The darker reality turns in collapse, the more attractive the escape from reality offered by fascism becomes. TBH, we on the left don't really have a solution for this.
One step further still: seen this way, fascism, especially clerical fascism, is the likely majority religion of wealthy societies in collapse. It’s not only liberation from reason, ethics, empathy et al, it’s absolute and permanent escape from reality.
One of my favorite writers from Germany.
Damn that is a really good way to put it!