About a hundred years ago “fascist” was commonly used to describe authoritarian movements, such as Hitler’s Nazi regime in Germany and Franco’s rule in Spain. Mussolini was considered a socialist first, then a nationalist, and ultimately considered the founder of fascism as an ideology and political system. In WWII the term solidified as a general descriptor for ultra-nationalist, dictatorial, and militaristic regimes.

These days Fascism is often described as the merger of state and corporate power, and is sighted in a growing number of countries and cities. It’s also used as a way to attack in political discourse. The term “fascist” has been used as a pejorative in U.S. politics for decades. For instance, during the 1980s, critics labeled President Ronald Reagan as a fascist, and later the term has been applied to figures like George W. Bush and Donald Trump, reflecting its persistent use as a political insult, including last fall when Kamala Harris referred to Donald Trump as a ‘fascist’.

Today, far-right ideologies continue to resurface across Europe in various forms, from political leaders embracing nationalist and authoritarian policies to movements drawing inspiration from historical fascism. Although fascism originated in and is primarily associated with Europe, it crossed the Atlantic and has also influenced South American politics in recent decades.

“Nowadays it’s a popular reflex to call someone with authoritarian impulses a fascist,” says the Churchhill Project at Hillsdale College. Truthfully, they seem to be popping up all around like cats in a canned tuna factory. So, it is a great comfort that the Italian graffiti humorist plunges into the heated melee to clarify where he stands with his “Artista Antifascista” piece on dilapidated remains of architectural ruins. He tells us, “Usually my art works do not have an explicit political message but the global situation requires a clear position.”

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