Political Reality Fascism comes to America, it is wrapped in the flag w/ Prof. Tom Pepinsky | S01E06
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Feb 12, 2026 Tom Pepinsky, Cornell professor and Brookings fellow who studies democratic backsliding and populism, joins to unpack fascist traits and threats. He contrasts fascism with populism. He maps hierarchy, nationalism, spectacle, and organized coercion. He discusses who embodies these tendencies in contemporary politics and outlines civic steps to bolster pluralism and democracy.
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Enemies Justify Exclusion
- Fascism relies on defining internal enemies as pollutants to be expelled or punished.
- That logic justifies removing rights from targeted groups and treating dissent as a threat.
Spectacle Militarism Matters
- Fascist movements prize spectacular militarism and visual displays of strength over functional military professionalism.
- The military is framed as the leader's instrument rather than guardian of constitutional principles.
Uniformity And Public Ritual
- Successful fascist movements build compulsory, public organizations and uniformed spectacle to erase individuality.
- Collective rituals and uniformity make people visible as parts of the whole, not as individuals.
