Fascism, Authoritarianism, and American Culture: Yes? No?

Reply to Bitter Crank The US already had its Fascist period at the appropriate time, with the early 20th century Progressives. The New Deal was essentially a mildly Fascist program, very similar to Mussolini's and Hitler's ideas (both Wilson and FDR were admirers of Mussolini). And both Social Democracy and Fascism were, in a way, developments of Bismarck's original late 19th century ideas about what we now call the welfare state.

It's a bit of a mistake to associate "authoritarianism" exclusively with the Right (the error comes from Adorno's absurd drivel in The Authoritarian Personality). Communism was plenty authoritarian.

I don't think the US is in danger of being a Fascist state any time soon. It might be possible again in the future, but it's not on the horizon at all at the moment, TDS sufferers notwithstanding.

Quoting gurugeorge

The US already had its Fascist period at the appropriate time, with the early 20th century Progressives. The New Deal was essentially a mildly Fascist program, very similar to Mussolini's and Hitler's ideas (both Wilson and FDR were admirers of Mussolini). And both Social Democracy and Fascism were, in a way, developments of Bismarck's original late 19th century ideas about what we now call the welfare state.

I'm reading Jonah Goldberg's, Liberal Fascism, and he does make that point in the book. Where did you service your conclusion, from that book too?

Any possible appearance of a fascist future for the USA would be a plutocracy/capitalist corporatocracy. It probably already is. Orwell’s 1984 is now quaint and like child’s play. The government now is a de facto employee and/or prostitute of our beloved billionaire heroes and prosperity gospel role models. The current POTUS not surprisingly happens to be both. The rugged individualism of US history has become a ragged and rigged individualism. Ragged because we are increasingly isolated and vulnerable. Rigged because certain forces find that the desperation of the population is to their advantage. Talk about poisoning the well. Slavery ended when? Or did it simply change form?

Partisan political finger pointing is good for a smug laugh, but not much more at this point. The violent protesters of both extremes are valiant heroes only in their own minds, and are almost indistinguishable from each other.

We have become the Pharoah, shrugging off each increasing plague. Just the cost of doing business. Not much to wait for... except maybe for the Galactic Mothership to return... or the Rapture... or the Earth’s magnetic poles flipping... or for Frodo to throw the damned ring back into the fire already.

No worries, it's just the Fourth Turning. Sit back and relax for another decade or so, weather the storm ... and all shall be reborn in another First Turning! The long view is the only view that will keep us sane.

Reply to Bitter Crank " What cultural resources tend to support fascism?"I think it is the political culture of "fake news" and "whitch hunt".
In the last few years, mass media and most of political establishment care just about getting
public's immediate attention, exploiting the most primitive collective emotions.

Quoting Posty McPostface

I'm reading Jonah Goldberg's, Liberal Fascism, and he does make that point in the book. Where did you service your conclusion, from that book too?

No, from general reading and reading of history (I'm 58, educated in a different age); but the following article is probably the best thing you can easily find on the web on Fascism:- http://www.la-articles.org.uk/fascism.htm (Steele is an ex-Communist libertarian btw.)

Goldberg's book is ok, but his take is a bit too neocon for my tastes, and he downplays the Right-wing element in Fascism a bit too much. The usual Left-wing narrative about Fascism is certainly hokum, but there's a grain of truth to associating it somewhat with the Right as well as the Left (that's partly why it was thought of as a "Third Way" at the time - it blended elements of revolutionary socialism with some older traditionalist Right-wing tropes, like strong leadership, hierarchy, military mobilization, etc. - but then again, it was also forward-looking, futurist, etc. too).

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