🧵**If fascists were to take over the government from within, but people were so ignorant they didn’t understand the political actions taking place: consolidating power, firing people, installing loyalists, at what point do you think people would realize they were living in an authoritarian system?** - ThreadSky

jerseyflight.bsky.social • 5 days ago

🧵**If fascists were to take over the government from within, but people were so ignorant they didn’t understand the political actions taking place: consolidating power, firing people, installing loyalists, at what point do you think people would realize they were living in an authoritarian system?**

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jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

That’s a tough one to pin down precisely because it depends on how subtle or overt the fascists are, how distracted or disengaged people are, and what the media environment looks like. Historically, authoritarian takeovers don’t always come with a flashing neon sign—they can creep in through…

jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

legal maneuvers, propaganda, and gradual erosion of norms, all while the average person is busy with daily life.

If we’re talking a slow consolidation—firing dissenters, stacking courts, rewarding loyalists—most people might not clock it until the effects hit them personally.

jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

Maybe when they notice elections getting "weird" (results contested, voter suppression blatant), or when media they trust starts disappearing or sounding like a single voice. For some, it could take a blatant crackdown—like mass arrests of critics or martial law—to snap them out of it.

jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

Studies of past authoritarian shifts, like in Hungary or Turkey, suggest many don’t realize until dissent is already risky, say 2-5 years in, once independent institutions (press, judiciary) are hollowed out.

The average American, if we’re going by polls on political awareness…

jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

isn’t exactly glued to the details of governance. A 2023 survey showed only about 1 in 3 can name the three branches of government, so spotting a power grab might not register until it’s less about “checks and balances” and more about “why’s my neighbor in jail for a Facebook post?”

jerseyflight.bsky.social•5 days ago

If the economy’s decent and the messaging is slick (“We’re saving the nation!”), it could delay that wake-up call even longer—maybe not until the regime overplays its hand with something undeniable, like shutting down the internet or a Tiananmen-style event.

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