[Why] do so many Americans desperately want [fascism]?
Feeling superior to people often makes someone feel
empowered. There is a moral cost to this sort of exchange, but (as it turns out) those who are oppressed end up footing the bill. These people who pursue fascism want to feel empowered... by any means necessary.
I'm not implying that all contemporary fascists are evil power mongers. Some of it stems from the fact that they feel economically desparate. They are impoverished; they feel as if there is no hope. Fascism offers up the promise that if we just abuse and banish the interlopers, we might feel better. Then they might want to go make something of themselves.
The messed up thing is, it works to some degree.
So naturally, because fascism promises to help people (some desperate, some evil) out of their predicaments (even at the expense of others' welfare), it seems like a sweet deal.