2024 was a monumental year for the US and India, two of the world's most influential democracies. Narendra Modi was elected for the 4th term while the US elections witnessed a nail-biting finish, with the Democrats bagging all the swing states and winning the electoral college. As the global political landscape tilts towards polarisation with the US navigating the aftermath of electing right-wing populists like Trump and India continuing dominance by a leadership accused of centralizing power, one must ask - Are we, as a society witnessing a gradual slide towards a fascist regime?
“Fascism is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition” as Merriam-Webster defines it.
Although Fascist parties differed significantly from each other, since their first emergence in 1915, they all had one thing in common - a dictatorial leader, militarism, and suppression of opposition, to name some. Where Democracies are based on transparency, accountability, and representation, Fascism thrives on nationalism and suppression of dissent. The paradox lies in the fact that democratic systems provide the exact ecosystem for fascist ideologies to develop due to economic distress, cultural identities, and institutional weakness. Economic phenomena like COVID-19, the US capitol riots, and the passing of laws like UAPA in India, foresee a slow descent into an authoritarian fascist government in these countries.
Economic unrest
The COVID-19 pandemic was a testing time for the citizens and the economy alike. Leaving the citizens vulnerable, leveraged by leaders to spread extremist ideologies targeting minority groups, as seen in India where the Modi government publicly attributed the spread of coronavirus to an annual meeting of the Muslim missionary group Tablighi Jamaat ignoring similar meetings held by Hindu groups, one which might have seemed like harmless misinformation at the time, has only led to strengthening of the ruling government’s campaigns of spreading hatred towards the Muslims. This seed had been sown in the Indian soil long before this. A similar strategy was seen being used by the anti-immigration trump government, going beyond their ways to strengthen their stance, blaming the spread of COVID-19 on immigrants and going as far as to suspend all immigration to the US. While all these may seem like political strategies, they mirror a common trait of fascism, depicting the members of the target group as ‘affected’ or ‘diseased’, as used by Hitler against the Jews, now being used by modern governments to describe minorities and immigrants.
Erosion of Democratic Institutions.
January 6 2021 is remembered as a dark day in US politics, the day of capitol riots, where MAGA supporters stormed the capitol as the liberals won the 2020 election defeating Donald Trump. It further amplified the democratic fragility that authoritarian narratives hold. This erosion of democratic power is a hallmark of fascism, visible in the US from its capital riots and the allegations of voter suppression. A similar was seen in India with the Central government taking over the reins of the opposition-owned states, weakening their autonomy and the most powerful branch of government- the judiciary.
Identity politics
Trump and his running mate JD Vance’s increasing use of xenophobic, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and violent language were successful in inducing panic and anxiety among his supporters, Trump even going as far as to claim that the Haitian immigrants are ‘eating the cats and dogs’ and the liberal’s have created laws where a child can be killed after birth. He claimed Kamala Harris to be a diversity hire, further strengthening his white majority voter base. At the same time, he rode high on the discontent among the working class against the current administration, blaming everything on the Biden-Harris government and promising lower grocery and gas prices to the voters, securing the nonwhite as well as working-class vote. Similar patterns were observed in the Indian elections where Hindutva ideology promoting Hindu extremism has marginalized minority communities.
US-Role of Media Misinformation
The 2024 US elections were a battleground of two polar opposite visions, With democrats, led by Donald Trump promoting a return to traditional values and the liberals promoting progressive ideals with a democratic leadership. Social media platforms like X, owned by Elon Musk, another MAGA mouthpiece, played a huge role in spreading misinformation alongside democrat supporter news channels like Fox News. ‘X’ indirectly shaped online discourse by elevating pro-maga tweets on the platform (source- Bloomberg) and providing a space for conspiracy theories and misinformation to be spread unchecked. The role of media in shaping public opinion can’t be underestimated. It serves as the perfect platform to spread fascist propaganda, reflecting the media's failure to serve as a watchdog allowing authoritarian narratives to flourish.
India- Culture Nationalism
With the ruling party constantly tearing down mosques to build mandirs, bulldozing Muslim-owned houses in UP, using laws like UAPA to silence activists and journalists, and banning the hijab in educational institutions, cultural nationalism, a key tenet of fascist ideology has gained traction in India. Policies targeting minorities are actively being passed and these biased laws have distilled fear among the minorities. Creating a them vs Us narrative. Textbook Fascism.
To conclude, despite their varying political backgrounds, India and the US both have witnessed the rise of leaders with cult-like followings with media acting as a mouthpiece for their narratives, fueling an ‘us vs them’ which can only be eliminated with the strengthening of pre-existing democratic institutions, addressing challenges of inclusivity and media literacy. The rise of fascism in these democracies is another reminder that freedom is never guaranteed and it’s our responsibility as citizens- the guardians of democracy, to not let it burn by the fires of fascism.
Sources-
- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/05/election-campaign-outcome-analysis
- https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/coronavirus-fuels-fascist-politics-by-federico-finchelstein-and-jason-stanley-2020-05
- https://acleddata.com/2024/04/28/india-votes-2024-a-resurgent-hindu-nationalism-sets-the-stage-for-the-upcoming-elections-driving-communal-violence/