"Finchelstein presents four criteria to evaluate where a country sits on the fascist spectrum: political violence, propaganda and misinformation, xenophobia, and dictatorship. It is, to put it mildly, disconcerting to see where the United States now finds itself on that spectrum."—New York Review of Books
"Stimulating and provocative."—International Affairs
Meet today's almost fascists and learn the warning signs to intercept them on the road from populism to dictatorship.
With The Wannabe Fascists, historian Federico Finchelstein explains why Trumpism and similar movements represent a new political breed, the last outcome of the combined histories of fascism and populism: the wannabe fascists. These leaders are typically elected politicians who, unlike previous populists, embrace totalitarian lies, racism, and illegal means to destroy democracy from within.
Drawing on decades of research, Finchelstein identifies the "four pillars of fascism" and shows how wannabe fascists like Trump, Bolsonaro, and Modi embrace the first three pillars.
This revised and expanded edition features a new preface and substantive updates throughout. Reckoning with the realities of a second Trump presidency, Finchelstein argues that the United States has moved closer to the tipping point he warned against. While maintaining that American democracy endures, he contends that the damage done to democratic institutions may take generations to repair.