We’re Speedrunning Fascism—And You’re Along for the Ride

Fascism, denial, and the myth of the innocent bystander—there are no spectators, only accomplices

There are still people who, despite all that has happened lately, try to shut down the idea that we are going down the fascist path in America today. The responses are predictable: “Don’t be dramatic.” “Don’t compare us to Nazi Germany.” “That can’t happen here.”

Let’s put that to bed right now. What’s happening isn’t “alarmism”—it’s history on fast forward. If the 1930s were a slow-motion car crash, we’re barreling towards the edge of a cliff, breaking records Hitler never dreamed of. The difference? Back then, you could at least pretend you didn’t know what was going on at first. Today, it’s happening live, in public, and for an audience of millions.

To prove it, we’re focusing on an episode of Jubilee’s Surrounded—a YouTube juggernaut with over 10 million subscribers. Their latest episode, featuring Mehdi Hasan facing off against 20 far-right conservatives, has racked up 4.5 million views in just two days. That’s not a fringe debate. That’s America, tuning in for a glimpse of its own collapse.

We’re going to walk you through the clips themselves. No theory. No abstraction. Just fascism, live and unfiltered.

Richie, the White Supremacist “Native American”

Before we’re even 5 minutes in, we meet Richie. He has a very casual, matter-of-fact confidence of someone who believes history, law, and morality bend around his tribe.

Richie doesn’t need to shout—he simply redefines reality as he goes. Cheering the January 6th insurrectionists? No problem. He refuses to call stomping on police officers’ heads a crime—“tribal warfare,” he explains, as if that settles it.

Without missing a beat, Richie goes from challenging Mehdi’s citizenship to going full mask off, claiming, with the certainty of someone stating the color of the sky, that “whites are Native Americans.” There’s no debate, no argument—just mockery for anyone who’d even question it, as if Mehdi Hasan had just suggested the Earth is flat. This isn’t just historical revisionism. It’s the open assertion of dominion, rewriting the boundaries of who “belongs” and who never did.

This is fascism’s opening argument: my tribe sets the rules, and our rules are reality. Everything else—crime, citizenship, even history itself—bends to fit.

Richie Returns: “You’re Not American”

But Richie isn’t done. When he comes back to the debate, there’s no pretense left. Now it’s just pure exclusion: “You’re not American. First and foremost.”

He tries to spin it as a debate about “values,” claiming that Mehdi is not an American due to a difference in “values.” He claims he’s just taking an American Nationalist approach and when pressed he invokes the far-right’s favorite fantasy: white genocide.

Richie makes it simple: no amount of citizenship, no number of years, no test, no contribution will ever be enough. In his America, Mehdi will always be an outsider.

This is the end of the road for fascism’s “debate”: it always circles back to blood and soil, to the myth that belonging is a birthright—and that you, no matter what you do, are just passing through.

Connor, the Self-Avowed Catholic Fascist and the Comfort of “Benevolent” Purges

The moment the word “fascism” comes up, the usual move is denial—distance, deflection, anything but honesty. Not for Connor. He wears it as a badge. “Yes, I’m a fascist,” he says, not sheepishly, not with a wink, but with a confidence that’s become its own kind of American self-assurance. He immediately begins by stating that he doesn’t care about Trump being anti-constitution, to the immediate applause of about a quarter of his co-debaters.

He makes it very clear that he’s open to the Constitution being amended—so long as Democrats aren’t the ones doing it—before stating unequivocally that he “does not believe in democracy, absolutely not.” Rather, he would like to transition into an autocracy, brought about by a last act of democracy, replying to Mehdi’s question about whether there’d be “no more votes afterwards” with a resounding “Absolutely! 100 percent!”

Connor’s fascism isn’t abstract. He lays out his vision: a “benevolent leader” who will decide who gets to stay—and who gets eliminated. When Mehdi presses him, Connor is unconcerned. “I’m not going to be a part of the group that he kills,” he says. No hesitation, no moral crisis. Just the cool comfort of someone convinced the purges won’t reach his doorstep, as he praises Carl Schmitt and Franco and proudly calls himself a fascist—to the applause of a third of the other debaters.

This is how far we’ve come: We’re not talking about slippery slopes or dog whistles. We’re talking about young men, on camera, calmly explaining that state-sanctioned violence is fine—so long as they’re not the ones in the crosshairs.

And what’s most chilling isn’t the bravado. It’s the confidence with which he explains Schmitt’s Friend-Enemy Distinction—the clarity of someone who has considered every step of the plan, from using democracy to dismantle democracy, to purging those who don’t agree with him, whether by deportation or mass murder. This is not fringe. These people are among your neighbors, your coworkers, schoolteachers, doctors.

P.S.
As reported by The Daily Beast, Connor has since claimed he was fired as a result of this appearance. He started a crowdfunding campaign on GiveSendGo—a Christian fundraising site—aiming for $15,000. As of July 22, 2025, just two days after the video went live, he’d raised $32,685. Hate doesn’t just find a platform in 2025 America. It finds a payday.

Joseph, the Nativist Who Wants Mehdi Gone

Near the end of Joseph’s appearance, any pretense of debate is gone. As Mehdi systematically takes apart Joseph’s arguments about labor, economics, and immigration—with the authority of someone who actually knows—Joseph gets rattled. He sneers at Mehdi’s understanding, calls him “naive,” and tries to pivot away from facts.

But faced with Mehdi’s persistence and experience, Joseph’s patience finally breaks. The façade drops.
“Get the hell out,” Joseph snaps.
Mehdi, unfazed: “I should get the hell out?”
Joseph: “Yes!”
Mehdi: “Why?”
Joseph, without a hint of hesitation: “I don’t want you here.”

No dog whistles. No policy debate. Just the raw voice of nativism, declaring, on camera and for millions to see, that someone’s presence—someone’s very right to exist here—depends on Joseph’s personal approval.

There’s nothing left to argue. It’s not about facts or policy—it’s about who gets to decide who belongs. Joseph’s America is a place where, if you out-debate him, he’ll just try to eject you. No explanation, no justification—just a gut-level declaration that the rules are his to write, and everyone else is a guest, at best.

This is fascism’s everyday face: the casual power to exclude, delivered with a sneer. Not because of what you’ve done, but because of who you are—and because one man decided you don’t fit his tribe.

Matin, One of the “Good Ones,” Completely in Denial

Matin tells the story so many immigrants know by heart: the waiting, the vetting, the test, the long line for a shot at American life. He’s proud of it and insists that everyone else should follow the same path. If you “do it the right way,” you’ll be fine. That’s the deal, right?

Except it never is. Mehdi calls it out directly: “I made it too. I’m an American citizen. I went through lots of vetting. I took my test. And that guy over there wants us to leave.”

Matin tries to split the difference. He talks about borders and laws. But when pressed—should those who did everything right get to stay?—he says “Of course.”
Except Joseph has already said immigrants like Mehdi should get out, no matter what laws they followed. Richie already mocks Mehdi’s very claim to citizenship. And Connor? He’s already explained, on camera, how easily the purges come, with a smile.

Here’s the truth: there’s no amount of paperwork, patience, or “doing it right” that will ever make you safe when fascism is at the door. There’s always a Richie ready to question your citizenship, a Joseph eager to kick you out if you don’t bow, and a Connor who will have you fall victim to mass murder with a grin and a prayer.

You’re never really in. You’re just on borrowed time.

This Isn’t Just a Jubilee Debate—It’s National Policy

If you think all this is just YouTube theatrics, a sideshow for social media, think again. The mindset on display at Jubilee isn’t confined to a studio. It’s become official policy, with real victims and real applause.

Case in point: the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in the Florida Everglades. This isn’t a hypothetical. It’s a real prison, already operating, already filled with hundreds of inmates. Many have had little or no access to legal counsel. They don’t need a criminal conviction—or even to be accused of a crime—to be shipped there. There are reports of at least one green card holder being detained, along with widespread complaints: worm-ridden food, drinking water from toilets, clouds of mosquitoes, and the ever-present threat of the swamp itself.

And what’s the reaction from the far-right’s rising stars? Laura Loomer, One of Trump’s most influential advisors, posted about Alligator Alcatraz on X (Twitter)—not with outrage, but with a punchline: “At least the alligators are guaranteed 65 million meals.”

This isn’t a warning. It’s a status update. Dehumanization, cruelty, and open celebration of suffering are now not only normalized—they’re algorithmically rewarded. The panel wasn’t the exception. It was the preview.

There Are No Bystanders

We are only six months into this regime, and the camps aren’t “on the horizon”—they’re already open for business. Alligator Alcatraz is no dystopian fantasy; it’s a living, breathing atrocity, and the budget for more has already been signed into law. The victims are already inside. The language of genocide is no longer whispered in corners—it’s spoken in memes, shouted in debates, and cheered by millions online.

The lines have already been drawn, and the machinery is running at full speed. You don’t have to wonder what you’d do in 1933—you’re doing it right now. Are you taking direct part? Are you silent, paralyzed by fear of the F-word? Or are you just watching, streaming atrocity in real time and calling it politics, or entertainment, or not your problem?

The cliff is clear now as we barrel toward the edge, and yet, most either seem to be watching it like it’s a season finale or not paying attention at all.

But here’s the truth: there are no spectators. If you think you’re just watching America’s fascist speedrun, the joke’s on you—you’re not in the audience. You’re in the backseat of the car, heading for the drop with the rest of us.

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