They Will Come For You Too

Fascism, disability, and the growing threat towards all Americans

Carina Dieringer

We’ve all heard it. Maybe at the dinner table, on social media, or even from a public figure. “Politics used to be different.” Candidates used to be more civil, the public was less divided, and elections didn’t feel like life or death. So what changed? The answer is not complicated, but involves one of the topics that Americans dread thinking about most: the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic caused an eruption of political and economic strife across America. Disinformation about masks and vaccines was fueled by fear and panic. People were laid off, disconnected from friends and family, and worried about their futures. Understandably, communities simply wanted to return to their normal lives and forget anything had ever happened. Yet, this desire took a dangerous form.  

“Immunocompromised”

“Elderly”

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

These are the types of people we were told were at risk of dying from COVID. These are the people who our society deemed expendable. When Americans decided it was time to ditch the masks and go back to our normal lives – (can use commas, up to you)despite the fact the pandemic was and is still ongoing – people across the country decided their right to comfort was more important than the lives of people with disabilities. In doing so, they opened their minds to a wealth of fascist and eugenicist ideals they would have never considered moral previously. When you can accept that disabled people are simply burdens on society who should stay locked in their homes to avoid disease, you don’t have to go much further to accept perhaps other groups of people also deserve less; perhaps there is a natural hierarchy humanity should ascribe to. This ability to devalue entire groups of humans for something they cannot control is what creates a petri dish for a fascist society, and is exactly why Donald Trump won this election. 

Some may say it is extreme to call Trump a fascist. To that, I say:

After losing an election, he claimed election fraud, despite clear evidence he lost. Once perceived as an idiot by society, he was elected into a position of political power. He used his platform to attack the media, his opponents, science, and many marginalized groups of people. 

Sounds like a concise summary of Trump, right? Except, the man I am describing was born in late 19th century Austria, and would go on to be responsible for the murders of millions of people. His name was Adolf Hitler. Hitler said he wanted to dismantle democracy and no one believed him (spoiler: he succeeded). Trump said his goal is to be a dictator. I believe him. 

What does this mean for Americans? What about those who aren’t disabled? That is where the issue of intersectionality lies. 100% of people will be disabled at some point in their lives, assuming they don’t die first. By letting COVID run rampant to infect as it likes, we have not only caused a mass disabling event, we have set the stage for the ever-developing bird flu, which currently has a human death rate of 50%, to potentially become the next pandemic. We have also shown politicians like Donald Trump that in the face of adversity, Americans will readily abandon the most vulnerable people in our community. What is more enticing to a fascist than that?

The pandemic was one of the final? Last is ok straws for American systems. It caused a stark increase in economic inequality, furthering the profits of corporations while forcing middle and lower class Americans into something that can barely be called survival. Trump took this struggle and used it to turn us against each other. You can’t afford rent because your neighbor is an immigrant. Your children are dying in their schoolrooms because the transgenders are out to get them. We define ourselves by our differences in identity and political party rather than our similarities in struggle and community needs. Our enemies are not and will never be each other. What are Donald Trump and his billionaire associates doing while all of us fight over who deserves rights? Filling their pockets and exploiting our earth and communities beyond recognition. 

This doesn’t mean everything is hopeless. Find common ground (such as the ever increasing lack of access to basic healthcare) with family and friends who have differing political views, stop blaming yourself for perceived personal failings that are actually caused by a capitalist system not built for human life, and wear your f*cking mask. 

The revolution starts with you caring about your neighbor.