We must expect that it is possible the United States will remain fascist far into the future, writes Jason Stanley.Rob Gurdebeke/The Canadian Press
Jason Stanley is the author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them and, most recently, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. He is the Bissell-Heyd Chair in American Studies in the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and the University of Toronto.
The United States has collapsed into fascism. Only naiveté blocks this conclusion. And to paraphrase Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, naiveté is not a strategy.
The future is always uncertain, as the heroic people of Minneapolis have shown the world. But as with Russia, we must expect that it is possible the United States will remain fascist far into the future. As with naiveté, hope is also not a strategy.
One way of avoiding reality is to believe that it is only the U.S. government that is fascist, not the American people. But Donald Trump was perfectly clear about his intentions. The clear majority of the United States voted for him anyway. It is cold hard fact that many Americans are irredeemably racist and fascist. Even more Americans are sufficiently sympathetic to the ideology of fascism that they voted for it.
This country, Canada’s neighbour, also happens to be the most powerful country on Earth. How should Canada respond?
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After Russia conducted its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, I travelled to Ukraine to teach. I have learned much from Ukraine and Ukrainians. I am also American, a scholar of the United States, as well as a scholar of fascism. I know my country well. One thing I am not, however, is Canadian. I write here from my position as an American anti-fascist intellectual, with some experience in Ukraine, and not as a Canadian.
Here are five essential propositions that should guide any country with a powerful fascist neighbour:
- A country must be unified to defend itself.
- Fascists only respect hard power.
- Soft power is also power.
- A democratic people is a strong people.
- There are no moral victories.
These five principles are highly abstract. It is important to be concrete. I have no idea whether the suggestions I make are practicable in the Canadian context. This is for Canadians, and not me, to decide.
A country must be unified to defend itself
In Ukraine, I found that people were unified across ideological divides. LGBTQ Ukrainians fight alongside conservative Christians. Ukrainian Jews fight alongside Ukrainian nationalists sympathetic to an antisemitic past. Canada’s distinct cultures and traditions in no way prevent Canadians from being unified by a shared desire for freedom from the United States.
Fascists only respect hard power
Canada should free itself from economic dependence on the United States. This is far from a simple task, but it is an essential one. Economic ties are weapons the powerful employ against the weak.
Canada should free itself from military dependence on the United States. Citizens of a country neighbouring a fascist dictatorship need to learn how to defend their country militarily, and, if necessary, defend it house by house. A fascist nation must clearly understand that if it invades, the result will be a bloody, costly, and ultimately unsuccessful occupation. A military draft to defend the country against external attack is something at least to consider in this regard – not just to prepare every capable citizen to fight, but to foster unity, while sending a decisive message about Canada’s seriousness to defend its democracy.
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More broadly, Canada should consider investing heavily in military preparedness, with an eye on the possibility of a foreign invasion (for example, a vast fleet of drones). Such a task can bring with it well-known economic benefits.
To defend against a fascist invasion, economically and militarily, it helps to have a large population. A country with a large population (and a wealth of natural resources) has more economic and military potential, and is harder to occupy. People around the world look at Canada with admiration, and many wish to live here – I can say this because I am one of them. Canadians seem to take this for granted, rather than exploiting it as an advantage.
Soft power is also power
Encouraging immigration is also a good way for Canada to flex soft power, drawing a clear distinction between it and its fascist, xenophobic and white supremacist neighbour. Moreover, imitating the U.S. by restricting immigration will dramatically reduce the world’s empathy (for the importance of global democratic allies, look to Ukraine). I believe it is vital for Canada’s national security to encourage immigration, first by investing heavily in the infrastructure required to support a considerably larger population (for example, by creating a defence industry with many jobs). Dismantling structural obstacles to immigration should be a primary political goal. Such a policy should be globally employed, and loudly, to draw a clear distinction between Canada’s thriving multi-ethnic democracy and its hate-filled neighbour.
There is a closely related point. Key to America’s soft power was its great university system, which is now under attack. That system has long drawn the world’s best and brightest students and researchers to the United States. It is now widely recognized that countries should take advantage of this moment. Canada has a clear advantage over European universities in recruiting the best students and scholars. It should exploit it.
A democratic people is a strong people
Canada should be a beacon of democracy to the world. Here is what this could mean in practice.
No one wants to die so an oligarch can buy another yacht. Canada’s people, and not its oligarchs, must be the ultimate arbiters of the country’s decisions. And in a democracy, the wealthy pay their fair share. If Canada’s wealthy elite are not happy living in a democracy, they should leave. I even have a suggestion – Florida is a deeply fascist state with pleasant weather (and brutal concentration camps) in which Canadians unhappy with freedom and equality can settle. As a bonus, they can live near their hero, Donald Trump.
Canada should squarely face its settler-colonialist past, elevating, and not oppressing, its First Nations people. In other words, Canada should do the opposite of its fascist neighbour, which suppresses the teaching of its past sins, banning books and ideas that discuss them.
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Canada should allow free political expression – no one should be denied opportunities because of their critique of Canadian politics or the actions of other countries. As we see in the U.S. from the weaponization of charges of antisemitism against democracy, it is essential to police political speech as narrowly as possible. Within this, there are difficult questions about the rights of minorities, which any multi-ethnic democracy must face. Calling Arabs or Muslims terrorists for denouncing the genocide of Palestinians is obvious hate speech against these populations. Similarly, denying the Holocaust, or using the worst racist slur against Black Canadians, can acceptably come with professional cost.
If everyone is to feel Canadian enough to risk their lives to protect it, Canada cannot make exceptions, elevating the concerns of one group of Canadians over others. Everyone must participate in the national project equally for Canada to face down fascism with unified purpose.
There are no moral victories
It should be abundantly clear that soft power and democratic values are not enough. Canada must from now on be prepared for a military invasion. Canadians must send the clear message that any fascist occupation will be greeted by a permanent armed insurgency.
Of course, Canada can choose to be satisfied with a moral victory. But if Canadian children are forever forced to salute another country’s flag, this is precisely the kind of victory history will completely forget.