Holocaust Museum Poster Lists Signs of Fascism, Feels Terrifyingly Familiar

A poster detailing the "warning signs" of fascism is going viral just days after Trump's inauguration.

Fascism
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Fascism

There's a reason "fascism" was regularly Merriam-Webster's most searched word surrounding the 2016 presidential election and remains a frequent topic of discussion today. The daily clusterfuck of governmental shock and awe since Trump's inauguration has history buffs revisiting the authoritarian right-wing system for some insight on what to expect in the years ahead, making this now-viral poster a handy guide for the resistance:

"a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition"

The poster was originally created by Laurence W. Britt back in 2003 and is not exclusive to the Holocaust Museum, the Daily Dotreported Monday. In fact, you can easily buy one for you and every member of your extended social circle with a quick Googling. And while the poster is billed as an abridged list of fascism's "warning signs," many have already started drawing immediate parallels with the current White House administration's rise to power:

But before we dive much deeper, let's hit up our pals at Merriam-Webster for a proper definition of "fascism" to ensure we're all on the same page:

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So which of these warning signs, arguably, have already popped up in 2017 America? Let's dive into a few obvious front-runners:

Nationalism

The chaos of Trump's Muslim travel ban this weekend showed, among other things, this ideology at play. White nationalist writers for publications not worth naming here said they were "ecstatic" and felt like "crying" about the executive order, Salonreported Monday.

Disdain for Human Rights

Trump was declared a direct threat to human rights earlier this month by Human Rights Watch. In a 687-page report cited by the Hill, Trump's election was pinpointed as the moment the "postwar human rights system" was put at risk. "Trump and various politicians in Europe seek power through appeals to racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and nativism," the report states.

Supremacy of the Military

This tweet certainly hits that note: 

Rampant Sexism

Where do we begin? From "grab 'em by the pussy" to his extended public feud with Megyn Kelly, Trump—despite his claims of having more respect for women than anyone else in the world—possesses no such thing.

Corruption

Um...

Actually, fuck it. This whole list of warning signs has (at least) been hinted at during both the campaign and the new administration's first two weeks in office. So study up and start calling bullshitters on their bullshit. 

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