Ask KatzeffSep 21, 2025
Augie Ray
This is from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Just thought I'd post it here for no particular or current reason.
Sep 19, 2025 at 7:08pmWeb
Show threadAllan Svelmøe HansenSep 19, 2025

@augieray It's unfortunately no longer 'early signs' - it's the smack middle of it by now.

What is happening in the USA is straight from the playbook of Russia and China. Heavy government censorship and encouraged persecution of political belief, while random people are being rounded up by masked police forces in the streets due to nothing but skin color.

I wonder how long Europe can hold on, with the similar trends in multiple of our countries as well. It's going to be a dark, dark period.

Show threadSomeAnoTooterSep 20, 2025
@svelmoe @augieray and a majority of USA citizen voted for that. Unbelievable but that really happened. Everyone knew that before or was blinded by hatred, nationalism and or fear.
Show threadDeborah Rose ❌👑Sep 20, 2025
@SomeAnoTooter @svelmoe @augieray Trump won 77,302,580 votes, or 49.8% of the total, per the official tally. Democrat Kamala Harris, other candidates, write-ins and “none” took the other 50.2%, or 77,935,722 votes -- more than half a million more votes than Trump.
Show threadSomeAnoTooterSep 20, 2025
@DebErupts @svelmoe @augieray "none" is accepting the result, which was Trump in this case, so, at least imho, "none" should count for the majority, or at least with the same percent the rest voted, so, trump was voted in with the majority.
Sure not all, but a lot more could have voted against him and his fascist buddies with the open plan to destroy what was left of democracy and freedom in the USA.
Show threadDeborah Rose ❌👑Sep 20, 2025
@SomeAnoTooter @svelmoe @augieray It’s still horrific that over 77 million voted for him. I'm not sure if I will ever reconcile that fact.
Show threadStrfnurfnSep 24, 2025
@SomeAnoTooter Unfortunately, many leftists refused to vote for Harris because she wasn't ideologically pure enough. Frustrates the hell out of me - they did exactly what the fash wanted - but it wasn't because they're fascists. For what good that does 😒
Show threadSomeAnoTooterSep 24, 2025
@earthtoneone where does this info come? Only online text from unknown people propagating this or some more facts? I think this was a tactic to push trump and it might have worked a bit but not that much. The left isn't as divided as dictators like to have it and present it.
Show threadStrfnurfnSep 24, 2025
@SomeAnoTooter I heard it from a few people I knew in real life, and they were not interested in discussion. They saw it as a strong moral stance, that they could not endorse her bc of Gaza... as if the alternative weren't a hundred times worse.
Show threadStrfnurfnSep 24, 2025
@SomeAnoTooter But yes, they were probably not the majority. Most folks probably fall into "both sides same" or "I'm not sure so I'll sit this one out" or "my vote doesn't matter anyway". It's infuriating, but also that's exactly what propaganda campaigns were designed to do. On the far right, wild conspiracy theories work great. Everyone else, you just need them feeling powerless or uncertain so they don't act.
Show threadLRSep 20, 2025
@svelmoe @augieray we're nearing the end.
Show threadRichardSep 20, 2025

@svelmoe It’s like a playbook of Putinism. And it’s spreading quickly across Europe and clearly the U.S.

@augieray Quick fact check on the “from [the museum]”: From the gift shop, not the museum –nonetheless relevant and accurate, unfortunately https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/holocaust-museum-warning-signs-fascism/

Did a Holocaust Museum Display a Poster Listing 'Early Warning Signs of Fascism'?

The poster was not on display, but instead was available in the gift shop of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Snopes
Show threadJustbeepSep 20, 2025

@svelmoe
@augieray
The second thing for #Europe is not allowing to get divided.

The first thing is to be smarter and not elect malevolent people.

On the 'ground level': Disagree with people who promote anything related to #umbertoeco 's warning signals anytime, anywhere and immediately.

#silenceiscomplicity

Show threadDoug Baker - Elbows Up! 🇨🇦Sep 19, 2025
@augieray Are we talking US? Or Israel? Or both?
Show threadAugie RaySep 19, 2025
@SonofaGeorge Applies everywhere.
Show threadAlex L 🕊 🇵🇸Sep 21, 2025

@augieray @SonofaGeorge

Fascism originated in Italy. As an Italian, I'm fortunate to be able to read the stories of those who experienced fascism, and I must say this manifesto is so banal as to be misleading: half of what's written applies only to a particular instance of fascism, while fascism can have some of those characteristics reversed and still be fascism. And this has prevented us from recognizing much of modern fascism.

Show threadDisisdeguey🔻PalestineAction🇵🇸Sep 20, 2025
@SonofaGeorge @augieray #USrael
Show threada fish named dog ✡️♾️Sep 19, 2025
@augieray also, going after the jews.
anyway recommending everyone reads umberto eco's "ur-fascism", i think it's freely available online. it's a good but terrifying essay.
Show threadJimmySep 19, 2025
@FishNamedDog @augieray Look for "14 ways of looking g at a blackshirt". It's posted in a number of places.
Show threada fish named dog ✡️♾️Sep 20, 2025
@jhavok @augieray It appears to be an extract from the essay I mentioned, cut down to the "here is what fascism is" stuff.
Show threadJimmySep 20, 2025
@FishNamedDog @augieray There are several versions of it, some more compressed than others, based on Eco's original.
Show threadRelleSep 19, 2025
@augieray dang, I remember my high school government teacher showing this to the class during the Bush administration, and we had a long discussion point by point about how we weren't quite there yet.
Fast forward 20 years, and we can tick just about all the boxes.
Show threadThe Great Llama Sep 20, 2025

@ElRelle @augieray
I "love" that the conclusion was apparently, "we're not quite there yet, so let's ignore it and hope it goes away."

To be clear, I'm not criticizing you, just bleakly amused at the whole exercise. From my point of view, if you're even having to discuss it, it's time to act IMMEDIATELY.

Show threadRelleSep 20, 2025
@TheGreatLlama @augieray it was more, "it's time to become part of the solution, youngens, while there's time to act" than ignore it and it will go away.
Been awhile since I've seen that sign and reflected on that time (which we were all so concerned by) as compared to the 5 alarm fire we've got going on now.
Show threadWulfy—Speaker to the machinesSep 19, 2025

@augieray

I've made one like that with ticks...

The one I didn't have the tick against (generously) was "Controlled mass media"
Can ✅ that one now!

#fascism

Show threadxs4me2Sep 19, 2025

@augieray

Unfortunately ticks all of the boxes now… the question is how to get rid of this disease of the mind…

Show threadMetafrastisSep 20, 2025
@xs4me2 @augieray Historically there has been only one way to get rid of a fascist dictator. Mussolini, Hitler, Ceausescu,… Unfortunately Americans lack to courage to do what would be necessary to restore democracy.
Show threadxs4me2Sep 20, 2025

@dgavin @augieray

And history has proven it…

Show threadLinkOct 5

@xs4me2 @augieray The only box that isn't ticked yet is fraudulent elections, isn't it? That only seems to be a matter of time though.

Edit: I ignored the fact that Trump did try to steal an election, but he didn't succeed yet.

Show threadxs4me2Oct 5

@link @augieray

He is working on that… watch the midterms strategy developing… with gerrymandering, mail voting, national gard in the street. They are scruples…

Show threadLinkOct 5
@xs4me2 @augieray Oh right I forgot about gerrymandering
Show threadSjaak K. 🇳🇱🇪🇺🍋Sep 19, 2025
@augieray
I presume POTUS has already sued the museum?
Show threadtootbruteSep 19, 2025
@sjaakkeuvelaar @augieray sending FBI agents now to deal with the terrorist very bad poster from China.
Show threadAxelSep 20, 2025
@sjaakkeuvelaar @augieray
Naah, but they just might close down for some urgent maintenance of the building very soon. And due to subsequent budget cuts, the maintenance will unfortunately take a long time 
Show threadMr. Lance E Sloan (IRL) 👤Sep 19, 2025
@augieray
Thank you! (I'm curious about what the fine print says.)
Show threadThe Queen of Weltschmerz🏳️‍⚧️Sep 19, 2025

@sloanlance @augieray Here it is (in two parts, as my server only supports 500 characters):

Laurence W. Britt wrote about the common signs of fascism in April, 2003, after researching seven fascist regimes.
Those were Adolph Hitler's Nazi Germany, Benito Mussolini's Italy, Francisco Franco's Spain, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar's Portugal, George Papadopoulos's Greece, Augusto Pinochet's Chile, Mohamed Suharto's Indonesia

Show threadThe Queen of Weltschmerz🏳️‍⚧️Sep 19, 2025

@sloanlance @augieray Part 2:

These signs resonate with the political and economic direction of the United States under Bush/Cheney. Get involved in reversing this anti-democratic direction while you still can!

Show threadDanny Boling ☮️Sep 19, 2025

@rebelrebel62

thank you!

Show threadMr. Lance E Sloan (IRL) 👤Sep 19, 2025
@rebelrebel62 @augieray
Thank you very much, Your Majesty! I could make out some of it from the image, but not all of it.
Show threadmastodonphan HAS MOVEDSep 19, 2025
@augieray Pretty sure some of these have been skipped and others have been prioritized. Doesn't mean the fascist American government won't circle back to the steps they skipped.
Show threadMatthew ThompsonSep 19, 2025
@augieray
Show threadAndySep 19, 2025
@augieray An excellent post. In an ideal world it would be shown on national TV every hour on the hour.
Show threadsOlOw-NHSep 19, 2025

@augieray

For america...it could be too late

Show threadArchaeoIainSep 20, 2025
@augieray while it is characteristic of the US, how about other countries? Israel, for example. That is the truly poignant, and appalling one.
Show threadpadeluun ⁂Sep 20, 2025
@augieray @reticuleena German Translation:
Frühe Warnzeichen des Faschismus
• Mächtiger und anhaltender Nationalismus
• Verachtung für Menschenrechte
• Identifikation von Feindbildern als einigendes Ziel
• Vorherrschaft des Militärs
• Weitverbreiteter Sexismus
• Gesteuerte Massenmedien
• Besessenheit von nationaler Sicherheit
• Verflechtung von Religion und Regierung
• Geschützte Konzernmacht
• Unterdrückung der Arbeiterschaft
• Verachtung für Intellektuelle und Kunst
• Besessenheit von Kriminalität und Bestrafung
• Weitverbreitete Vetternwirtschaft und Korruption
• Manipulierte Wahlen
Show threadjasper89Sep 20, 2025
@augieray
1. Most of these came around long before Trump (per fine print at bottom).
2. Several of these have not come to pass.
3. Some don’t even apply to fascism.
4. Some of these are what liberals and communists say they want.
5. Most of these are also aspects of capitalism and communism (because they’re human nature or practical, not distinct to one ideology).
Show threadjohnn_bunyanSep 20, 2025
How easily a generation’s sacrifice for democracy and human freedoms is forgotten and dissipated by their descendents.
Show threadMiakoda Sep 20, 2025
@augieray Wow, every single one! *laughs nervously*
Show thread⁂ Fish Id WardrobeSep 20, 2025
@augieray congratulations, you tick all the boxes! :/
Show threadPeter RileySep 20, 2025

@augieray

https://www.openculture.com/2024/11/umberto-ecos-list-of-the-14-common-features-of-fascism.html

No 4 Disagreement is treason.
( “The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism. In modern culture the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge.”)
- #UmbertoEco
#antiFascism #Science

Umberto Eco’s List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism

Creative Commons image by Rob Bogaerts, via the National Archives in Holland One of the key questions facing both journalists and loyal oppositions these days is how do we stay honest as euphemisms and trivializations take over the discourse?

Open Culture
Show threadheinscSep 20, 2025
@augieray
In near future, President Trump will give the order to put it away.
Show threadtrogSep 20, 2025
@augieray any idea when that was first made? I can't read the small print in the photo but assume it's mentioned in there
Show threadNova RiveraSep 20, 2025
@augieray this sounds like America since Biden.
Show threadVHG 🇪🇺🇺🇦Sep 20, 2025
@augieray sure trump will remove this
Show threadAngieSep 20, 2025
@augieray We need to mail this to all corporations and news organizations. They seemed to have forgotten.
Show threadCGdoppelpunktSep 20, 2025

@augieray

It will have to be removed.

Show threadMike WaghorneSep 20, 2025
@augieray Check again next week. It might have been removed.
Show threadDebbeeSep 20, 2025
@augieray I saw this before but did not know where it was from Thanks for sharing it with context
Show threadmuıııoSep 20, 2025
@augieray They will probably remove it soon.
Show threadlebout2canap ⏚Sep 20, 2025
@augieray I wonder when they are going to have this sign removed.
Show threadjohnn_bunyanSep 20, 2025
How easily a generation’s sacrifice for democracy and human freedoms is forgotten and dissipated by their descendents.