Reply #15: A good question...

[punpirate]

... and the first reason, to my mind, is that it never has entirely left us.

From a psychological standpoint, some people greatly desire order, and that creates authoritarian impulses. That's a starting point. From that, add in most of the seven deadly sins--greed, avarice, etc. The people who have been most fond of fascism, here and elsewhere, are the wealthy and powerful. Their needs to maintain and increase their wealth, and the authoritarian nature of corporations (in the old days, "trusts"), encourages them to believe that they alone can order society.

It's interesting, for example, that when the plot was being hatched to overthrow FDR, the plan drawn up was for the military to seize the government and maintain order, and when FDR had been removed, that the country would be run by a panel of prominent businessmen in place of the president. I suppose the thinking goes something like, "I'm the absolute master within the domain of my business and I've been very successful and made lots of money, so I know how to order a society in ways that will benefit it and myself." Of course, that's a false tautology, and the actual desire is for a legalized cronyism (which is pretty much what fascism is).

The followers, way down on the ladder of success, find reflected glory in the powerful and wish to emulate them, and are therefore willing to enforce the authoritarianism necessary to keep such a system operating. That's pretty much what happened in Italy and Germany, and what motivated sympathizers in this country.

Cheers.