Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy❤
No. of Recommendations: 26
What is fascism?
A far-right, ultranationalist, authoritarian, political ideology.
Characterized by dictatorial leadership, suppression of opposition, and strong control of the economy and society.
A "revolutionary" movement that aims to reshape society, as opposed to conserving the existing social order.
A "portable concept"
Fascism is an adaptable concept that travels across time and space.
It capitalizes on perceived national decline, humiliation, and victimhood to unify a community.
The mythic past and national rebirth
Populist ultranationalism: A belief in the need for a national rebirth from a state of decadence, led by a charismatic leader.
A glorious, mythic past: A constant appeal to a fictional, mythic past to justify the nationalist cause and inspire a sense of destiny.
Obsession with national decline: The belief that the nation is in a state of decay and must be restored to its former glory.
The politics of "us and them"
Identification of enemies and scapegoats: The use of racial, ethnic, religious, and political minorities to rally the public in a patriotic frenzy.
Demonization and "othering":
The dehumanization of "outsiders" to justify human rights abuses and violence.
"Internal foreigners": Labeling political opponents or critical thinkers as disloyal "traitors".
The cult of the leader
The leadership principle: The belief that the state should have a single, authoritarian leader with absolute power.
Charisma and the "strongman" image: The leader is portrayed as a strong, virile figure who alone can restore the nation.
Rejection of reasoned debate: Followers are encouraged to see the leader's will as an infallible truth.
Controlling the people
Controlled mass media: Suppression of independent media through government control or influence.
Anti-intellectualism: Open hostility toward higher education, academia, and free expression in the arts.
Erosion of human rights: The rights of individuals are ignored for the perceived "needs" of national security.
Suppression of labor: Labor power is suppressed to protect corporate interests, which align with the regime.
Rampant cronyism and corruption: The government is run by friends and associates of the leader, who use their positions for personal gain.
Militarism: The military is glorified and given a disproportionate amount of government funding.
The destruction of democratic norms
Rejection of democracy: The active subversion and dismantling of democratic institutions.
Fraudulent elections: Manipulation of the electoral process through voter suppression, smear campaigns, and other means.
Violent opposition: The use of violence against political opponents to suppress dissent.
The dismantling of public goods: A disregard for public services and institutions in favor of private interests.
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Link for this good synopsis please?
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led by a charismatic leader.
OK, I understand that somehow for a lot of people the worthless ass in the Whitehouse is somehow charismatic, but I will never understand why.
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It is pretty clear, once you have an understanding of fascism as a political movement rather than an empty slur, where we are headed.
On a sleigh ride to hell.
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We don't have fascism in America.
The closest we came was during the Presidency of one Woodrow Wilson, who jailed journos he didn't like.
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With a little help from AI.
;o)
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We don't have fascism in America.Perhaps I should have titled the post "The Road to Fascism in America". We are well on the way and even you could find recent state actions that fulfill each of the indicators of fascism I identified.
A glorious, mythic past MAGA
Obsession with national decline MAGA
Identification of enemies and scapegoats "Illegals", leftists, democrats
The dehumanization of "outsiders" to justify human rights abuses and violence Deporting "illegals" without due process to South Sudan.
"Internal foreigners" Have a look at Trump's policy Prioritizing Denaturalization"
https://www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inl...Controlled mass media After defunding the CPB and silencing the public media, Trump is now threatening to shut down the corporate media:
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5468568-trump-t...Anti-intellectualism The assault on higher education is obvious. The assault on government information and data is not only fascistic but dangerous to the public.
I've only picked a few items here, but it is clear we are well on the road to fascism.
Here is my prediction as to how the constitution and our democracy falls. Trump (really Miller and Vought) test the domestic use of the military in Chicago by calling up the Illinois national guard. Pritzker orders the Illinois national guard to stand down. This causes a constitutional crisis. Trump moves to bring other state national guard units to Chicago and Pritzker calls on the Illinois national guard to prevent that from happening. The second American civil war anyone?
No. of Recommendations: 1
Aha. Despite its impending peril and potential for perniciousness, AI does have its uses.
