Spirit Punch

A Fascist Disease

Season 1 Episode 8

The word "fascism" has made a come back in the worst way possible to describe the American political reality. But surely fascism can't happen to us right? Join Ryan as he digs into the history of fascism here and abroad to answer that question.

Watch "A Night at the Garden" here https://youtu.be/NC1MNGFHR58?si=WxjLs6gONIhG0W5G 

Here are the sources directly discussed in this podcast:

Andrew G. Palella. “The Black Legion: J. Edgar Hoover and Fascism in the Depression Era.” Journal for the Study of Radicalism, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 81–106.

Galbraith, Alex. “‘I Condemn It in the Strongest Terms’: MAGA Congressman Responds after Swastika Flag Seen in Office.” Salon.Com, 16 Oct. 2025, https://www.salon.com/2025/10/15/i-condemn-it-in-the-strongest-terms-maga-congressman-responds-after-swastika-flag-seen-in-office/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ogshare&utm_content=og.

“‘I Love Hitler’: Leaked Messages Expose Young Republicans’ Racist Chat.” POLITICO, 14 Oct. 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146.

Peter H. Amann. “The Black Legion as An American Hybrid.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 490–524.

“Platner Reshuffles Campaign and Sends out NDAs as He Struggles to Get Ahead of Controversies.” POLITICO, 23 Oct. 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/23/graham-platner-maine-campaign-shakeup-ndas-controversies-00620849.

Robert O. Paxton. The Anatomy of Fascism. Penguin, 2005.

You Know About the KKK, but What About the Black Legion? https://jacobin.com/2024/10/black-legion-white-supremacist-violence. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.