Regarding the philosophy of fascism

 What normalization does is transform the morally extraordinary into the ordinary. It makes us able to tolerate what was once intolerable by making it seem as if this is the way things have always been. — Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works, 2018

When Trump and the Republican Party attack political correctness, their goal is to normalize demagoguery, insults, lies, deceit and slanders, making them much more tolerable. That helps to pave the way to making authoritarianism more acceptable to the American people, while undermining respect for, among other things, democracy, the rule of law and adult manners. — Germaine, 2022

In 2019, Jason Stanley wrote an essay, The Philosophy of Fascism, which makes some points that most informed people probably want to be aware of. Stanley is a political philosopher and an expert focused on rhetoric and propaganda. Stanley's essay discussed the historical location of fascism and whether it is a localized political phenomenon or not. According to Stanley, it is not. That means some form of fascism can happen to America. 

Fascism is inherent in the human condition, a point I have argued here multiple times. 

To distinguish fascism America from 20th century fascism in Italy, one should call an American variant something like modern fascism, American fascism, neo-fascism or something along those lines. Fascism reflects local circumstances and local societies and it thus has to be adapted for such differences to take hold on societies.

Stanley sees fascism as an ideology and process that normalizes the intolerable. He sees this process underway in the US, Russia, Hungary and some other countries. 

Stanley starts by pointing out that democracy differed in different places at different times. The same is true for other political concepts.

The concept of democracy is not tied to a particular time and place. Even if democracy originated at some point, perhaps 5th and 4th Century BC in Athens, the concept of democracy describes a structure that is realized in different places under very different material conditions. We can understand democracy as a voting system, one that reflects majority rule. We can also understand democracy as a culture, one that values liberty and equality (on some suitable interpretation). Both democracy as a voting system and democracy as an ideology (that is, a culture) have wide generality.  

What about concepts like liberalism, socialism, communism, and capitalism? These are more specific than the concept of democracy; their origin times are more recent. In the case of these concepts, one must be attentive to the possibility that their elucidation reflects social structures local to their origins.

Stanley moves on to fascism, a topic he deals with in detail in his 2018 book How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Contrary to some experts, he argues that fascism is thing that can move from one place to another:

.... I argue that the concept of fascism has wide interpretive applicability across societies that otherwise differ quite drastically from one another. If I am right, fascism is not one of [Léopold Sédar] Senghor’s “completely historically located” concepts. I aim to rescue the concept of fascism from the discipline of history and make a case for its centrality in political and social philosophy. Such a rescue would in fact constitute a return; some of the greatest theorists of fascism, such as Theodore Adorno and Hannah Arendt, were philosophers. 

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. How Fascism Works is a case for revisiting thinking in political philosophy, to reopen the case that philosophers should study fascism.  

If “fascism” is not the right word to use, what is? One of the attractions of the ideology to its supporters is that it promises to provide a strong leader whose decisions will not be filtered through the mechanisms of democracy, discussion and deliberation, but imposed by strength and will and even cruelty. In other words, this ideology involves an element of authoritarianism.

Stanley's vision of fascism reflects normal functioning of the human mind. It is inherent in some or many people and in societies. What is needed to bring it out and allow it to control societies and governments is talented, charismatic demagogues. By Stanley's definition, fascism normalizes the intolerable, or as I put it, the immoral, the reality-detached and the irrational. That is what Trump and the Republican Party have done to millions of Americans who now distrust or reject democracy, inconvenient facts and truths and appeals to reason. Fascism appeals to base emotions and prejudices to tear societies apart, and to foment distrust, fear, rage, bigotry and etc.

IMO, Stanley is right to argue that fascism (i) isn't just a nasty but one-off thing from 1930's Italy, or (ii) that it requires normalizing the intolerable, i.e., the immoral and anti-democratic. Powerful conservatives in America are working hard to bring their version of fascism to America, whether the majority likes or wants it or not.

For the record, poll data suggests that the majority of Americans do not like or want an American version of fascism. However, many unknowingly support it due to the effective deceptiveness and constant presence of neo-fascist propaganda and its many sources, e.g., Faux News. 

Adapted from orig. post 3/6/22

News bits: China’s cyberwar update; The GOP’s spinectomy; Dark free speech on the march

This is just a reminder. The brutal dictators who rule China wage a constant cyberwar against the US. The war will not end for decades, assuming it ever ends. The WaPo reported about recent attacks: 

China’s cyber army is invading critical U.S. services

The Chinese military is ramping up its ability to disrupt key American infrastructure, including power and water utilities as well as communications and transportation systems, according to U.S. officials and industry security officials.

Hackers affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army have burrowed into the computer systems of about two dozen critical entities over the past year, these experts said.

The intrusions are part of a broader effort to develop ways to sow panic and chaos or snarl logistics in the event of a U.S.-China conflict in the Pacific, they said.

Among the victims are a water utility in Hawaii, a major West Coast port and at least one oil and gas pipeline, people familiar with the incidents told The Washington Post. The hackers also attempted to break into the operator of Texas’s power grid, which operates independently from electrical systems in the rest of the country.

Several entities outside the United States, including electric utilities, also have been victimized by the hackers, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.  

The disclosures to The Post build on the annual threat assessment in February by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which warned that China “almost certainly is capable” of launching cyberattacks that would disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines and rail systems.

So, while TARRRs (treasonous, authoritarian radical right Republicans) in congress piss precious time away with vicious stupidity like bitching about Biden and impeaching him for no particular reason, our enemies continue to gnaw away at democracy, truth and the American people. 

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 Senate TARRRs are undergoing a public spinectomy. This delicate medical operation to remove the GOP’s spine is nauseating but informative to see. The Hill reports:

Senate Republicans allied with former President Trump are stepping up calls for the rest of the GOP to rally around him as the party’s inevitable nominee for president and warn that fellow Republicans who hold back are giving aid and comfort to Joe Biden.

Trump’s commanding lead in the polls has strengthened his influence with Republicans in Congress, tilting political momentum on Capitol Hill in favor of demands for major border security reforms and away from funding the war in Ukraine.

GOP senators have softened their public skepticism about the push in the House to impeach Biden — which Trump has encouraged House lawmakers to pursue — and have largely stopped entertaining the hope that someone other than Trump may emerge as the victor in next year’s primary.

The failure of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) or former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) to break through as the viable alternative to Trump in any of the four Republican presidential debates is prompting Trump’s Senate allies to now call for an early end to the race.

Since re-election for the TARRRs is more important than anything, one can reasonably expect the morally rotted cowards to fall in line and support DJT. They will pretend he is just another garden variety Republican patriot candidate instead. They will assiduously avoid any mention that he is an utterly corrupt fornicating liar and traitor. Here the vaunted and popular KYMS tactic will be enthusiastically employed, while the TARRRs maintain a high level self-righteous roar and howl over impeaching Biden and getting to the bottom of what is on Hunter’s laptop.

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CNN reports about self-professed dark free speech “absolutist”, bullshitter, liar and hypocrite Elon Musk ramping up efforts to increase the level of lies, slanders and crackpot conspiracy theories on his Xitter hellscape:

Elon Musk said the account of right-wing extremist Alex Jones would be reinstated on X, reversing a 2018 decision by the company’s previous management to deplatform the notorious conspiracy theorist after he repeatedly broke rules prohibiting harassment and hate.

On Saturday morning, Musk posted an unscientific poll to his account asking users of the platform if Jones should be reinstated. By Saturday evening when the poll closed, about 70% of nearly 2 million respondents had voted “yes.”

Early Sunday morning, Musk replied to the poll saying, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.” [bullshit]

Musk acknowledged Saturday that reinstating Jones would “be bad for X financially,” [liar] but he argued “principles matter more than money.” [? Bwaaahahahaha!! liar] Musk has sought to portray himself as a free speech absolutist, though he has taken action to curtail the speech of critics. [hypocrite]

Musk said last year that he would not lift the ban on Jones because of his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. But in recent days, following an interview with Tucker Carlson — another extremist right-wing personality who was fired by Fox News earlier this year — there has been significant pressure aimed at Musk from Jones’ right-wing allies demanding his account be restored.

Musk’s flip-flop [shameless hypocrisy]

Musk said last November that he would not reinstate Jones’ account, even as he brought back other controversial figures. The billionaire explained his position at the time by citing Bible verses and his own personal experience losing his first child to sudden infant death syndrome.

“My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat,” Musk tweeted. “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”

[liar] [here Musk refers to what Jones said about the murdered children at Sandy Hook elementary school]

For context about Jones’ not-quite free speech filth (it was held to be illegal defamation in a lawsuit) that Jones spewed from his InfoWars hellscape that got him banned from the Xitter in the first place:

“One of the questions I really have to just get out of the way and I and you’re probably talking about this already before is the whole Sandy Hook thing,” Musk ask Jones. “So what exactly did you say and what is wrong with that situation?”

In response, Jones said that he was simply trying to cover the news of the mass shooting [liar], noting that he fell victim to a politically motivated judge [liar], noting former President Trump’s ongoing legal challenges in New York.

 
“And so suddenly I would wake up and there would be sometimes 100 articles or more a day, every major news channel saying that I was currently saying nobody died [truth] currently sending people to their houses, currently peeing on graves,” Jones added.

Jones also said that he had to give numerous apologies for his comments about Sandy Hook, claiming that he was just playing “devil’s advocate” [liar] and he did not believe the shooting was staged [liar].

.... I’m really just a guy [liar]…talk radio host. So I do that on the Internet. I just take calls and interview guests and that I play devil’s advocate,” [liar] Jones explained. “And if that hurt people’s feelings, I apologize [liar]. But I did not send people to your houses [liar]. I did not pee on graves [liar]. I don’t know any of the stuff that went on. [liar]”  

Jones received massive criticism and scrutiny for promoting conspiracy theories, including his one on Sandy Hook. He stated that the massacre, which left 20 children dead, was a so-called false flag event that was designed to shore up support for gun control.

It would be reassuring and nice to say that things can’t get worse in America. Unfortunately, things can get a hell of a lot worse. America has not yet come very close to hitting a rock bottom bigoted, kleptocratic tyranny built on lies, slanders, hate and racism. We're just at a point along the path to hell where the dark free speech filth like what Alex Jones spews in public is now publicly celebrated by  morally rotted, authoritarian radical right elites. Filth speech is now normalized and on an equal footing with respectful honest speech.  

Woof! That was fun and invigorating. 😊

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The right balance…

From an economic standpoint, when it comes to the type of government people want, they are generally of two different mindsets.  Here’s my subjective breakdown:

The Type 1 Mindset

They prefer a limited (small) government that stays out of ALL financial aspects of their lives (here in the U.S., often thought of as Republicans who resist all regulations, especially when big capitalistic personal profits hang in the balance).  Or…

The Type 2 Mindset

They prefer an overarching (big) government that oversees and coordinates the larger society’s financial business (often what has been called the “tax and spend Democrats”).  

And then you got your third and fourth groups:

The Type 3 Mindset

They have no real opinion.  The "Clueless."  They go with the flow, accepting whatever comes their way, no questions asked (“Hey, wake me up when it’s over. I haven’t got time for the pain and nonsense of politics.”). Or…

The Type 4 Mindset

They want some kind of combo-platter; a little of this and a little of that. For this type, whether to limit or broaden the government, depends on what’s at stake.  Menu-like, they will pick and choose, giving a thumbs up or thumbs down, based on categories such as national debt, budget, regulations, military, social safety nets, infrastructure and other societal improvements, etc. and etc.).  I'm guessing these types consider themselves the "Independents."

Of course, for drama, I overly simplify here. Like most everything in life, it’s much more complicated than I’m making it out to be. But, for conversation’s sake, humor me here. 😉

So finally, here’s the question: Generally speaking, what kind of grouping, category, that I’ve laid out above, do you more fit into?  Type 1, 2, 3, or 4?  Or are you a Type 5 (other)?

Explain yourself. 

News bits: An encouraging global warming poll; Romney’s irrelevance; Journalist's irrelevance; Etc.

 CNN reports about a poll it conducted:

CNN poll: Large majority of US adults and half of Republicans agree 

with Biden’s goal to slash climate pollution

Nearly two-thirds of US adults say they are worried about the threat of climate change in their communities, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. More than half are worried about the impact of extreme weather, as the climate crisis touches every region in the form of extreme heat, devastating storms and drought.

Even more want the federal government to do something about it. A broad majority of US adults – 73% – say the federal government should develop its climate policies with the goal of cutting the country’s planet-warming pollution in half by the end of the decade.

That’s good news.

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USA Today reports: 

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, threw cold water on House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, saying he does not “see any evidence” that the president's actions warrant his removal from office.

Romney, who has long criticized the GOP's direction, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that House Republicans “ought to have some evidence” of wrongdoing before opening an impeachment inquiry.

House Republicans “ought to have some evidence” of wrongdoing? It’s a safe bet that those comments won't change many minds, if any.

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Business Insider reports: 

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly said former President Donald Trump is not as “mentally sharp” as he once was.

“There's no question that Trump has lost a step or multiple steps,” Kelly told conservative commentator Glenn Beck on Friday. “He is confusing Joe Biden for Obama. I know he's now saying he intentionally did that — go back and look at the clips, it wasn't intentional.”

She noted that he is making mistakes “repeatedly,” including “confusing countries, confusing cities where he is.”

Making mistakes, confusing Biden for Obama? Although it is true, it’s a safe bet that won't change many minds, if any.

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A snippet from reddit law (r/law):

Elon Musk on suing Media Matters in every country that they operate, along with everyone who funds them, and two minutes later how freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy

The peanut gallery had a couple of interesting observations:

1. It's almost as if he's some kind of hypocrite.
2. What the rich asshats really mean -“If we erode freedom of [my] speech....” 

3. Nothing says free speech like a good old lawsuit suing someone for exercising free speech.

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