Book Review: Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright

Fascism: A Warning by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright provides a history of fascism and explains its recent resurgence for a popular audience. Written in response to the early Trump administration, Albright combines political memoir with historical analysis, drawing connections to current events and government actions that should raise concern. The book's main purpose is educational, directed towards readers who did not live through the 20th Century. 

Albright defines a Fascist as:

someone who identifies strongly with and claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use whatever means are necessary - including violence -to achieve his or her goals. In that conception, a Fascist will likely be a tyrant, but a tyrant need not be a Fascist. (11)

During the rise and eventual election of Trump in 2016, pundits and the political class were reluctant to use the F-word towards MAGA and acted like it was "normal populism." Albright deserves credit for writing honestly about Trump when few from the establishment were willing to say so. Albright also places MAGA within the context of global politics, comparing America with Hungary, Poland, and Turkey. A chapter on the rise of Vladimir Putin places the Russian leader as the setting the template for modern authoritarianism. 

The early chapters focus on the rise of fascism in the 1930s recounting the rise of Mussolini, Hitler, and Franco, focusing on the methods they used to attain power. There are many definitions of fascism from a theoretical perspective, but the signatures remain the same: nationalistic, subservient to a charismatic leader, demonizing minorities for a country's ills, militaristic in rhetoric and foreign policy, and silencing all critics through intimidation. Many scholars have argued Fascism arose in the 20th Century due to industrialism and democracy's failure to adapt. Just as in the 21st Century, democracies have struggled with adjusting to technology and the post-industrial world, leaving many behind who are angry and open to accepting a dictator. 

The book is most effective when explaining how 21st Century authoritarians have turned to more subtle tactics. They utilize social media to provide their followers with their own truths, outflanking legacy media outlets and demonizing experts. All faith is placed in the leader. Trump's ability to build a coalition of Christian nationalists, Tech Bros, and traditional conservatives mocked all the conventional wisdom of the pundit class. 

Albright passed away in 2022, so she did not live to see the reelection of Trump. The political establishment has failed to deal with him, they've been outflanked at every turn. Biden's antiquated brand of post-war liberalism failed to break the MAGA fever. Neither does Albright acknowledge the mixed legacy of the foreign policy establishment or take some responsibility for the conditions that led to Trump. 

Warnings from denizens of American politics are useful from an educational perspective, but it will take new methods to defeat the new fascism. I'm susceptible to WWII nostalgia like anyone else, the democracies managed to build the alliances to preserve their ideals, but those were strategies of a different time. For democracy to survive it will require courage and creativity - if it's not already too late.