Is it Possible for Fascism to Reappear as a Political Force in the 21st Century?

The idea that fascism could reappear as a political force in the 21^st century is absolutely possible, however, it will not be fascism as we now know it to be. Currently, the world is trending towards a liberal approach to governing and it is quite possible that a fascist style government could arise from the ashes of a failed liberal state. Of course, that is an extreme example but it is, none the less, a possibility. Should fascism reappear it will, no doubt, be under the same sort of disguise as to hide the negative connotations that come along with the word "fascism." The probability of fascism appearing as a 21^st century political force is slim, however, it is possible and many on the left think that it has already reappeared in some form.

The last deep recession of the liberal states in Europe and America caused enough grief and anger amongst citizens to allow a strong willed fascist extremist named Adolf Hitler to rise to power. People were desperate for a strong leader and had lost faith in liberalism as the Weimar Republic was in shambles due to the economic downturn. Thus, giving way to the most infamous fascist government in the history of the world. The odds of a Nazi style government coming to power are slim to none, but the process is still the same. With the current economy tanking; faith in liberalism may tank along with it. It is possible that people in poor countries become fed up with the idea of a democracy and want a strong leader to help their country flourish and allowing the reemergence of fascism in the 21^st century. Another possible way for fascism to arise is in a country such as Iraq. For years it has been a fascist state under Hussein until it was "liberated" by the United States. If the United states withdraws troops completely from Iraq the strong liberal presence and support will be gone. If by chance the newly formed democratic state in Iraq fails to meet the demands of it's people. It is very possible that a strong leader comes on to the scene and takes control of the country. Whether or not the United States would allow this to happen is a different story, but it is a possibility.

Fascism more than likely will never arise with the outright admission of totalitarianism and extreme nationalism. However, it could reappear in in the form of elected officials or powerful corporations. Many leftists insist that George W. Bush was imposing fascism on the United States according to the fourteen points of fascism. They compare Bush and Guantanamo Bay to the fascist tradition of disdain for human rights, his expansion and strong belief in the military, and the spreading of fear to the masses. The Bush administration almost always kept the public in a state of fear of getting attacked and used it to their advantage when passing bills like the Patriot Act and when attempting to get away with signing statements. Also, the bush administration used religion as one of their major selling points which is a benchmark of fascism. Another point of fascism is the obsession with crime and punishment; Bush made it possible to be able to arrest anyone, anywhere, at any time basically just because he said so. The Bush administration could be interpreted as a fascist administration under the guise of a democracy. This seems to be the most likely route for fascism to gain prominence in world politics. It is not full blown fascism or totalitarianism, but the ideologies and policies of some elected officials could very easily be interpreted as far right fascism.

Fascism has a history of arising from broken down liberal states or hiding behind a democratic facade. With the economy in shambles and still spiraling out of control, it is very possible for people to look to a strong willed leader to rise to power. It is human nature to place blame and look for answers; a person that knows what to say and when to say it and has answers, such as Hitler blaming the Jews, it is very easy to rally and create a fascist movement. Fascism could very well reappear as a political force in the 21^st century.

Sources:
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidStrom/2007/03/01/the_growth_of_a_21st_century_fascism