A Series on Fascism
When you go to different museums chronicling World War II you will occasionally see different examples of propaganda. This was particularly true in the Holocaust Museum. One of the things they included were the fourteen signs of fascism. I’ll list them below.
- Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
- Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
- Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying cause
- Supremacy of the Military
- Rampant Sexism
- Controlled Mass Media
- Obsession with National Security
- Religion and Government are Intertwined
- Corporate Power is Protected
- Labor Power is Suppressed
- Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
- Obsession with Crime and Punishment
- Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
- Fraudulent Elections
These can probably split into two categories just like the people that are involved with it. Some of these are absolute prerequisites for fascism to take hold. Others are more just side effects that happen to occur with fascism. All of them sound scary in the extreme and yet we can see the seeds of these things now.
The same is true for people. Some people genuinely want some of these things in moderation and are really not fascists personally, but may be fascist adjacent. Others know exactly what they are doing and know exactly the direction they are headed. So, over the next few weeks we will take a longer look at each of these individually.
Nick, good stuff! Have been reading a series of books written by Susan MacNeal concentrating on the development of fascism etc. in both Europe and the US. Her fictional heroine is Maggie Hope. I like MacNeal as an author. She does absolutely herioic research and her points are well taken. Sample point: a number of her characters are really nice people dedicated to associating and helping those who look and behave just like them. Then there are there ghoulish types who make no bones about their hatreds. The “nice” haters seem to amaze people more than the ones who make no bones about their viewpoints. Point here: even the worst fascists in the world started out “nice” and by the time we found out who they really were, it was too late. The points you make in your article are global and they are not hidden. Combatting such worldviews is not easy, but as history has told us, it will all come to just that – combat, overt or otherwise.
1The signs of rising fascism are, clearly, very evident. I would, though, offer just one more….maybe even overarching, kind of behavior that seems to drive much of what we seem to be seeing daily in this country. The “Cult of ME” or the “Cult of Me and ONLY Me” seems to evidence itself more and more daily. From actions of the Orange One in enriching himself financially and self-promotion without concern for consequences on MY country….all of it…to the song and dance of the crippled process of choosing a House Speaker based on “what it means to ME”, to the daily effluent from the designated idiot holding a NY Congressional Seat…..none of these people seem to have any ability to see beyond what they can gain for themselves. I’m old enough to remember when our leadership, regardless of party, looked at the affects of their actions on our WHOLE country. We are also loosing any concern for public legacy on the “all” of America. IMHO, we need to remember…..individually and collectively that the history of this country generally supported the idea of collective good. The only way we can change this is when all of us ME’s learn to remember that we are building a legacy for the future and not just “what’s in it for ME?”.
2The two planks of the conservatives are greed and intolerance.
Arguments?
3Racism
4After 9-11, when Shrub was pushing the Patriot Act, my mother’s comment was “I’ve heard all this crap before.” When he announced the creation of DHS, her comment was “That’s a direct translation from the German.”
5She should know, she was 7 years old when Hitler annexed Austria and turned 14 a week before the war ended. Between her and my grandparents, I learned a lot growing up in Vienna in the 1950’s.
Misinformation campaigns would seem to be an element of fascism not mentioned specifically above. Perhaps misinformation is just assumed to be part of several of the above points. It’s certainly part of our current politics.
6Propelling in the background are global climate trends that add momentum to a worldwide rightward lurch.
“When the seas rise in Senegal, so do the fortunes of far-right political parties in Europe. This is the story of how those seemingly unrelated things are connected.”
https://apps.npr.org/climate-migration-senegal-morocco-spain/
7Coincidentally, I just watched an episode of Rick Steves’ travel show, called The Story of Fascism in Europe (available on Comcast channel 323, also at RickSteves.com). It’s a really good episode, but depressing! So many parallels to America today, which I’m sure is why Rick (a good liberal) filmed this episode during the Trump administration
8The irony for fascist supporters is that fascism basically means dictatorship, and what is the first thing a dictator will do? Take your guns, so you can’t rise against him.
Sometimes you get what you deserve.
9Seeds? I see a whole thriving jungle.
10Thanks Nick, Todays Republicans fit the bill!
11The term Fascism has always been morphing/evolving and for todays America I call it Corporate Fascism – a poisonous bled of white supremacy, Christian Nationalism and Corporate power and control.
Or plain and simple Extremism, Bigotry on steroids. It’s people who fear and hate anybody that does not look, act, think or believe like they do. Racial, political, religious, moral, gender, financial bigotry are just some of this hideous human disease.
“fascist adjacent” seriously, Nick? How many excuses and ego outs must we allow these vote against their own interests ill-informed %$#@*’s?
Be it Bobo the Dodo, MAGAt Marge or any of these Qcumber Fascist Party Nazis? Sorry. But. Reaching out to them or ‘understanding’ them? Will give your article a second read. But. To be honest not much into coddling the QNP clown show.
12I’ll start the real series soon Jane and PKM, but I don’t put any of those congress critters in the “adjacent” category. They know exactly what they are doing and what they ultimately want. The adjacent folks are some of the voters. I think the misinformation comment from Steve is tantamount here. Some people call them “low information voters.” With all deference to mama I’ll leave it there and not use the term I use to describe them.
Humans are complex creatures that can’t be put into only one or two buckets. There are different grades of evil and different grades of good. What it comes down to is that some people think they want something without considering the strings attached. Others see the strings and love the strings. However, starting tomorrow I’m moving forward with the first plank of fascism.
13Nick, we totally agree that mama deserves all due deference. But please, take some kudos for yourself. You are being much more patient and nicer than the QNP deserves. What they’ve been biting into and destroying since FDR is a line beyond past the sand. BTW also kudos to President Biden in his SOTU for taking a swat at them, too. Looking forward to your takedown of fascism, Nick!
14Nick@12
15In my time I have run across some people that i wouldn’t turn my back on in a crowded room. I was at a party once and this person there set me on edge and then then some. Turned out to be Henry Lee Lucas.
More than once I felt like all the hair on my body was standing up being around a person. As a bouncer for 10 years, I’ve seen a lot, but very few people made me feel like that.
there were those that I felt were dangerous, but didn’t make me feel like I was in the presence of evil.
An increasing number of Texans (and undoubtedly other Republicans) support other forms of government than democracy. Frightening stuff.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/27/texas-lyceum-poll-economy-democracy/
16I agree 100% with Mike and what his mother said. My mother (born 1917 and lived in Berlin) said the exact same thing. And both of our moms are correct!
17Jill Ann @7, That Rick Steves show on fascism [and several others on the same topic] have been on the PBS network recently; and yes, they seem to be coincident with the recent history of tRump.
18And slightly OT, but certainly having commonality with ‘fascism’, where most people are enslaved, I was doing some historical research and turned up an interesting page [actually many] from an 1840 Bexar County San Antonio TX Tax Assessor office.
Wherein, for tax assessments, amongst the real estate properties, there was another tax levy section on:
“Miscellaneous Articles Subject to a Specific Tax”.
Under which columns were listed, among other things, “Negroes” and cattle [even ‘1 silver watch’ showed up].
Each negro over 15yo had a $3 tax assessed, under 15yo, $1. Cattle were 10 cents a head.
Chilling how history has unfolded right under our feet.
And if the Rethuglikans ever consolidate their power, it will certainly revert to the days of old…
Here’s the link, it it works, [typical] page 3 of 22 [wish that I could just post a jpg, because the link requires a login, which can be free.
Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910 Bexar county 1840 :
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-WFWX-1?i=2&cc=1827575
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/taxrolls.html#OnlineAccess
19“Texas tax rolls are being digitized and made available on FamilySearch.org. Although the complete collection is not yet online, users can search or browse the collection at: familysearch.org/search/collection/1827575 .”
I don’t think much of that list, since it leaves out the first principle of fascism: the leader.
If fascism is to be more than just a term of abuse, it must be definable, and that list does very little to define it.
Ernst Nolte’s ‘Three Faces of Fascism’ is a long book but the best I know.
An important aspect — little known by most people — is that fascism is French and its original French expression included a large portion of opera bouffe stunts, much like Gohmert or Greene.
But if trump is truly in eclipse, and if no new leader is available, that raises the question: can it be facvist without a Duce?
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