President Donald Trump’s upcoming military parade on June 14, coinciding with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, Flag Day, and his 79th birthday, has drawn criticism. Observers suggest the parade’s symbolism extends beyond a simple patriotic celebration, with some accusing Trump of behaving in an autocratic manner.
The parade’s timing also coincides with the centennial of the 1925 Letter of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals, a document published in Italy after Benito Mussolini’s rise to power. Signatories of that letter, including prominent scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists, risked their safety to voice their dissent.
Today, intellectuals from over 30 countries, including 28 Nobel Laureates, are echoing those concerns by signing a modern version of the letter. They warn that the signs of authoritarianism, and its more aggressive form, fascism, are present.
This warning is not exaggerated. There is a resurgence of authoritarian forces within democracies globally. According to the V-Dem Institute’s 2025 Democracy Report, 72% of the world’s population currently lives under autocratic regimes.
The world is rapidly shifting towards autocracy, a trend visible beyond the United States. For instance, has intercepted humanitarian flotillas in international waters. Palestinians in are facing bombings, displacement, and starvation. has a long record of suppressing press freedom and civil rights. In , religious minorities are experiencing increased violence and restricted dissent under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In , President Nayib Bukele is disregarding constitutional and legal limits. Similarly, in , President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is reportedly “purging the judiciary, cracking down on the media, and jailing political opponents.”
In , immigration raids are being conducted by masked officers, leading to the detention of people of color in and workplaces. Protests in Los Angeles supporting migrants’ rights were met with Marines and National Guard troops. These events are reminiscent of historical occurrences and should raise serious concerns.
History offers a powerful warning
In 1925, as Mussolini consolidated his power in Italy, philosopher Benedetto Croce authored the Letter of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals, which was signed by cultural icons like Luigi Einaudi and Eugenio Montale. Open dissent was already dangerous at the time, but Croce and his colleagues understood that remaining silent in the face of tyranny equates to surrender, not prudence.
As Italian citizens, we feel connected to that history. Italy, which has yet to fully confront its fascist legacy, has been and continues to be a testing ground for the far right. This history compels us to speak out. Therefore, we wrote . In just one month, it has garnered over 400 signatures from scholars who recognize that silence implies complicity.
The letter was prompted by events in early 2025, when various authoritarian tactics were employed aggressively in the U.S. and elsewhere, in a “” approach intended to overwhelm resistance. Prominent universities, law firms, trade unions, and even some within the political opposition either yielded or with power, many naively believing that silence would protect them.
However, we must reject the deceptive appeal of compromise. Authoritarianism seeks to expand its power, not negotiate with the opposition. Ultimately, compliance leads to complicity.
Instead, we must clearly identify political aggression: this new authoritarian wave exhibits distinct fascist traits. These movements share key characteristics: a contempt for pluralism and diversity, an obsession with leadership, order, and aggression, a rejection of the rule of law, and a resistance to accountability. They flourish when we hesitate to denounce them.
We must not sleepwalk towards the collapse of democracy
The more than 400 scholars who have signed the letter hold diverse views and frequently debate theories, methods, and ideologies. However, they are united in their dedication to democracy: the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the press, the autonomy of scientific and cultural institutions, and the dignity of all individuals. They also concur that we are passively heading towards the erosion of democracy.
We must convince conscientious individuals that the abduction of civilians by masked agents without due process, the weakening of legislatures, the disregard for international human rights law, and the undermining of judicial independence are unacceptable. History shows that tyrants typically begin by ridiculing intellectuals before escalating to violence.
Nevertheless, we are confident that by recognizing the signs of fascism, we can overcome it once again.
Silence is not always due to a lack of awareness. It often arises from fear: fear of repression, of losing status, of standing alone. Underlying this fear is the damaging belief that resistance is futile, that we are outnumbered, and that we cannot succeed.
This is the falsehood that enables authoritarianism to spread, silencing voices one by one. But history reveals a different truth. Authoritarianism can be defeated, not through passive waiting, but through courageous and unified action that speaks truth to power.
When hundreds of scholars—many of whom have devoted their lives to studying the downfall of democracies—warn of the return of fascism, they are not exaggerating. They are being precise.
We know what fascism looks like.
We have seen it before.
And we know we must all act now to stop it.
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