In 2025 we seem to be living in times in which neo-fascism has become mainstream. The global empowerment of right-wing political parties (USA, Italy, Germany, France, India, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, just to mention a few examples) seems to be the result of a backlash to progressive and social-democratic governments. As if some societies have decided a shift from collectivism to individualism. But what seems to be a new element is that this wave is supported by the most important technology companies in the world. This wave of techno-nationalistic-fascist-neo-liberalism creates at least two categories of people: those who are “in” and have access to full rights and those who are “the others”, “out” of the tribe and objectified and dehumanised.

　　Neo-fascist discourses have nationalism as a common narrative. In the USA, the Republican Party’s slogan “America First” is in line with the French National Front’s “La France d’abord” (France First), Germany’s far-right groups shouting “Deutschland den Deutschen” (Germany for the Germans) or “L’Italia agli italiani” (“Italy for Italians”) which is a slogan promoted by the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy). The nation with the biggest army in the world inaugurated a new government in January 2025. In a shocking set of executive orders, the new administration quickly constructed the “othering” of minoritised communities, targeting “kinds” of people, in particular trans, undocumented migrants and refugees, and people with disabilities. In what seems an inspiration from The Goebbels diaries, an account of writings by Nazi propaganda minister, the new right-wing populist and neofascist wannabe regime repeats lies with simple slogans, appeals to emotions, and seems able to scapegoat, create and demonize minorities as enemies. As if it’s necessary to degrade and dehumanise in order to “make” a society “great again”.

　　For some it is a new world order; for others it is shock therapy (Naomi Klein, 2007) in terms of sudden and violent disruption, a plan to distract, overwhelm, and deplete (Klein, 2025). Only a few hours after the inauguration, trans people started to be showcased as a threat to women who need protection from radical gender ideology (White House, 2025a); undocumented migrants are presented as illegal aliens and criminals invading the country (White House, 2025b), people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities are blamed for an air tragedy (Pengelly, 2025); students who engage in protest are threatened to be deported (Debusmann, 2025); and those who have survived the genocidal actions in Gaza are dehumanised and threatened to be deterritorialised (Collinson, 2025). During these times of shock people are disoriented and vulnerable so less likely to resist dramatic economic and political changes (Klein, 2007). German-American historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt (1963) wrote about the nature of political evil. She pointed out that we need a moral mission to prevent the repetition of genocidal murder by shaping the world’s political systems to both allow for and protect individuals’ rights and freedoms. But these are cruel and sadistic times in which some societies are normalising nazi salutes. American philosopher Judith Butler (2025) advises that “although there is every reason to be outraged, we cannot let that outrage flood us and stop our minds”. She suggests that “it is time to find passions of our own, a desire for a freedom equally shared and to imagine a world in which the government supports health and education for all, where we all live without fear, knowing that our interconnected lives are equally valuable.”

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  Deng Panyi

　　From: Journal of Transformative system of practice, Volume 8, Issue 1, Spring 2025