The label “fascism” or “Nazi” I allegedly use to characterize the Republican Party and certain groups of people keeps getting criticized. Instead of trying to explain myself over and over, I give an explanation here. If need be, I’ll revise this
First, I do not use the label fascist or Nazi, out of respect for those who suffered and/or died in the 20th century from those authoritarian political ideologies. I know the situation in the US is not yet as bad as it was in 1920s, 1930s and 1940s Germany or Italy. Instead, I use qualified labels in a desperate attempt to try to get all people, especially Americans, to get a feel for how grave and urgent right wing attacks on American democracy, truth, etc. really are right now.
I usually only use qualified labels like American fascism, American fascist(s), neo-fascism and neo-fascist(s) to characterize the people and groups in the modern radical right American political movement. That movement is anti-democratic, anti-inconvenient facts, truths and reasoning, anti-secularist, anti-civil liberties, including anti-free and fair elections, pro-authoritarian, pro-Christian theocratic, and/or pro-laissez faire capitalist. The focus and power of this anti-democratic movement is located mainly in the Republican Party. Due their hate of government, at least some libertarians are also neo-fascist in their policy preferences, not necessarily in their own minds.
I use those qualified labels to avoid descending into demagoguery or disrespect for those who suffered and died in the last century. Whether the qualified labels succeed in avoiding demagoguery or disrespect will be in the beholder’s eye. That won’t change. But at least my good faith intent should be clear.
Germaine’s American fascism & neo-fascism
Messy 21st century American fascism
These traits are present to varying degrees at various times among various groups and individuals, particularly the Republican Party leadership, most of its rank and file, nearly all of its major donors, and all or nearly all of its propaganda Leviathan, e.g., Fox News. My conception of American fascism and neo-fascism is people, groups or special interests who, to some non-trivial extent, adhere to or share at least five of the following eleven beliefs or traits:
- Due to decades of intensely deceptive propaganda, most rank and file supporters probably do not know that they support a version of fascism; most (~96% ?) mistakenly believe they are fighting for democracy, truth and civil liberties from grave threats; “Many would be unhappy to learn all of the details about what their leaders are proposing. Much of this group votes identity, not policy.”; personal ignorance and false beliefs do not change the fact of support for anti-democratic authoritarian politicians and policies
- Hostility toward and distrust of the professional, not partisan, American free press; “The press is doing everything within their power to fight the magnificence of the phrase, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!”
- Anti-democratic hostility toward and distrust of free and fair elections; More than 40% in US do not believe Biden legitimately won election
- Heavy reliance by elites and donors on relentless torrents of well-funded, well-researched propaganda to deceive, divide and foment irrational distrust, fear, rage, hate and intolerance; inconvenient facts, truths and sound reasoning are ignored, denied, distorted or downplayed and replaced by lies, deceit and objectively flawed partisan motivated reasoning; blatant lies, hypocrisy and double standards are normalized and mostly uncritically accepted by the rank and file
- Hate and/or irrational distrust of government, including government regulations on businesses; advocacy of laissez-faire capitalist policies that are claimed to be pro-liberty, but that actually transfer power from governments to private sector special interests, thereby tending to damage individual liberties while special interest power over individuals expands
- Distrust and blind rejection of experts, science and empirical data, particularly when the content is inconvenient, e.g., assertions of inconvenient truth such as human caused climate change is not a hoax, American was not founded as a Christian nation, or COVID vaccines are reasonably safe and effective and their use has saved many lives
- Support, knowing or not, for anti-democratic policies, including laws that make voting harder or more intimidating, or that give power to state politicians to overturn an election outcome they dislike
- Refusal to reasonably compromise; When Compromise Was Not Regarded As Treason -- You have to be older than 40 to remember when government worked properly
- Attacks on or unwarranted distrust of disfavored out-groups including the LGBQT community and racial and ethnic minorities
- Nationalist fervor to the point of causing damage to national interests, such as attacks on allies and international cooperation, and support for dictators and anti-democratic demagogues
- Continuing support for Trump and/or justification of the 1/6 coup attempt
20th century fascism & a theory of fascism
Italy’s 20th century fascism
Fascism was usually hostile to a free press and generally relies heavily on deceit and division propaganda. It tended to glorify things that are claimed, true or false, to characterize the national race and ethnicity, while vilifying different races and ethnicities. Fascism had a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control of government and society.
Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy that rose to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. The first fascist movements emerged in Italy during World War I, before spreading to other European countries. Opposed to anarchism, democracy, liberalism, and Marxism, fascism is placed on the far-right wing within the traditional left–right spectrum.
Fascism is generally defined as a political movement that embraces far-right nationalism and the forceful suppression of any opposition, all overseen by an authoritarian government. Fascists strongly oppose Marxism, liberalism and democracy, and believe the state takes precedence over individual interests. They favor centralized rule, often a single party or leader, and embrace the idea of a national rebirth, a new greatness for their country. Economic self-sufficiency is prized, often through state-controlled companies. Youth, masculinity and strength are highly fetishized.The end of World War II saw the downfall of several fascist regimes, but not all. In Spain, Francisco Franco, who incorporated fascist elements in his military dictatorship, hung around for several decades, while other governments, such as that of Juan Perón in Argentina, enacted a kind of fascism-lite, modeling its economy somewhat after fascist Italy.
Jason Stanley -- a theory of fascism:
....the concept of fascism has wide interpretive applicability across societies that otherwise differ quite drastically from one another.To rescue the concept of fascism for philosophy requires arguing that fascism has the kind of universal significance and centrality characteristic of philosophical concepts. It must have a recognizable structure that abstracts from local historical contexts, and be capable of being interpretively useful in locations that differ significantly from one another. .... If fascism is a historically located concept, however, then we do not need to be worried about confronting it. Fascism cannot reoccur, and political philosophers in recent decades have been right to ignore it.
If I am right, the view that fascism is a historically located concept is not just false, it is dangerously false. If fascism describes a dangerous ideology with universal appeal, representing it as an artifact of particular past historical circumstances masks a real danger. By not studying fascism philosophically, philosophy lends credence to the view that fascism is not a risk.
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