One man's dream is another man's nightmare.

Neo-fascism. 

Immediately one might be overwhelmed at the very suggestion of a political ideology such as this seeing a resurgence, if its even regarded as such. The term fascist has been transformed into a dirty word and misapplied to a variety of individuals. It is feared to be an ideology of hate and destruction, another catchall term thrown around with "capitalist" "communist" "democracy" and "freedom". I seek to return this word to its proper use and context. Language is fluid, and today's shifts in communication with mobile devices and the internet illustrate how quickly our understanding of English can be morphed. Though the task may seem insurmountable there are many precedents. Look to the words "nigger" and "gay" and you can see how easily public use and conception of a word can change.

Why? Who? How?

Why.

I believe that we human beings have been built by god to thrive under certain conditions. Whether that god is a divine personalized entity or simply the totality of existence I do not claim to know. I simply see that great strides in human advancement and quality of life are made when a sole leader ushers us fearlessly into the future. I see that democracy and debate are valuable tools that should be used to supplement a powerful authority, not undermine it. I see that as we all search our own lives we see a healthy deference to those who know better and mean well, and the fruits of that obedience. Whether its children who obey their parents, students who pay close attention to their lessons, or citizens who operate within the scope of the law - we are better when we do the right thing.

Who.

One of the hardest things to overcome when digging something up from the past is its prior associations. There are old grudges and misconceptions still alive today about the people who would have once been regarded as fascists. I'll make no apologies or excuses for the actions of individuals who did the world wrong, those rest on them. The fascists of today are you and me, regular people. They are just like the Conservatives of today, the Liberals of today, the Kings and Queens of today. They are no more responsible or aligned with the past than modern political parties or figureheads are responsible or aligned with the worst of their predecessors.

How.

The first and easiest thing a person can do is decide for themselves and embrace their identity. Take an inventory of your personality, your views on the world, and your political leanings. If you find that you are a fascist at heart you've taken the first step in the fight to join the cause. Secondly, you might consider "coming out" to others. It doesn't have to be scary and given its a political ideology most people will probably just shrug it off. Feel free to say "This is who I am.", and if they try to connect you to causes or people you don't support or associate with, tell them "That's not who I am, THIS is who I am."