too narrowly on one aspect. Currently, the government is targeting one million undocumented immigrants. While the government claims to be following the law, and it likely is (sort of), it is reinterpreting the law and using it to deploy Marines in LA. This is a reinterpretation of the law designed to allow the president absolute power.

Authoritarians don't need to cancel elections if they can rig the districts. They don't need to ban free speech if they can flood the zone with lies. They don't need to jail opponents if they can bury them in investigations.

The AmericanFascists.us blog puts it bluntly: fascism in the U.S. doesn't wear jackboots. It wears suits. It funds think tanks and super PACs. It says God is on its side.

Fascism in America is built on three pillars: the merger of corporate and state power, white supremacy, and Christian nationalism. That trio births a whole family of destruction: voter suppression, censorship by mobs, attacks on LGBTQ people, crackdowns on women, and violence against protestors.

Fascism advances through confusion. Through normalization. Through what the Blog - American Fascism calls "firehose fascism": so much, so fast, that you can't keep up.

Not everything is fascism. But what we are seeing is a movement that fits the definition: violent nationalism, scapegoating of minorities, leader worship, attacks on elections, and calls for military crackdowns on civilians.

What can you do?

Fight back by taking local power seriously, such as school boards, county commissions, and judgeships. This is where authoritarian ideas take root. If we don't run or show up, others will. And they already are.

Fight back by learning how the system works. Who holds power? Who funds them? What laws protect them? Fascism feeds on confusion. Clarity is a weapon.

Fight back by protecting each other, by showing up for immigrants, trans kids, Muslim neighbors, and Black lives. Not just online but in courtrooms, classrooms, and the streets.

Tactics you can take:

• Make calls for campaigns or union actions.

• Join rallies—not just to change policy, but to show community.

• Help unions by flyering cars or distributing signs

• Create a list of websites where individuals can purchase books or other items from small businesses rather than relying on Amazon.

• Write letters to the editor or speak in public comments.

• Knock doors or register voters.

• Volunteer your skills

• Know your local election rules—and help others understand them.

If none of these options seem worthwhile, ask yourself: Are you truly ready to act?