A 1945 War Department pamphlet laid out exactly how fascism takes hold. It’s happening right now—and the people doing it can’t even see it.
I came across something this week that everyone needs to read. A liberal historian named Heather Cox Richardson wrote about a 1945 military pamphlet that spelled out exactly how to spot the fascism warning signs. Now, I don’t usually read liberal professors. But even a broken clock is right twice a day, and she found something important. The pamphlet was published by the War Department for soldiers who had just defeated Hitler. These were serious men. They knew what they were talking about. And what they described is happening in America right now—just not in the way she thinks.
Let me walk you through what they said.
Dividing People Into Groups
The pamphlet warned that fascists pit “religious, racial, and economic groups against one another to break down national unity.” Sound familiar? That’s exactly what the left does when they divide us by race, by class, by whether you drive a truck or a Prius. Regular Americans just want to live their lives, but the elites keep telling us we’re different from coastal liberals, academics, Hollywood, the media, big tech, and anyone who shops at Whole Foods. Wait, I’m the one who says that. But that’s different. I did my own research. Those are just facts.
Labeling Opponents
Here’s another fascism warning sign from the pamphlet: fascists insist “the world has but two choices” and “label as ‘communists’ everyone who refuses to support them.” Classic manipulation. That’s exactly what they do to us. Everything we don’t like gets called “fascist.” Meanwhile, everything we don’t like actually is communist, or socialist, or woke, or globalist. But that’s accurate labeling, not manipulation. There’s nuance here that some people can’t grasp.
Wrapping Themselves in Patriotism
The military warned that fascists try to gain power “under the guise of ‘super-patriotism’ and ‘super-Americanism.'” Now this one requires careful thought. Sometimes patriotism is just patriotism. When I fly my flag, that’s love of country. When I say “America First,” that’s common sense. When I question someone else’s loyalty, that’s vigilance. The pamphlet is talking about fake patriots. You can tell the difference because fake patriots are the ones who disagree with me.
Rejecting International Cooperation
According to the 1945 document, fascists reject working with other nations and promote “a perverted sort of ultra-nationalism which tells their people that they are the only people in the world who count.” Obviously that’s bad. But also, America shouldn’t be taking orders from the UN, or listening to European elites, or caring what other countries think about our policies. We’re exceptional. There’s a difference between ultra-nationalism and just knowing you’re the best. I can’t explain it, but I know it when I see it.
What the Pamphlet Got Right
The document ends with this: “Fascism thrives on indifference and ignorance.” Exactly. That’s why I stay informed. I watch videos. I read headlines. I have strong opinions based on gut instinct and things my neighbor Gary told me. I’m the opposite of ignorant. Some people look at all this and somehow think the fascism warning signs apply to them. Incredible. The lack of self-awareness is staggering.
The military saw it coming eighty years ago. They just didn’t know it would be the woke left doing it. Good thing some of us are paying attention. That’s called pattern recognition. And I’m full of it.
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