The Audio Long Read The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?
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May 11, 2026 A deep look at how today’s far right mobilizes emotion and promises national purification. The piece compares modern movements with 20th-century fascism while noting key differences. It traces global electoral gains, social media’s amplifying role, and the emotional mix of belonging and violence. It examines scapegoating, neoliberal roots of resentment, and the dangerous contradictions of populist power.
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Far Right Uses Emotional Promise Of Purity
- Far-right movements recycle an emotional promise of national purification to mobilize support.
- Daniel Trilling links this to Paxton's 'mobilizing passions' like crisis, victimhood, purity, and glorification of violence illustrated by modern rhetoric.
Global Examples Show State Linked Violence
- Trilling cites international examples where far-right movements resemble fascist traits, such as links between BJP and the RSS and ICE's role in the US.
- These examples show state or quasi-state violence acting like a mob with official sanction.
Not A Rerun But A Dangerous Echo
- Today's far right is not a simple rerun of 20th-century fascism but shares a dangerous overlap in emotional appeal.
- Trilling warns leaders aren't in full control of these forces, making the movement both perilous and stoppable.