END TIMES FASCISM AND THE FIGHT FOR THE LIVING WORLD by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor ( Allen Lane, 2026)
The American Heritage Dictionary states that‘fascism’ is “a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.”
Based on this definition it is hard to argue that Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor are wholly wrong to label narcissitic megalomaniacs, religious zealots and techno-titans as fascists. But, at the same time, the strong association linking fascism with the Nazi-driven holocaust makes it a term that should be used with extreme caution. Klein and Taylor write “we were looking for a re-run, what we got was a sequel” as a recognition that what happened in the past does not follow a smooth narrative line into the present.
Fascism is often elevated into something more akin to a political philosophy than purely as a ‘system of government.’ To my mind, the warped ideas of tyrannical leaders like Hitler and Mussolini are aberrations better confined to history rather than being in any way ennobled or resuscitated. The influence of these despots stands as a sobering illustration of mankind’s capacity to be led into the depths of depraved thoughts and deeds.
To ascribe any philosophical label to the distorted visions of the current breed of power-driven individuals implies that there is more method than madness at the heart of their thoughts and actions. Yet it is the notable absence of guiding principles or morality that makes them so scary and dangerous.
In many interviews I have seen Naomi Klein has been asked to justify the use of the F word. In one with Louis Theroux she argues that to focus too much on definitions can distract from what the march of the far right means for ‘ordinary’ people and our vulnerable planet. One way to avoid getting bogged down with semantics is to avoid using contentious terminology in the first place. ‘Fascism’ is such a loaded and so over-used a word that it is probably best avoided. No amount of qualification will eliminate the baggage that comes with it. There are other ways of describing the acceleration of mess we are in.
None of this is to diminish the precious contribution Klein and Taylor are making with this book and their tireless campaigning. They are to be applauded for diligently trying to make some sense of the confusing times we are living through. ‘End of Times Fascism’ is essential reading and a bold attempt to document fast-moving events with the aim of alerting readers to the urgent need for at least slowing down the more obvious excesses in order to avert a full-blown apocalypse.
As someone who fears the tipping point may have already passed, I read this book seeking to assuage feelings of despondency or fatalism. The alternative to a search for ways to fight back and/or reasons for hope is to give in to despair and passivity. Klein and Taylor provide a valuable reminder that resistance is never useless.
