Post 2/ Research/ “The Last Wonder of the World”- Evan Pierce Blumer

    When it came to doing research for my project, which is going to focus on the rise of fascistic ideologies and deep political division in America today, I was really curious as to how the country really escalated to this point since it’s been almost a year from Trump’s reelection. I decided to look further to see events from the past year that have further escalated the issue. My first article from last week focused on Trump’s rhetoric during his campaign for reelection. While I was conducting more research, I started to take into consideration if I was thinking too small. In the last few weeks, Gen Z in Nepal has overthrown their government, France’s government collapsed, and Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah here in the States. Taking all of this into consideration, I really started to think about the resilience of humanity and how strong we have to be to stand up to the unjust powers that govern us. Hence, “The Last Wonder of the World”.

    The first article that I found, called “Harris called Trump a ‘fascist’. Experts debate what fascism is- and isn’t” by Emma Bowman from NPR, tackles Donald Trump, accusations of fascistic behavior, and what fascism exactly is. Professor Roger Griffin considers fascism as, quote, “revolutionary form of extreme nationalism”. The article also brings up the common excessive use of military power under Mussolini and Hitler. Even though this article was written in October 2024, we definitely saw similar events to this as recent as a few weeks ago, with Trump (now reelected) deploying ICE and the National Guard in cities that he deems unruly. Bowman then brings up Trump’s failed overturning of the 2020 election where he lost to Joe Biden, his deeming of Mexicans as racist, and his wish to ban Muslims from entering the States. “The enemy within” is a big part of Trump’s smear campaign against his critics, something the article points out as also being a key aspect of fascism. CNN’s article “A parliament in flames, a leader toppled. Nepal’s Gen-Z protesters ask: What comes next?” By Lex Harvey from September 11, 2025 focuses on the downfall of Nepal’s former government under a rebellion led by their youth. It started with the rising unemployment rate amongst Nepal’s Gen Z while also having to deal with the high class flaunting their wealth. Some groups started peaceful protests, but the government banned all social media to squander their efforts. In retaliation, the protests grew more and more, eventually culminating in many government buildings being burnt down and the PR resigning. Although the people seem to have won the battle, the war’s victor is uncertain, Many are concerned about retribution from the government for people who took advantage of these protests, burning down local businesses and looting. The third article comes from BBC, posted on September 8, 2025, titled “Why the French PM had to go and what happens next?” By Hugh Schofield, Paul Kirby, Laura Gozzi, and Graeme Baker. The article goes in depth on the collapse of the French government and how unstable the institutions are over there. Recently, the Prime Minister, Francois Bayrou lost a confidence vote to help stabilize the country’s severe debt, which he then followed up on by resigning. Bayrou was the fourth PM for the country in only 2 years under the current President, Emmanuel Macron. The article states that France’s people and government have been largely divided as of recently, leaving the government essentially at a standstill when it came to passing laws and bills. Essentially, France’s government is so torn that it’s hard to get anything done. The resignation of Bayrou only emphasizes this uncertainty for the government and for France’s future as a whole. 

    For my art intervention, I would like to do a giant drawing that shows the resilience of humanity in the face of ongoing turmoil. I plan to give it a religious basis- perhaps a woman, carrying her country’s flag on her shoulder and back akin to Jesus and the cross. I would like to use this imagery to showcase the sacrifices that common people make every day just to stay alive and to keep their homes afloat. There is a strong sense of discord in the modern world, but there is also a strong sense of connection. My research has only proved that to me, and I want to show that in my piece.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4r7dmxgxmo

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/asia/nepal-protests-gen-z-outcome-intl-hnk

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5164488/harris-trump-fascist-explained