Damn can you imagine some kind of devious Asian country that does psychological warfare, bioweapons, destroys the biosphere, cyberwar, drones and AI weapons?
That's completely unscientific; Fascism is a relatively specific group of movements/beliefs. Being a violent amoral nihilist is trans historical. People like this have probably existed since the bronze age or earlier.
Morally, he's not necessarily any better than a fascist. If it benefited him, he may join a fascist movement out of personal convenience or ambition, and at that point, sure, he would be one.
I would agree that he should, for most purposes, be treated like a fascist. But I think it's useful to understand this guy correctly. Because there are a lot of people like this out there, who would become fascists as soon as circumstances change, but up until now have been just as happy killing on behalf of the liberal status quo instead.
Ya know, I think for me this is the missing piece. He's not a nazi, a fascist, an imperialist, a communist, socialist, progressive, or anything else really. I think he has no sincere beliefs or morals whatsoever.
He joined the Marines to do the most combat, and enjoyed it, and went back a couple times. Blackwater promised the same thing with better pay, so he went there. He got a nazi tattoo because he admired their violence, not their ideology.
He hit 40 and was no longer in his prime killing years, so he went home and tried a few different projects and whatnot. He had time to spend online, posting edgier versions of what everyone else was posting.
Eventually he decided politics would be a good fit for his ambitions and self-importance, and he could use his social, financial, and personal assets to get a head start. The "left" lane was open, and he could easily fit the role by being as "left" as the median white male millennial.
But really, he doesn't care, he's not in politics for any larger political agenda, it's just a personal challenge. He's like a less intellectual, more violent, version of Pete Buttigieg, coded with "boot" aesthetics instead of "lanyard" aesthetics.
He sucks and no one should support him obviously. He would be about as bad of a senator as most others, which is pretty fucking bad, but he would only be worse by being associated with "the left".
Anyone who supported him early on could claim ignorance and wishful thinking. Anyone still supporting him now can only claim delusion and desperation, at best.
Even then, silwa ran a basically anti-establishment campaign. Not sure how many would have gone to cuomo, but definitely not all of them.