GET STARTED, JOIN IN → DONATE →
RefuseFascism.org was initiated on an emergency basis in the wake of the election of Trump and Pence in 2016. Our founding mission called on all who recognized the catastrophic danger of the Trump/Pence regime to unite and organize to drive the regime out of power through sustained, non-violent mass protest.
We pledged to the world that we would not stand aside while there was still a chance to stop a regime that imperiled humanity and the earth itself.
With our slogan:
In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
And our single unifying demand:
The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!
… our actions over the last four years reflected our respect for all of humanity and the world we want – in stark contrast to the hate and bigotry of the Trump/Pence regime.
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” was a 21st century fascist program of white supremacy, misogyny, and xenophobia – “America First” – wrapped in the flag and Mike Pence’s Bible taken literally. A theocratic Christian fascist movement formed its most organized base, their hatred of science fused with Trump’s pathological lying to allow the most outlandish and dangerous conspiracy theories to flourish. The destruction of truth and objective reality is one of the core characteristics of fascism, paving the way for its consolidation.
Meanwhile, an unrelenting barrage of outrages normalized white supremacist murders, children in cages, concentration camps at the border, threats of fire and fury on whole countries and hundreds of thousands of COVID deaths in this country alone. A second Trump term would have set us on an accelerated course to consolidated fascist rule and an existential nightmare for humanity. This was narrowly averted through an election that was nothing less than a showdown over the form of rule in this country – an election that Trump and his goons fought to overturn. That we narrowly averted this nightmare is a relief.
The emergency that prompted the founding of Refuse Fascism is over, for now. Taking the time to sum up the experience of the last four years, while recognizing that the need to prevent a fascist regime from coming to power may reassert itself again, is a necessary part of charting a course forward. This virulent fascist movement, with its millions of followers, is regrouping on the lie of a stolen election and the toxic stew of Trumpism, and the conditions that gave rise to this fascism still exist and will continue to fuel this movement. If millions had taken to and stayed in the streets to drive out the regime during the four years that Trump was in power, it would have strengthened the people in our struggle to truly repudiate the whole fascist movement and program. That such a mass movement did not materialize is something everyone who cares about humanity needs to confront – even as it is good that the Trump/Pence regime no longer holds executive power.
Refuse Fascism is beginning this process of summation. In the meantime, we urge everyone to deepen their understanding of this fascist movement, where it came from, and how to stop it. Dig into the wealth of articles and important forums at RefuseFascism.org, and tune into our weekly podcast for commentary on the latest events and interviews with major thinkers, from many different perspectives, who are sounding the alarm on the continuing danger of American fascism. Donate so that we can continue to bring these critical questions and analyses into the public discourse with our podcast, website, and forums.
And take to heart our founding slogan, which remains as relevant and powerful as ever.
In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
What is FASCISM? Podcast The PLEDGE Refuse Fascism
Listen! Share! Promote the Refuse Fascism Podcast
LISTEN ON Spotify, Apple, Google or other podcast platorms
SUBSCRIBE: Do not miss an episode
The Refuse Fascism podcast, featuring commentary on the latest events and interviews with scholars and activists from many different perspectives, is an essential tool for understanding and uniting to stop an American fascist movement that imperils all of humanity.
Produced and brought to you by volunteers with RefuseFascism.org. Hosted by Sam Goldman.
Umair Haque: “If you don’t call it fascism…”
Sam Goldman interviews Umair Haque, Founder & Editor of Eudaimonia and Co, Bad Words, a book of nights, Leadership in the Age of Rage, and eudaimonia. This episode was released on the last night of the CPAC conference, shortly after Trump spoke, laying out their strategy to further consolidate their fascist base in the Republican Party and return to power.
Dr. Bandy Lee: “The Removal of Trump Wasn’t Enough…”
Sam Goldman interviews Dr. Bandy Lee, M.D., M.Div., a forensic psychiatrist, violence expert, and faculty member of Yale School of Medicine: “[T]he removal of Donald Trump was not enough because it was not a forced removal and it was not a reckoning of his presidency but rather continuation of enabling in many ways… I believe that’s very much the march towards fascism that you’ve been trying to fight.”
Journalist and Author Sarah Posner on Trump’s Acquittal: An Unpunished Coup Attempt Becomes a Training Exercise
Sam Goldman talks with Sarah Posner (@SarahPosner), journalist and author of Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump.
“They’re basically saying It’s OK to overturn an Election by force… If that’s not fascism, what is?”
Sian Norris: The Anti-Abortion Movement Internationally; Coco Das: On the “Left” Coalition That Kept You Off the Streets and Won’t Stop Fascism
Sian Norris (@Sianushka), author of the upcoming book Birth Violence, talks with Sam Goldman about the tactics and links of anti-abortion movement internationally – including fascist coup participants in the assault on the US Capitol January 6.
Then, Sam talks with Coco Das about her new article on RefuseFascism.org: The “Left” Coalition That Kept You Off the Streets and Won’t Stop Fascism.
MORE Episodes of the Refuse Fascism Podcast →
Top ↑
Understand, STOP this American Fascism
Fascism is not just a gross combination of horrific reactionary policies. It is a qualitative change in how society is governed. …What is crucial to understand is that once in power fascism essentially eliminates traditional democratic rights.
The Danger is FASCISM… What IS Fascism?
Andy Zee’s remarks from a panel hosted by Sunsara Taylor, host of the radio program We Only want the World and co-host of The RNL — Revolution, Nothing Less — Show.
What are you going to do about the Nazi Problem?
By Coco Das
…Whatever moral and political stand the German people should have taken to defeat the Nazis early, however much determination they should have shown, applies to us tenfold now.- READ MORE
Why did 74 Million Vote for Trump?The simple and basic answer: Because they agree with him.
Presentation from Andy Zee at the panel discussion “Why did 74 million people vote for Trump?
What is the danger and what do we do about it?”
Trump has cohered diverse reactionary and fascist movements that predated his regime into a force that has now tasted power, is embedded in key institutions especially the courts, and that lives and seethes in its own conspiracy laden universe of victimization that will propel an aggreived revanchism. This is a movement that is not going away. – READ ANDY ZEE’S PRESENTATION
Bob Avakian: THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO! In The Name of Humanity, We REFUSE To Accept a Fascist America: A Better World IS Possible!
Trailer:
WATCH / SHARE THE ENTIRE ONE-HOUR VIDEO
Bob Avakian is the revolutionary leader who has brought forward a new communism. He has – for decades – been identifying and warning of the development of a fascist movement in the US backed by very powerful forces in society.
The Senate Impeachment Trial & the Need to Refuse Fascism
This urgent discussion was recorded on the eve of Trump’s second impeachment trial. Eric Seitz, Jered Yates Sexton, Paul Street, Frances Fisher and Sam Goldman speak to: What actually happened on January 6 when a fascist mob stormed the Capitol? What does that, and everything that lead up to it, tell us about the danger of fascism in America? Read/share the opening presentation from Sam Goldman of the Refuse Fascism Editorial Board: An unpunished coup attempt becomes a training exercise and a greenlight for their return to power.
The Danger of Trump’s Attempt to Overturn the Election
In the tense days leading up to the Senate vote to certify the election, and in the immediate and ongoing aftermath of the attempted fascist coup to overturn the election results, Refuse Fascism organized or participated in several critical forums along with others from a range of pespectives including activists, artists in different realms, religious leaders and scholars to look fearlessly at what happened, why, and what must be done. WATCH AND SHARE THE DISCUSSIONS.
Coco Das:
The “Left” Coalition That Kept You Off the Streets and Won’t Stop Fascism
… We voted a fascist out of power. But we did not, and cannot, just vote away fascism. The people of this country will have to fully confront this danger and find the means to publicly repudiate and stop a still-powerful American fascist movement – even if the so-called progressive coalition doesn’t want us to. READ & SHARE THE POST
MORE on the danger of fascism →
A Pledge to the People of the World
The Refuse Fascism Pledge to the People of the World: In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America must resonate far and wide and become not only a needed political and moral compass, but the organized expression of a network ready to act with nonviolent determination to not allow fascism to grow and dominate and terrorize humanity. We remain vigilant. We Pledge: In the name of humanity, we refuse to accept a fascist America.
DONATE to reach MILLIONS with this PLEDGE
JOIN Nana Adjei-Brenyah; Sharbari Ahmed; Gina Apostol; Rosanna Arquette; Medea Benjamin; Fat Mike Burkett; Peter Carey; Andrea Chalupa; Noam Chomsky; Michael Coard; Chuck D; Carl Dix; Ashley Dawson; Iris DeMent; Anthony DiMaggio; Martin Espada; Shepard Fairey ; Norwood Fisher; Frances Fisher; Henry Giroux; Lalah Hathaway; Joshua Holland; Abeer Hoque; Vijay Iyer; Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kuan; Zoe Lister-Jones; Makaya McCraven; Bobbi Salvör Menuez; Alyssa Milano; Jessica Care Moore; Kathy Najimy; Naomi Shihab Nye; Arturo O’Farrill; Dread Scott; Jason Stanley; David Strathairn ; Chrissy Stroop; Jodie Sweetin; Tony Taccone; Laura van den Berg; Lilly Wachowski; Ayelet Waldman; Cornel West; Andy Zee; David Zeiger and many others – MORE SIGNERS. Add your name
…READ / SHARE THE PLEDGE
DONATE to project this pledge in social media and beyond
DONATE
Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
CashApp: RefuseFascism
Read why people signed The Pledge →
A Pledge to The People of the World: We Refuse To Accept a Fascist America
YOU can do this
See & Share MORE video of people taking the pledge
See: Voices of Conscience and Courage →
Refuse Fascism
What is Refuse Fascism?
RefuseFascism.org was initiated on an emergency basis in the wake of the election of Trump and Pence in 2016. Our founding mission called on all who recognized the catastrophic danger of the Trump/Pence regime to unite and organize to drive the regime out of power through sustained, non-violent mass protest.
We pledged to the world that we would not stand aside while there was still a chance to stop a regime that imperiled humanity and the earth itself.
With our slogan: In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
And our single unifying demand: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!
Co-initiator of Refuse Fascism Cornel West on the impact of the analysis and work of Refuse Fascism over the past five years
It was the Refuse Fascism movement … that has put fascism on the map for the past five years. And that needs to be said!
CORRESPONDENCE
Send correspondence to [email protected]
