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Fascism is NOT the exclusive domain of any one political ideology. It can range from extreme Communist to extreme Capitalist regimes and everything in between. It is unbridled despotism.

Petter 9 Apr 10
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3

Douglas himself was a Baptist preacher and a passionate and successful Canadian socialist politician.
Grandfather of Kiefer Sutherland.

skado Level 9 Apr 10, 2023
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That sounds like a case of applied Humpty-Dumptyism:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

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In casual use, words like fascism get tossed around to mean "bad" or "evil" or anything we don't like. And that's fine, but in historical context, fascism was the near opposite of communism. This is not to say communism was any better - just very different from fascism. Communism is extreme, toxic left wing ideology, and Fascism is extreme, toxic right wing ideology. Such extremes are equally destructive and not the least bit excusable just because they happen to be on one's favorite side of the political dichotomy.

I have not been able to find a dictionary that doesn't include in its definition of fascism the presence of nationalism and racism (what conservatives typically fight for and liberals typically fight against). But the following is the most complete definition I have found:

Fascism: a. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

Word History - It is fitting that the name of an authoritarian political movement like Fascism, founded in 1919 by Benito Mussolini, should come from the name of a symbol of authority. The Italian name of the movement, fascismo, is derived from fascio, "bundle, (political) group," but also refers to the movement's emblem, the fasces, a bundle of rods bound around a projecting axe-head that was carried before an ancient Roman magistrate by an attendant as a symbol of authority and power. The name of Mussolini's group of revolutionaries was soon used for similar nationalistic movements in other countries that sought to gain power through violence and ruthlessness, such as National Socialism.
[ahdictionary.com]

I acknowledge that this is, at minimum, an American perspective, but I have not been able to find authoritative, historical sources that contradict it, and I have tried. Claims that try to paint fascism as a politically liberal phenomenon can quickly be traced to right wing propaganda sources.

Left wing extremism is as toxic as any, but, historically speaking, it ain't fascism.

skado Level 9 Apr 10, 2023

I don’t often share your posts on fb, but this warrants an exception. Thank you for posting.

@MsKathleen

[adl.org]

[nps.gov]

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@skado I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach right now.

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Fascism starts when people are brainwashed to believe that their beliefs are the only true belief and extend that absolutist attitude to everything else. It starts with the acceptance and embrace of radicalism, and QUICKLY turns into totalitarianism. (It is the opposite of the tolerance and humility that denote compassion and humanism.) It may not start with wearing a brown shirt, but it does start with wearing a cross. If you have to advertise your depravity to lure others down the rabbit hole, you'll become frustrated by the rejection. That frustration leads to insecurity and then to the compulsion to bully others to virtue signal and to bolster one's ego.

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Those who know history understand the policies pushed by true fascists.

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei ("National Socialist German Workers' Party", or Nazi Party

@Petter

The goals are the same regardless of the name

I don't claim to "know history" but I sure know propaganda when I see it.

Are "true" fascists anything like "true" Scotsmen?

@skado

Liberals can’t point out a society where it’s worked, but by god…. There way will work. It’s just like all the others, but gooderer than before.

@CourtJester
Liberals might not be able to, but I can point out that every human society for the first two or three hundred thousand years of our existence was, as the anthropologists tend to say, fiercely egalitarian.

Capitalism is the new kid on the block, and certainly, in evolutionary terms, barely in its infancy. It is an untested commodity, long term.

When people become emotionally attached to any ideology - political, economic, social, sports - whatever - it works like a religious belief in that it serves to unite likeminded individuals into tribes, and provide them an identity.

Probably the best system for modern civilization is some kind of mixed economy - not unlike what we have - mostly capitalism with certain critical services covered by taxes and available to all, for the betterment of society.

But that doesn’t provide anybody with a tribal identity to fight for. It’s just practical.

@skado
It’s yet to be successful without soon turning into absolute tyranny.

@CourtJester
It was successful for 200,000 years. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
The U.S. has been drifting toward tyranny for the last forty years or so. But the issue appears to be coming to a head. The world will soon learn whether the law has teeth for the crimes of the powerful. If Trump doesn’t serve time, you will soon have your tyranny.

CourtJester I'm gonna go out on a limb here and bet you don't think there was a Holocaust......

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