And a Bible on top…
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sinclair-lewis-on-fascism/
Although I agree, it’s already been happening for years.
The flag thing can apply to any county. Using patriotism as a catalyst for xenophobia is part of fascism 101. Looking at all right-wing party in European countries, they will always be ultra-nationaliste (perverted version of patriotism) and anti-EU.I find it disgusting how they appropriate themself the country’s symboles and give it a highly political connotation. I find it very sad these assholes can make me asham of my home-country’s flag…
If there is a good use of patriotism, I don’t know it.
solidarity in times of imminent existential threat (e.g. in the middle of an actual war)
Using patriotism as a catalyst for xenophobia
It’s been known for a very long time.
“Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in American, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” –Nazi leader Hermann Goering,
No one, however, expected the judiciary to be leading that charge.
No kidding dude, it’s scary how oblivious they are to it at this point
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Fascism is inherently a right wing ideology. You’re basically making claims of a married bachelor, which is just silly.
It’s not even an ideology. It’s more like a pathological fault in human psychology that can be exploited by charismatic authoritarian leaders. While fascists always use anti-left rhetoric and their promise to return to the good old days appeals to conservatives, I hesitate to even place fascism on the left/right dichotomy at all. I prefer to assume good faith from the reasonable people I disagree no matter where they fall on the political spectrum – but fascism never acts in good faith. I think it is important to make a distinction between a real right wing ideology (however much we might disagree with it) and something purely malevolent like fascism, kleptocracy, regulatory capture, etc.
It’s not even an ideology
I was using the term rather loosely, but even but even with a more strict definition of “ideology”, I think it fits.
I hesitate to even place fascism on the left/right dichotomy at all.
I don’t think left/right is a dichotomy. If we are to take the political compass’ method of organizing these things, where there is a left/right axis, and an authoritarian/libertarian, fascism is a right wing, authoritarian ideology:
Leftism/progressive ideologies generally espouse social equality, egalitarianism, and opposition to social hierarchy. The right/conservative ideologies generally espouse the exact opposite, that social orders and hierarchies are inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable. That’s ultimately why fascism falls on the right on the left/right axis.
I think it is important to make a distinction between a real right wing ideology
All ideologies are "real’. Some are just incredibly terrible for humanity, some less so, and some are actually good. It’s all on a spectrum.
There are certainly more useful models to explain fascism than by interpreting it as a meaningful ideology. Authoritarians don’t perform fascism because they understand and believe in it. People acting ignorantly or at cynical the manipulation of others are not following any ideology.
I don’t think left/right is a dichotomy.
But then you cite a diagram with a left/right dichotomy. Yes, there are other dimensions on the diagram, but it does plot in terms of left and right.
Things governments do that you will not find on any similar diagram: regulatory capture, kleptocracy, genocide, taxation without representation, raiding and pillaging foreign countries, executing children, nuclear terrorism. Those are all outside valid political discourse. Just like you could not put the moon or the feeling you get when you smell the rain on the left/right spectrum. It just doesn’t make sense to do so.
I argue that fascism is more at home among those things than among anything you can call left or right. All things that fall on the spectrum somewhere have something in common and I argue that fascism lacks it: it is not valid political speech.
Further, I argue that it works against our goals of reaching a fair and safe compromise for everyone when we lump our erstwhile political opponents in with people who are simply doing evil.
You don’t have to agree with me, but you haven’t shown that I’m wrong.
But then you cite a diagram with a left/right dichotomy.
The above graph is a spectrum, and it was just an example.
Those are all outside valid political discourse.
To be clear, I do not think that all sections of the above graph are valid political discourse. It’s simply a way to categorize.
I argue that fascism is more at home among those things than among anything you can call left or right. All things that fall on the spectrum somewhere have something in common and I argue that fascism lacks it: it is not valid political speech.
I agree with that, which is why those things you listed, regulatory capture, kleptocracy, genocide, taxation without representation, raiding and pillaging foreign countries, executing children, nuclear terrorism, are all things that are accounted for with the authoritarian part of that spectrum.
Further, I argue that it works against our goals of reaching a fair and safe compromise for everyone when we lump our erstwhile political opponents in with people who are simply doing evil.
There is no such thing as a fair and safe compromise for everyone when fascists exist. There is no compromise for genocide. Somebody is going to have to be unhappy no matter what.
You don’t have to include our political opponents and fascists on the graph if you don’t want. I am simply stating the fact that if all is to be categorized, fascism is an ultra authoritarian, right wing ideology. That is the most accurate it can be described given current definitions.
You don’t have to agree with me, but you haven’t shown that I’m wrong.
That’s not how the burden of proof works.
Fascism can’t go anywhere since it’s dead
How is it dead when stormfront.org is still around?
Not to mention you have a bunch of fascists vying to out-fascist each other while trying to get the GOP nomination.
The list is endless really. No matter which example you pick, there will always be another.
One (1) fascist died on 01/06/2021 during an attempted coup by Trump supporters to overturn the election by trying to apprehend and assassinate their own party’s former Vice President. The rest were paper tigers who ran away like little bitches after she caught a bullet to the neck.
