Uncharted Union: America’s Last Dance into the Arms of Fascism

By Tasha Monroe

Last night, President Biden delivered what may be remembered as his final Address to the Nation. It was, by all accounts, a display of calm, measured leadership — a moment designed to reassure a fractured country. But behind the polished veneer of civility and “norms” lies a brutal truth: we are standing at the edge of a precipice, and the knife we’ve handed to the executioner is wrapped in the American flag.

The praise Biden is receiving for “not stooping to their level” misses the point entirely. Civility in the face of a rising fascist tide isn’t courage — it’s complicity. History is littered with leaders who clung to decorum as their nations fell into chaos. Biden’s refusal to engage with the reality of who and what we are up against is not just a political miscalculation; it’s a moral failing.

For eight years, marginalized communities — especially Black women — have sounded the alarm about the existential threat posed by the MAGA movement and its enablers. These people have been open about their intentions for this country, broadcasting them with pride: dismantling democracy, stripping away rights, and imposing their vision of power through violence and fear. Their plans are no secret; they’ve been shouting them from the rooftops. Yet, instead of heeding these warnings, too many Americans have dismissed them, distracted by foreign crises or lulled into complacency by the belief that “it can’t happen here.”

What we are witnessing is not a new phenomenon. History teaches us that fascism doesn’t take root overnight — it’s planted in fertile ground, watered by the apathy of the majority, and shielded by the well-meaning but disastrously naive belief that “it can’t happen to us.” Biden’s performance last night brought to mind Paul von Hindenburg, the German president who, in the name of preserving stability, paved the way for Hitler to rise unchecked.

This isn’t hyperbole. It’s a warning. Fascism thrives on the inaction of those who believe that decency alone can defeat depravity. The truth is, it never has. The fight against fascism requires resistance, vigilance, and a willingness to confront the enemy head-on, not polite speeches that seek to soothe rather than rouse.

Jim Stewartson put it best in his recent article: Biden’s speech was an alternate reality, a refusal to name the danger standing at the door. We cannot afford to pretend that the executioner isn’t sharpening their blade. Every moment of inaction brings us closer to a reality we’ll wish we had fought harder to prevent.

To those who have ignored the warnings from Black women and others who have spent decades watching democracy’s slow unraveling: know this. The knife they wield is not just symbolic. It’s real, and it will soon be at all of our necks if we don’t act.

But I am no longer advocating for Black women in America to willingly stick their necks out for a majority that refuses to see the truth. Racism, hatred, and the ideology of othering have blinded too many to the dangers right in front of them. They’ve chosen willful ignorance, even as the threat inches closer.

While I know this doesn’t change anything now and may seem cruel or counterproductive to those calling for marches of resistance and taking to the streets, to my ears, these calls ring hollow. Because to those shouting, “Let’s march!” — how many times did you look across the table at your proud MAGA relative and fight to make them understand the truth of what’s coming, not just to you, but to them as well?

How hard did you advocate to your “friends” who were open MAGA supporters at happy hours, family holidays, and parties? How many times did you refuse to abide by the unspoken rule that “we don’t talk about politics at home”?

I ask because 92% of Black women collectively went to our communities and did the hard, uncomfortable work. Did you? Or were we always expected to carry the load alone, even as you stayed silent to keep the peace?

The way many Black women will choose to move and navigate in the coming years is not a retreat, nor is it an abandonment of the fight. It is a reflection of the trauma this country has passed down to us historically and the wisdom our mothers and grandmothers so beautifully molded us to understand.

We recognize when a battle is lost, and we know how to pivot. It’s not surrender — it’s strategy. Our focus will be on navigating the storm in a way that ensures our communities and families survive what many failed to see as the real and present threat it has always been. We will endure, battered but whole, and come out on the other side.

I know this may not comfort many, but the time that is coming for America is not a burden Black women should be expected to carry, emotionally or physically, for others. We have put our bodies — literally — on the front lines of this country’s open othering and felt the lashes for long enough.

We will preserve our own. I recommend you learn how to do the same.

Yes, I know saying this doesn’t change anything. But dammit, it makes me feel a little better knowing I spoke the truth.

So, know this: On January 20th, while many will be watching Biden gracefully gift our executioner a knife wrapped in the American flag, I will not. I refuse to give any more damns to a nation that has willingly damned itself.

Instead, I will protect my family, my community, and pray that we — and others who see what’s happening — survive to see the other side of this mess. Resistance isn’t just about fighting anymore; it’s about preserving what little we can and holding space for a better future. One we’ll have to rebuild ourselves.

(Read Jim Stewartson’s article here: https://www.mind-war.com/p/bidens-alternate-reality)