The P³’s definition of fascism:
I used the version used by the Holocaust Museum.
Ah, yes, that one:
The claim in the Instagram post about the poster’s ties to the Holocaust Memorial Museum is MISSING CONTEXT, based on our research. While a poster with the “Early Warning Signs Of Fascism” was indeed previously sold in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Shop, it did not originate from the museum and was not part of any exhibition or display. Britt wrote the words in a 2003 article in Free Inquiry, which Syracuse Cultural Workers reprinted and sold with his permission.
As in, “Keep Calm and Carry On” is authenticated by WH Smith’s selling a postcard of it.
The actual Holocaust Museum definition of fascism is:
Definition and Beliefs
Fascism is an ultranationalist, authoritarian political philosophy. It combines elements of nationalism, militarism, economic self-sufficiency, and totalitarianism. It opposes communism, socialism, pluralism, individual rights and equality, and democratic government.Fascism places the importance of the nation above all else. The unity of the national community is prioritized above the rights of individuals. This leads to an intense interest in defining which groups belong or do not belong to the national body. Fascism is characterized by:
strident, often exclusionary nationalism
fixation with national decline (real or perceived) and threats to the existence of the national community
embrace of paramilitarism
In fascist states, violence is accepted—even celebrated—if it serves or advances the national community. For fascists, violence often has a redemptive or purifying quality.Fascism rejects the practices of representative or liberal democratic government. It holds that these practices interfere with the expression of the national will. Instead, fascist governments are one-party states led by an authoritarian leader who claims to embody the national will. Fascists define the national will as advancing the interests of the national community. This usually means:
protecting or elevating the rights of the national community above the rights of those seen as alien
removing obstacles to national unity and suppressing those seen as challenging it
expanding the size and influence of the national state
often, also seeking to expand territory through armed conflict
A rather more worrying list both for the P³ and his mates in the SNP.
What’s wrong with using the definition promulgated by the original creators?
Surely if I invent promulgarideitism I get to define what it is.
That latter definition is pretty crap too. It seems to be a hindsight version of ‘whatever I don’t like’.
You can just imagine Spud coming across the first definition and thinking ‘yes, that agrees with me, so it must be right and I’ll use it’ and then doing no further investigation. Bit like all his output.
I agree, Rhoda. By that definition National Socialists are clearly opponents of Fascism. OTOH lots of modern Islamic states tick all those boxes.
It’s not a definition
It’s a description
Mebbe the futility of trying to define fascism other than as a worn-out rhetorical club is because fascism isn’t really an ideology.
It’s more like an inflamed immune system reacting to the infection of socialism. Nobody apart from an enthusiastic minority of shorts fanciers ever really wants fascism, but the strong man on the white horse might be seen as a damn sight better than the alternative if that alternative includes hyperinflation, communist insurgencies and having all your property and rights stolen from you.
Why is the cubic potato banging on about fascism ? (not going to sully my pc by visiting his site) I presume fascism still equals not agreeing with him and the only reason he’s not got a well paid sinecure and is treated as a joke is because of all the “fascists” and “nazis” in England. He’s risible.
Yeah Rhoda and Chris. I agree.
Maybe instead of trying to define Fascism and Socialism we should just agree that both are terrible ideas and that it has been repeatedly proven beyond a shred of doubt that free market capitalism along with limited government, guaranteed free speech, rule of law, free and fair elections, and all that stuff is infinitely better.
Agree with Rhoda re the second definition. They’ve just worked backwards from the Nazi Party to define the Nazis as fascist. But, then, you can’t deny the Holocaust Museum has its own agenda.
Problem with that is, anti-semitism was hardly unique to Nazi Germany or fascists. A large part of Europe, of all political persuasions, was to some extent anti-semitic. It was hardly unknown in the UK
I’m sick of illiberals postulating yet another definition of fascism that only proves they can’t be arsed to read even a modicum of history. I have a much more concise definition of fascism, “As an economic system, fascism is Marxist communism with capitalist and nationalist veneers.” I am happy to defend with citations and rebuttals.
The first citation I ask you to consider is:
https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2015/Samuelsfascism.html
There’s a lesson from the rise of Fascism that has been forgotten and should be remembered because we could be seeing echoes today: Mussolini’s rise was driven by young people and what we’d today refer to as the trendy left liberal arts – pots, authors, song writers etc. He was even studies by the proponents of the New Deal who visited Italy to learn about his methods.
And it shouldn’t be forgotten he started his political life as a radical socialist.