America has always had a somewhat deep seated affinity towards authoritarianism and fascism. People might forget this but various right wing leaders in Europe h

America has always had a somewhat deep seated affinity towards authoritarianism and fascism. People might forget this but various right wing leaders in Europe had large followings in the US right up until WW2. It took a huge war and government intervention to change trajectory. Similarly Hoover's FBI and the federal agencies at that time, or Nixon's whitehouse, trended towards these ideas. Social media might be a part, but it always feels like this is a longer historical trend. For as much as some Americans talk about freedom and liberty, it's not clear how much they support true freedom.