Post #1754029

2026-04-23 12:36 UTC

@feoh The word "fascist" as presently used has drifted, and I think my definition is the new usage. The classic "fascism" is a set of tools which the current one is willing to use: nationalism, militarism, racism, designation of an external enemy which is labelled as simultaneously weak and cowardly yet also implacable and dangerous, single-leader cult worship. Those are not core beliefs of these people, those are strategies that they find acceptable to achieve and maintain power.

Replies (1)

@SnoopJ@hachyderm.io 2026-04-23 15:43

@dashdsrdash @feoh it's debatable if fascists even *have* core beliefs, and I think there's a compelling case that they do not: truth is just another weapon to a fascist. Maybe you can argue there is a core belief in violence as a natural state. Which is also why trying to point out hypocrasies is a complete waste: the people who care about that contradiction are by-definition the people who *aren't* constructing truth to meet the moment, but believe there is some sort of external Truth of reality against which people can measure up. I always end up back at Umberto Eco's "Ur-Fascism". The list of symptoms is just as relevant today as it was in 1995. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism

Open ##1754030