“Scapegoating isn’t optional in a fascist society—it’s the engine.” – Howard Dean Johnson

In this rapid-fire exchange, Johnson shows how fascist regimes keep power by blaming an out-group—whether immigrants, black citizens, or anyone painted as “the problem.” He contrasts that with liberal democracies, which at least pretend to fairness even while inequity persists.

✅ Scapegoating is a built-in feature, not a bug, of fascist politics
✅ Economic pain is recast as “their fault”—immigrants, black people, the Other
✅ Liberal democracies claim equality, making open racism harder (though still real)
✅ Fascism drops the mask: nativists have rights; the scapegoated group does not

🗣️ Naming each scapegoat script is step one to shredding it.

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