When Fascism Comes Wrapped in the Flag and Carrying a Cross

The pattern is always the same: democratic institutions are gradually captured and corrupted, opposition is delegitimized and criminalized, and by the time people realize what's happening, it's too late to stop it through normal democratic means. The Big Lie: Like Hitler's claims about the "stab in the back" and Chávez's assertions about electoral fraud by opponents, American democracy faces the sustained lie that legitimate elections were "stolen"—preparing the ground for future rejection of unfavorable results. When basic democratic norms like accepting election results, respecting the independence of law enforcement and the courts, and rejecting political violence are treated as partisan positions rather than fundamental requirements of democratic citizenship, the system is already in crisis.

Author: The Wise Wolf

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