Akey chapter in the fascist playbook has always been to convince the public that it is living in such a state of mortal danger and unbridled chaos that the only chance of survival is to cede individual rights to the determined will of the Dear Leader. That’s why fascist leaders have constantly demanded that their populations venerate all violence performed in the service of the state and revere the apparatuses of state violence, such as police forces and the military. In this scenario, state violence is not only necessary for the nation’s survival. State violence is understood as even beautiful, something the public can and must believe in.
Buying into state violence this way produces something historian Robert Paxton has called a “mobilizing passion”. In his book The Anatomy of Fascism, Paxton described how “the beauty of violence and the efficacy of will” is produced and then mobilized by fascists by creating “a sense of overwhelming crisis beyond the reach of traditional solutions”. In other words, there’s always a grave, existential threat lurking around every corner, and only fascist violence can restore order to a lawless world. To the fascist, as Umberto Eco once put it, “life is a permanent war”.
Stick “We must organise, Comrades, against Capital!” in there and you’ve the motivating animus of many a commie groupuscule. All of which are therefore fascist.
And, well, yes….
It didn’t take much to get the Italians behind Mussolini because they were and still are commies. They only kicked him out and hung him upside down because his pollo in every pot wasn’t “free” range.
As has been said before – the only difference between the genuinely far left and the genuinely far right is the name of the enemy and the colour of the epaulettes.
Well “Fascist” just means “authoritarian” these days. There is no underlying ideology required anymore.
This govt is shaping up to be the most authoritarian we have ever had, even in wartime. And it is led by a human rights lawyer.
Don’t the hacks writing in the Graun know any history? The commies were violently opposed by the far right fascists of the National Socialist Party, so it can’t be true.
Oh, wait…
Ah yes, the unbridled fascism of… checks notes… not tolerating violent street crime.
Thanks ‘Moustafa’, very cool!
A key chapter in the fascist playbook has always been to convince the public that it is living in such a state of mortal danger and unbridled chaos that the only chance of survival is to cede individual rights to the determined will
But enough about COVID, climate change, and the urgent necessity of putting English people who object to foreign colonisation into cages.
Now, here are the facts.
He said, before telling a load of lies designed to give you the impression Washington DC is in Ambrige, Borsetshire, and downtown Chicago is a safe and lovely place to visit on a Saturday night.
The problem the smug Left has is it just ran out of gullible white people. That’s why The Guardian bombards you with pop-ups begging for money now.
And when the camel rustlers and lamp-rubbers send their people, they’re not sending their best, are they? We could outsource this shit to ChatGPT.
Anyway, every woman adores a Fascist. Whereas I can only assume George Monbiot causes global knicker drying.
Steve has it.
It’s quite amazing how many lefties write articles like this and never once have the self-awareness to stop, look at themselves and go “Oh”.
Geoffers
“ the only difference between the genuinely far left and the genuinely far right is the name of the enemy and the colour of the epaulettes.”
The genuine Far Right must be the ideological and political antipodal to the Far Left, both being at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Genuine Far Right therefore must = sovereignty of the individual, property Rights, free market capitalist economy. These are the polar opposite to the Collectivism, elevation of State over the individual, central economic planning and control of the Far Left.
If Communism is Far Left and Fascism is Far Right, yet both have the same roots of Statism, collectivism, centrally planned and controlled economy – how is that contradiction of being “opposites” explained? How can Fascism be “Far Right”. The only material difference between Communism and Fascism is that under the former the means of production is owned by the collective via the State, under the latter it remains in private hands albeit operating at the direction of the State to serve the interests of the State. In effect the same thing.
The so-called Centre political Parties, (Centre Right or Centre Left) more closely resemble Far Left than “genuine” Far Right as it must be. Even St Nigel of Farrago, wants to nationalise things, keep the collectivist walfare-state and NHS.
The key difference in modern societies is between adults and infants. Adults accept responsibility, manage risk, recognise reality. Infants demand protection by the state to save them from imaginary fears, and write for the Guardian.
I’d have thought it was obvious by now that political thought lies not on a straight-line spectrum with extremes at either end, but rather on a colour wheel, with individualist democratic freedom and collectivist totalitarianism (progressivism, communism, fascism, political Islam) on opposite sides. You can go either way around the wheel, via socialism or corporatism, to get from one side to the other.
The far right believe in freedom under the law and want the least number of laws as are compatible with a civilised society.
Describing authoritarian thugs as “far-right” would be ludicrous if it wasn’t so offensive.
A state of mortal danger and unbridled chaos such that the only chance of survival is to pay carbon taxes.
I have a brilliant idea. Get the RAF to drop climate pamphlets on UK cities to sow doubt, despondency and despair.
Southerner @ 1.05, we don’t need the RAF, we already have Al Beeb with relentless ‘climate crisis’ propaganda doing the job.
Ironman – thanks x
Fascism just means having a good time with your bros. It has no other meaning.
Italians!
Here is the program of a sane Italian movement. Revolutionary because anti-dogmatic and anti-demagogical; strongly innovative because anti-prejudicial. We place the valorization of revolutionary war above everything and everyone. The other problems: bureaucratic, administrative, legal, educational, colonial, etc., we will chart when we have created the ruling class.
For this WE WANT:
For the political problem
Universal suffrage by regional list voting, with proportional representation, voting and eligibility for women. Minimum age for voters lowered to 18; minimum age for deputies lowered to 25. The abolition of the Senate. The convening of a National Assembly for the duration of three years, whose first task is to establish the form of the state constitution. The formation of National Technical Councils of labor, industry, transportation, social hygiene, communications, etc., elected by the professional or trade communities, with legislative powers, and the right to elect a General Commissioner with ministerial powers. For the social problem: WE WANT:
The prompt enactment of a state law enshrining the legal eight-hour workday for all jobs. Minimum wages. The participation of workers’ representatives in the technical operation of industry. The entrusting to the proletarian organizations themselves (who are morally and technically worthy) of the management of public industries or services. The speedy and complete settlement of the railroad workers and all transportation industries. A necessary amendment of the Disability and Old Age Insurance Bill by lowering the age limit, currently proposed at 65, to 55. On the military issue:
WE WANT:
The establishment of a national militia with brief educational services and exclusively defensive duty. The nationalization of all arms and explosives factories. A national foreign policy intended to enhance, in the peaceful competitions of civilization, the Italian nation in the world. For the financial problem:
WE WANT:
A strong extraordinary tax on capital of a progressive nature, having the form of true PARTIAL EXPROPRIATION of all wealth. The seizure of all property of religious congregations and the abolition of all diocesan benefices, which constitute a huge liability for the nation and a privilege of the few.
The revision of all war supply contracts and the seizure of 85 percent of war profits.
@ NiV
Creation of a ruling class.
Theft of ALL property belonging to or given to any religious organisation.
Partial theft of all other property.
Pretty much the policy of Vladimyr Ilyich and Mao Ze-Dung
Fascism evolved from Syndicalism (millitant trade-unionism) which evolved from Socialism. I think of it as the system we would have had if Arthur Scargill had won. It is and always was left-wing, like the National Socialist and German Workers’ Party.
The thing that amuses me is how many *genuinely* Fascist policies appearing in their Manifesto are policies of current political parties!
According to the US Center for Immigration Studies:
Between January and July, the foreign born population fell by 2.2 million
You love to see it. Faster please!