Pen and Planet

“The revolution will not be televised” – Gil Scott-Heron

By: Pen and Planet

Fascism Never Disappeared – It Evolved

Fascism is a Far-right Authoritarian ideology in which a leader goes unchecked. It involves a centralized, autocratic government with an emphasis on the feeding of the military industrial complex. It necessitates the suppression of opposition and a belief in natural social hierarchy (eugenics). Strong regiments of economy that suppress individual interests by ignoring social needs and services.

Fascism is naturally anti-democratic, it uses censorship, propaganda, and violence to maintain control. There is an erosion of the separation between church, state, and social welfare. Historically, there are attacks on things that bring value to anyone who is not a government official or is not in the top percentile of the economy. These things intentionally destabilize communities as a means to instill fear and subordination.

Fascist rhetoric hides in plain sight but the veil has been drawn and those in power are now saying the quiet part loud. It seeps in through legislative loopholes, propaganda disguised as advertisements, surveillance masked as safety, and crises so frequent that people stop paying attention. We are living through the quiet normalization of authoritarianism in the United States, and many still don’t recognize it. 

My goal today is to call out the use of crisis fatigue to erode resistance against authoritarianism. This erosion of resistance is not coincidental authoritarianism needs you to be exhausted, silent, and complicit. This is an active down play of human rights violations.

Crisis Fatigue: A Tool of Authoritarianism

One of the most dangerous tactics used by authoritarian regimes is the weaponization of crisis fatigue. When citizens are exposed to so many injustices, scandals, and violations in quick succession, people start to tune out. They become desensitized. What once would have sparked outrage becomes background noise.

This erosion of resistance is not accidental;  it’s part of the strategy. Authoritarianism needs you exhausted. It needs you to shrug at corruption, to ignore censorship, to say “this is just how things are.”

Whether it’s a banned book, a deported activist, or an illegal data grab;  it all starts to blur. And that’s the goal of this administration.

Corporate Complicity and Eugenic Aesthetics

Even corporate advertising is starting to reflect fascistic ideology. Companies like American Eagle and Dunkin Donuts have recently released campaigns containing language that some critics argue mirror eugenics-adjacent ideas — showcasing idealized bodies, promoting exclusionary values of worth, and celebrating conformity under the guise of unity or strength.

These messages are subtle. But when paired with a political climate that is openly hostile to bodily autonomy, migrant rights, and disabled people, they become chilling. Cultural products shape the national psyche. When corporations echo authoritarian values, they don’t just reflect power, they reinforce it.

Silencing Dissent: The Case of Mahmoud Khalil

On 8 March, recent Colombia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil was returning home from dinner with his eight-month pregnant wife when he was arrested and forced into an unmarked car by four agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Khalil, a legal resident in the US, had been a leader of the pro-Palestine protests on Colombia’s campus last spring. He is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana awaiting deportation and has not been charged with a crime. This is a blatant attempt to silence protesters and make an example out of Mahmoud Khalil. It is an overstepping of due process and an abuse of power.

The Authoritarian Playbook: Judges, Journalists, and Political Opposition

In February the chief judge of the US Court for the District of Colombia ordered the US government to halt deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members. But officials chose to ignore the order. President Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social, calling for the judge to be impeached. 

Trump’s decision to cut funding to Voice of America and several other pro-democracy media outlets drew swift condemnation from global press freedom organizations. His administration is also suspected of influencing the recent Paramount-Skydance merger, which critics say threatens First Amendment protections.

Tech Oligarchy: Surveillance and Data Harvesting

As if censorship weren’t enough, the Trump administration has pushed aggressively toward a surveillance state. Under the guise of “security,” it has:

• Partnered with data-mining giant Palantir to access Americans’ personal information. 
• Scrapped Biden-era protections against the commercial sale of personal data. 
• Purchased data from brokers to track movements of protestors and political targets. 

Free speech means little when everything you say, click, and buy is being watched and weaponized.

Authoritarianism Isn’t Coming: It’s Here

The normalization of fascism isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now in the courts, in the streets, in our phones, and in our minds. Each violation, each overreach, each muted protest brings us closer to a society where democracy is no longer salvageable.

But awareness is resistance. Language is resistance. Truth-telling is resistance.

If we are to stop the quiet creep of authoritarianism, we must start by naming it. Loudly. Before it becomes something we can no longer speak of at all.

Sources

American Civil Liberties Union. “Trump on Surveillance, Protest, and Free Speech.” ACLU, https://www.aclu.org/trump-on-surveillance-protest-and-free-speech. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

International Bar Association. “Trump’s Assault on the First Amendment.” IBA, https://www.ibanet.org/Trumps-assault-on-the-First-Amendment. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Lander, Brad. “New York Mayoral Candidate Interview.” The Guardian, 19 June 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/19/new-york-mayoral-candidate-brad-lander-interview.

Dooley, Tanner. “Trump’s Censorship and Control Campaign Threatens Press Freedom.” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/trumps-censorship-and-control-campaign-threatens-press-freedom-fcc-commissioner-says.

Segers, Grace. “Trump Silencing VOA Threatens Free Media in Repressive Countries.” ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-silencing-voa-threatens-free-media-repressive-countries/story?id=119897528.

Department of Homeland Security. “Six Months of Keeping America Safe under President Trump.” DHS, 20 July 2025, https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/20/six-months-keeping-america-safe-under-president-trump-and-secretary-noem.

Bailey, Sarah. “Trump Builds Surveillance State with Federal Data.” USA Today, 4 June 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/04/trump-surveillance-state-federal-data/83924420007/.

Metz, Cade. “Trump and Palantir: Mining Americans’ Data.” The New York Times, 30 May 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html.

Mathews, Anna. “Trump Administration Scraps Data Privacy Rule.” Reuters, 14 May 2025, https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/trump-administration-scraps-biden-era-plan-limit-sale-americans-personal-data-2025-05-14/.