Don't wanna write a wall of text, but historically fascist movements have come to power under the banner of a charismatic leader with majority support from the population. As fascistic as America is today, I'm not sure there is enough support to sustain a serious fascist movement. Nearly every major city is at least a 50/50 split among liberal democrats and republicans. Many of those republicans are politically uneducated and don't have a real desire for authoritarian dictate. The Republican candidate has won the popular vote in the presidential election once in the last 30 years and the only places where fascists outnumber every day liberals is in rural America.
So can fascism exist without popular majority support in dense urban areas? What does the fall of capitalism look like with no strong left or right movement? Am I naïve and should we expect reactionary attitudes to grow in response to a collapsing economy? My materialist brain is usually pretty good at seeing the direction we're headed but I'm not sure on this one.
I suppose the doomer take is that we haven't actually collapsed yet, and when the jenga tower really starts to fall, libs will be forced to choose between going right and going left. At that point if we don't have a popular workers movement with enough power, actual fascism will become a threat.
Biden/Trump ‘24!
"Carmela, come into the Oval. I've got something to tell you."
She bites her tongue and doesn't correct him. They enter and as Biden rambles she knows something is off. The Old White Guy starts babbling just before he tells everybody something big. But where is everybody? Oh, fuck. But what could it be?
They sit down on the sofas and she knows something is off because the president doesn't even offer her something to eat or drink. It's going to be a very short meeting and he's got his worst, fakest friendly face on. Somebody is getting stabbed in the back?
What could it be? Am I over thinking it? Good news actually? Maybe? Could it be good news for—
He uses his presidential mien and tone: "We've decided that we need to go in another direction in 2024."
"Excuse me? What does that mean exactly?" Rage is building. She doesn't care that she interrupted the Old White Guy. It's something he hates. And he's thinking her rudeness is intolerable. When he was the veep he never interrupted President Obama.
It's the Office of the President. There must be respect for Christ's sakes. Pardon my French. "I'm being gentle here." Man, she hates when he brings out "gentle" when he's talking to the ladies. "I'm letting you go gently so that—"
"Letting me go? Are you actually saying you're pushing me off the ticket?"
"I am the president. I will not be rushed. What—"
"So I'm off the ticket. Just say it." He's more scared of her than an angry 800 pound bull and he starts stammering.
"I... Well... I was going to say... Yes. You will not be on the ticket in 2024."
"And who will replace me, Mr. President?" She says "Mr. President" with venom.
"I'm not ready at this time to—"
"You will tell me right now or so help me as god is my witness I will wreck your presidency."
"Trump."
"What?"
"Trump will be on the ticket as my vice president."
Kamala looks away from him. She feels like she's having an old man heart attack. She happens to see a letter opener on the Resolute Desk. She plays with the idea of running over to it, marching up to Biden, and stabbing him in the neck until he is dead.