In 2017, I painted a piece called Alt-Reich—a visceral reaction to the signs of fascism I saw taking shape around the world. At the time, it felt alarmist to some. But today, in 2025, much of what I feared has not only come true—it has surpassed what I imagined.
The painting is currently for sale at the Riverdale Hub for $2,500. If it sells, I’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds to IDRF, to support their humanitarian work around the globe.
I Was Right About the Signs of Fascism—But It Got Worse
In the original piece I wrote alongside the painting, I called attention to how fascism was rising quietly but steadily. I pointed to disturbing trends in Germany, Greece, Canada, Israel, and the United States, and how extremism wasn’t just fringe—it was moving into the mainstream.
Eight years later, here’s how it all unfolded.
🇬🇷 Greece: From Golden Dawn to Something Else
In 2017, the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party was gaining momentum. I wasn’t wrong—by 2020, Greek courts ruled it a criminal organization and jailed its leaders. But the story didn’t end there. New far-right parties have since emerged, rebranding the same dangerous ideas. The signs of fascism haven’t disappeared—they’ve just been repackaged.
🇩🇪 Germany: NPD Fades, AfD Rises
I named the National Democratic Party (NPD) as a threat. While they lost power, Germany’s far-right pivoted. The AfD now holds seats across the country and recently won key local elections. Intelligence services are on alert. So while the names have changed, the underlying signs of fascism remain chillingly present.
🇨🇦 Canada: La Meute Fades, But Extremism Endures
I flagged La Meute, a Quebec-based far-right group. It has since collapsed, but during the pandemic, new threats emerged—Freedom Convoy protests, conspiracy-fueled movements, and the emboldening of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments. The previous right-wing extremist leader, Pierre, represented the old guard of this dangerous ideology.
In the most recent Canadian election, many progressives held their noses and voted for Mark Carney, a former banker with deep corporate ties, simply to block the far-right’s resurgence. This choice highlights a troubling sign: when progressives feel forced to accept a technocratic elite figure with limited democratic roots to keep extremists at bay, it risks consolidating power among the financial elite—one of the warning signs of creeping fascism. The faces have changed, but the warning signs persist.
🇮🇱 Israel: Beyond What I Expected
I warned of apartheid-like conditions under Netanyahu’s government. Today, human rights groups including Amnesty International officially call it apartheid. But it’s gone even further. Since 2023, Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the devastating humanitarian toll have led many around the world—including scholars, NGOs, and even UN experts—to label it as genocide. What I feared is now widely acknowledged—and it’s worse than I had anticipated.
🇺🇸 United States: The Most Alarming Shift
I connected Trump’s rise to early signs of fascism—discrediting the media, targeting minorities, and dog-whistling to white supremacists. Since then, we’ve seen:
- A violent insurrection on January 6, 2021
- Ongoing attacks on democratic institutions
- Escalating anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant policies
- A mainstreaming of conspiracy culture
Now, in 2025, Trump is once again a leading political figure. The signs of fascism I called out in 2017 weren’t an exaggeration—they were a warning. One we largely ignored.
This Isn’t History—It’s Right Now
In 2017, I asked: How could people in 1930s Germany have let this happen? The answer is chillingly simple: They didn’t see the signs of fascism—or chose to ignore them.
Fascism is sold as safety and comfort to the in-group—the majority, the “real” citizens, the ones told they’re under threat. And it spreads when people are too afraid or too exhausted to speak out.
Alt-Reich is my attempt to make those signs impossible to ignore.
You can view the painting in person or purchase it online via the Riverdale Hub. If it sells, I’ll be donating to IDRF, because the antidote to fascism isn’t just awareness—it’s action.
Final Thought
The signs of fascism don’t always arrive with marching boots and salutes. Sometimes, they show up quietly—on Facebook posts, in political slogans, and through laws that chip away at truth, equality, and democracy.
Look around. The signs are still here.
About the Painting: Alt-Reich
The portrait in Alt-Reich features a face I created by blending together twelve different people using Photoshop—different races, genders, and ages. It’s not a real person, but a composite, it looks like anyone and is the ‘average‘ face.
The following text is layered across the painting:
Make no mistake, fascism is on the rise around the world and its advocates blend in perfectly – family members, friends, coworkers, or acquaintances. Perhaps the only indicators of their political views are offensive Facebook posts that you see pop up but disregard. They are emboldened by the US president who called a group of white supremacist marchers, “Some very fine people”, although some shouted anti-semetic slogans and one drove a vehicle into a group of counter protestors killing one and injuring 19.
Benjamin Netanyahu and his right wing government in Israel fuel a climate of apartheid against the Palestinian people. Greece has the Golden Dawn Political party, Germany has the National Democratic Party, and similar groups appear elsewhere.
In Canada, we have Quebec-based La Meute, or “Wolf Pack.”.Trump is following in the footsteps of Hitler. His first step was to discredit the media He has gone too far. He wins support by blaming groups such as Mexicans, Muslims and the LGBT community for his supporters’ problems. He banned words such as vulnerable, diversity, entitlement, transgender, fetus, evidence-based, and science-based from government agencies.
Watching a WW2 documentary, you may wonder how the German people let those events happen. Look around you. History is repeating itself.
