Fascism Comes to America: A Century of Obsession in Politics and Culture

by Bruce Kuklick

"Demonstrates successfully how the concept of fascism has changed its meaning and its place in American political discourse." ― The Nation

From the time Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922, Americans have been obsessed with the meaning of fascism and how it might migrate to the United States. Fascism Comes to America examines how we have viewed fascism overseas and its implications for our own country. Bruce Kuklick explores the rhetoric of politicians, who have used the language of fascism to smear opponents, and he looks at the discussions of pundits, the analyses of academics, and the displays of fascism in popular culture, including fiction, radio, TV, theater, and film. Kuklick argues that fascism has little informational meaning in the United States, but instead, it is used to denigrate or insult. For example, every political position has been besmirched as fascist. As a result, the term does not describe a phenomenon so much as it denounces what one does not like.

Finally, in displaying fascism for most Americans, entertainment—and most importantly film—has been crucial in conveying to citizens what fascism is about. Fascism Comes to America has been enhanced by many illustrations that exhibit how fascism was absorbed into the US public consciousness.

"Since the election of Donald Trump, a specter has haunted the United States—the specter of fascism. From The New York Times to The Atlantic, from CNN to The New York Review of Books, liberals and socialists alike have asked the same Is it happening here? . . . Fascism Comes to America provides an entirely new perspective." ―The New Republic

Genres: History, Politics, The United States Of America, Nonfiction, Sociology

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2022

Reviews

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard from a number of academics and journalists online that "fascism" is a slippery word that isn't particularly useful as a descriptor. This book excavates that claims and makes a sound case for it. For me, as a non-academic, I may still use the word to evoke "right-wing authoritarianism with corporatist and militarist characteristics" or something like that.

My one critique is that I think the book takes too seriously conservative attempts to use the term "fascism" against the left by people like Alan Dershowitiz and Jonah Goldberg, which I think could could have been given less creedence, as I think most people don't buy that shit.

[Rebecca Berus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Kuklick offers a fascinating examination of how Americans have understood and represented fascism from Mussolini’s rise to power through the modern era. Rather than treating fascism as a fixed political label, the book explores how politicians, academics, commentators, and popular culture have used and interpreted the term.

The discussion of film, television, theater, radio, and fiction is especially interesting in showing how cultural representations shaped public perceptions. Overall, this is a thought provoking study of political language, American culture, and the ways historical concepts can become powerful rhetorical tools.