Fascism - this all looks familiar in todays America

From Gemini:

The transition to fascism typically involves a progression through several identifiable characteristics and steps, which allow authoritarian leaders to dismantle democratic institutions and consolidate power.

Commonly cited steps and warning signs include:

Powerful Nationalism: An emphasis on national unity and a return to past "greatness," often through the use of powerful symbols.

Identification and Demonization of Enemies: Constructing and isolating an internal enemy or scapegoat (often minority groups or political opponents) to serve as a unifying cause and diversion.

Appeal to a Frustrated Middle Class: Gaining support from a population suffering from economic crises or political humiliation.

Contempt for Human Rights and Democratic Institutions: A disdain for established law, the courts, and democratic processes, which are often labeled as weak or ineffective.

Control of Mass Media: Suppressing or eliminating independent media to control the narrative and spread propaganda and disinformation.

Supremacy of the Military/Militarism: Glorifying the use of violence and prioritizing military values and institutions.

Obsession with National Security and Crime: Justifying actions, including the suppression of civil liberties and the use of arbitrary detention, in the name of national security or "law and order".

Consolidation of Power: Using a combination of legal maneuvers and intimidation to eliminate opposition and establish a one-party, totalitarian state.

Rampant Corruption and Cronyism: The ruling elite ties religion, corporations, and government together while protecting their own power and suppressing labor unions and intellectual dissent.

These characteristics, noted by scholars and institutions like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, typically foster an environment where a strongman leader can seize absolute power, with the state becoming the ultimate authority above individual rights.