What if the roots of fascism weren’t European at all, but embedded in America’s founding struggles over democracy and race?
For more than a decade, we’ve been flooded with books warning about fascism — how to recognize it, how it spreads, how democracies lose their way. Almost all begin with the same assumption: Fascism was a European creation that eventually washed up on American shores.
Joseph Kelly says we’ve got it backwards.
Kelly, a professor at the College of Charleston and author of The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism 1818-1915, began writing a history of the 1920s and 30s. But every thread he pulled led somewhere earlier — past the World Wars, past the Ku Klux Klan, deep into the 19th-century South — until he found himself asking a far more unsettling question: What if America wasn’t simply influenced by fascism? What if it helped invent the political playbook that Europe later embraced?
In this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast, Kelly traces that story from the compromises over slavery at the 1787 Constitutional Convention to the post-Civil War politics of Jim Crow and beyond. He explains why fascism is less an ideology than a corruption of democracy itself, why “the Big Lie” has such enduring political power, and why Hitler looked to the American South not simply as an observer, but as an admirer.
Kelly insists this isn’t a book about today’s politics. It’s about how democracies convince themselves that dangerous ideas will simply fade away — and what happens when they don’t. It’s an argument about American history that may change the way you think about American democracy itself.
“Your beloved and your friends were once strangers. Somehow at a particular time, they came from the distance toward your life. Their arrival seemed so accidental and contingent. Now your life is unimaginable without them. Similarly, your identity and vision are composed of a certain constellation of ideas and feelings that surfaced from the depths of the distance within you. To lose these now would be to lose yourself.”
~ John O’Donohue
John O’Donohue was an Irish poet, author, priest, and Hegelian philosopher. He was a native Irish speaker, and as an author is best known for popularising Celtic spirituality. Wikipedia
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Jul 31, 2026 Psychology and Psychotherapy This video is a special release from the original Thinking Allowed series that ran on public television from 1986 until 2002. It was recorded in about 1990. It will remain public for only one week. Colin Wilson was one of the most prolific writers in the English language. His novels include The Mind Parasites, The Philosopher’s Stone and Sex Diary of a Metaphysician. Other major works include A Criminal History of Mankind, The Occult, Mysteries, Religion and the Rebel, The New Existentialism, New Pathways in Psychology and The Outsider–his first and most famous book. Here he elaborates on his “Laurel and Hardy” theory of consciousness as a model for attaining optimal mental functioning. Crisis situations often thrust us into higher states of consciousness by forcing us to gain a psychological grip on ourselves. Imagination, he says, can lead us to states of alienation and depression. He presents his model of seven levels of consciousness ranging from extreme depression to the transcendence of space and time.
This is a true story about a young boy’s journey from a hellish childhood to manhood while caught between his earthly reality and a spiritual realm. Today Christopher Laprath is a professional intuitive counselor, helping others in the meaningful choices of their careers and their personal lives.
In his entranced state George Chapman surrendered his identity to a distinguished surgeon named William Lang who had passed away in 1937, just a decade before he first spoke through Chapman. Through Dr. Lang, Chapman was responsible for many extraordinary cures. The evidence for his claim to be the mediumistic channel for William Lang is extremely impressive, involving not only former patients but also Lang’s family members and former medical colleagues.
From Shadow Into Light reveals why insight alone doesn’t create transformation and how suppressed emotions, unintegrated shadow, and outdated self-identities quietly keep you repeating the same patterns in your life. Rather than teaching you how to “fix” yourself, this book shows you how to integrate the parts of you that were never meant to be erased.
The Astrology Podcast Jul 29, 2026 Monthly Astrology Forecasts A deep dive into the astrology forecast for August 2026, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock. We spend the first hour talking about the astrology behind events that happened in the news in July, and then in the second hour we do a deep dive into the astrology of August. August is mainly centered on an eclipse season, which begins the first week of the month with a solar eclipse in Leo, and is followed later in the month by lunar eclipse in Pisces. Early in the month Venus enters Libra, which is the sign that it will later retrograde back to in October, and it begins its shadow degree phase by the end of August. A Mars-Saturn square begins building mid-month, and eventually culminates on the final day of August at the same time that a Jupiter-Saturn trine goes exact. This is episode 542 of The Astrology Podcast. Austin’s Websitehttps://austincoppock.comChris’ Patreon and Hellenistic Course / astrologypodcast https://theastrologyschool.comTimestamps00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:51 August Astrology Quick Overview 00:03:24 News Segment Begins 00:06:01 Iran War Reignites on Mars-Uranus Conjunction 00:18:03 Nuclear Stories 00:22:35 Three Mars-Uranus Recurrence Transits 00:27:25 Mars-Uranus Conjunction Countries 00:31:34 Jupiter-Pluto Opposition 00:45:14 US Birth Chart 00:49:22 Austin Anecdote 00:54:44 Chris’s Projects 00:56:33 Austin’s Projects 00:57:51 August Forecast Begins 01:01:09 Eclipse Season 01:09:58 Venus Retrograde Shadow Sign 01:19:26 Mars-Saturn Square 01:32:35 Chronological Breakdown of July Begins 01:33:16 Venus Enters Libra Aug 6 01:35:51 Venus-Jupiter Sextile Aug 16/17 01:40:17 Mars Enters Cancer Aug 11 01:43:22 Solar Eclipse in Leo Aug 12 01:51:30 Mercury-Jupiter Conjunction Aug 15 01:55:56 Auspicious Electional Chart: August 16 01:59:51 Mars-Neptune Square Aug 17 02:02:35 Venus-Saturn opposition Aug 21 02:05:40 Sun and Mercury Enter Video Aug 22 & 25 02:06:16 Lunar Eclipse in Pisces Aug 28 02:18:53 Mars-Jupiter Trine & Mars-Saturn Square Aug 31 02:20:43 Saturn-Neptune & Barbault Basket Reflections 02:33:56 Predictive Patience & Seed Moments 02:40:22 Wrapping Up 02:41:53 Credits
Important This book is not for everyone—just those who want to have more fun, more adventures, and more magic in their life.
Thank & Grow Rich is for anyone interested in hooking up with the magnanimous energy field of the cosmos. Author Pam Grout, who likes to call herself the Warren Buffet of Happiness, says it all starts with getting on the frequency of joy and gratitude.
Thanking (rather than thinking) puts us on an energetic frequency—a vibration—that calls in miracles.Science has proven that when we observe the world from a place of gratitude, when we use our attention to spot beauty and gaze at wonder, we develop the capacity to radically rev up our day-to-day experience.
Brazen gratitude, it seems, provides a portal—an entry point—straight into the heart of the field of infinite possibilities described in Grout’s bestseller E-Squared. This book also offers an updated perspective on abundance, which goes way beyond financial capital. It shows readers how to grow and expand their creative capital, their social capital, their spiritual capital, and much, much more!
There’s even an abundance worksheet that tracks your thank-and-grow rich portfolio and a money-back guarantee offering four personalized gifts straight from the always-accommodating universe.
Your credit union might offer a butter dish or a koozie, but an investment in this book comes with your own personal sign from the universe, an answer to an important question, a customized totem, and a one-of-a-kind gift from the natural world.
But more importantly, this 30-day experiment will upgrade your life experience from ho-hum to wahoo! From like sucks to life rocks! From woe is me to yippie-ti-yi-yay!!
Pam Grout is the author of 16 books, three plays, a television series, and two iPhone apps. She writes for People magazine, Cnngo.com, Huffington Post, and her travel blog, www.georgeclooneyslepthere.com. Find out more about Pam and her out-of-the-box take on life on her website: www.pamgrout.com.
Greene initially formulated some of the ideas in The 48 Laws of Power while working as a writer in Hollywood and concluding that today’s power elite shared similar traits with powerful figures throughout history.[6][7] In 1995, Greene worked as a writer at Fabrica, an art and media school, and met a book packager named Joost Elffers.[8][9] Greene pitched a book about power to Elffers and six months later, Elffers requested that Greene write a treatment.[8]
Although Greene was quite unhappy in his job, he was comfortable and thought that writing a proper book proposal was too risky in his situation.[10] However, at the time Greene was rereading his favorite biography about Julius Caesar and took inspiration from Caesar’s decision to cross the Rubicon River and fight Pompey, thus inciting Caesar’s civil war.[10] Greene wrote the treatment, which would later become The 48 Laws of Power.[10] He would note this as the turning point of his life.[10]
Reception
Popularity
The 48 Laws of Power has sold over 1.2 million copies in the United States and has been translated into 24 languages.[8]Fast Company called the book a “mega cult classic”, and the Los Angeles Times noted that The 48 Laws of Power turned Greene into a “cult hero with the hip-hop set, Hollywood elite and prison inmates alike”.[8][11]
The book has been reported to be much requested in American prison libraries.[7][12] Rapper 50 Cent stated that he related to the book “immediately”, and approached Greene with the prospect of a potential collaboration, which would later become The 50th Law, another New York Times bestseller.[13]Busta Rhymes and Derrius Jackson used The 48 Laws of Power to deal with problematic movie producers.[9]The 48 Laws of Power has also been mentioned in songs by UGK, Jay-Z (Primetime), Kanye West, Central Cee, MF Doom, and Drake.[14][15][16][17]Dov Charney, founder and former CEO of American Apparel who would be terminated by that company in 2014, frequently quoted the laws during board meetings, has given friends and employees copies of the book, and appointed Greene to the board of the now defunct American Apparel.[8][18][19] Greene claimed that Cuban President Fidel Castro has also read the book.[8] The book has been banned by several US prisons.[20]
The 48 Laws of Power has been referenced or bought by 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Michael Jackson (who wrote in the margins)[21], Courtney Love (who was photographed carrying it on the way to court when facing a drug charge)[22] and Will Smith.[7][23][24][25]The 48 Laws of Power has also had a major influence on various music producers, such as DJ Premier and Calvin Harris, both of whom have tattoos inspired by Robert Greene’s book.[26][27]
In response to the popular reputation of his work as an unethical book, Greene himself responded by saying that he “could count maybe four or five laws that are overtly manipulative” and there are “44 others that are not manipulative at all”. He then continues by saying that people cherry pick the “chapters that are most egregious”.[28]
Greene has also stated that he takes most of his own laws “with a healthy pinch of salt,” saying, “When I say ‘Crush your enemy,’ I don’t literally mean it. […] I’m talking about the way large companies deal with each other, for example in technology it’s a dog-eat-dog environment. These laws are not for Joe Schmo who’s got a colleague he doesn’t like.”[5]
Reviews by critics and scholars
People’s Magazine referred to it as “a wry primer for people who desperately want to be on top.” Allure described the book as “satisfyingly dense”, and “literary”, and continued that it is filled “with fantastic examples of genius power-game players.”[29]Quincy Jones III, reviewing the book, states that he views Greene’s work as “more as an empowerment tool than as a way to screw people.”[30] Jerry Adler, writing in Newsweek, lists ways the laws contradict one another and states, “Intending the opposite, Greene has actually produced one of the best arguments since the New Testament for humility and obscurity.”[31]Kirkus Reviews said Greene offers no evidence to support his world view, that his laws contradict each other, and that the book is “simply nonsense”.[32] Craig Pinder has stated that the book “has practical tips for the use of power” and that while they may seem deceptive, “actually have reasonable explanations”.[33]
In a crisis — any crisis — The Prosperos offers Translation. Translation Saturday Meetings is a weekly series of Translation presentations by veteran Translators, live and up to date on the issues of the day.
It is not a Translation workshop, It is not a Translation class. It is not a group Translation in the usual sense, though group participation is encouraged.
It is, however, restricted to those who have taken Translation class. So if you have never taken Translation class, check the calendar tab on The Prosperos website (TheProsperos.org) or get in touch with us and we will schedule a class.
Last week our sense testimony was: On the political landscape of America we see nothing but the intolerance of opposing opinions. As kids we soak up ideas without thinking about them. And our conclusion was: Truth tolerates everything.
Then we asked ChatGPT to Translate the same sense testimony.
