Throughout the history of fascism as a political ideology, one of its strongest tools has been the usage of scapegoats. 

This makes sense – fascism is built on cultural revitalization. And for a new culture and national identity to take shape, there needs to be an old, rotten one to destroy. 

The most obvious examples of fascist scapegoats is that of the Jews in Nazi Germany. The Nazis blamed the Jewish people for the economic and cultural downfall of Germany as a world power. 

Around that same time in Italy, Mussolini blamed communists and those still loyal to the monarchy for a weakened Italian state, far removed from the days of the Roman Empire. 

Fascism is undoubtedly an intoxicating ideology, especially for those in strife looking for a way out. 

It’s based around nostalgia, which people love and strong national identity, which people also love. 

People can get behind using the “best” elements of the past to form a better future. But of course, whether or not those elements were truly good, or if they even existed in general, is the real question. 

Now, let’s pivot from the far-removed days of the 1920s and 30s and move into the uncomfortable reality of our present day. 

While some may say referring to the current Trump administration as fascist is fear-mongering left-wing nonsense, I refute by saying if it looks like a fascist, walks like a fascist and talks like a fascist – it’s a fascist. 

Observe Trump’s slogan: Make America Great Again. 

First, there’s the idea that this country is not great right now. There is a weakness to it. Perhaps, some sort of sickness that needs to be cut out if this country is to become great. 

Then there is the word “Again”, which implies that there was once a time when this country was great and the “Make” implies this movement aims to return to that time. 

Now, you, dear reader, as a smart person with a passable knowledge of American history, know that this idea is naive, disingenuous, preposterous and most importantly, a lie.  

Let us not forget there are people living in this country today who attended racially segregated schools. Or that women could not vote until 1920, over 100 years after this country was founded. Or, ahem, slavery – that’s a nasty scar on this country’s “greatness.”

There are plenty of other issues to get into – the treatment of Native Americans, lynchings, colonialism, gay rights, workers’ rights, immigration bans, etc. – it’s almost like Howard Zinn wrote this whole book about it. 

But for Trump, and those a part of the MAGA movement, those ugly parts of American history can just be pushed to the side for a more sanitized view.

One of Trump’s greatest tools is his weaponization of White American fears. 

In particular, his scapegoats and how they disrupt the “economic and moral” values of the United States. 

Immigrants not only bring their own culture and nationality different from “American” culture, but they are taking jobs from those hard-working, blue-collar whites. They’re leeching off the healthcare system and not paying taxes. 

And oh, trans people are corrupting the moral fabric of this country because so many five-year-olds are having sex change operations. 

But of course, these are just elements of fear-mongering. 

They get every middle-aged suburban white American riled up. It gets them worried that their world, the one where they are on top, might be taken away. 

But that’s the easiest method in the fascist playbook. 

Once you create an “other” and then villainize them, you’ve got people hooked and their minds become like blank canvases to paint the wildest delusions on.