Fascism-What is it?

Politics
21

Of course not. I was referring the the current misuse of the term.

22

Well originally the term applied to the King of Rome (ues King) and his immediate court. Their official bodyguard, called “Lictors” were unarmed while within rome and carried only a bundle of sticks → The Fasces
The term applied to any King or noble who was too far above the “ordinary people.”
An ordinary chieftain walks the same streets and crowds as everyone else. When a fascist walks the streets, everyone must clear a path.
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Like all words as time went on, it gained a second meaning. By the 20th century it applied to the Mussolini Italian fascists. They were the KEYSTONE COPS of the Axis powers, Poorly coordinated, poorly supplied, nearly lost the everything defeating tiny little Ethiopia.

On the domestic/economic front, the government nationalized the banks and controlled all industry because they controlled the loans. Ostensibly they controlled industry to champion the workers and protect them from those dastardly rotten capitalists. (That’s what thye would have said.) What were their true economic methids? Well that’s kind of a rohrschach test. Eveyone right left and center says “They were the opposite of me.”

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23

What is fascism?

That ■■■■ we went through during covid.

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24

I look at Fascism in this way, it should exhibit:

  1. Dictatorial power
  2. Forcible suppression of opposition
  3. Strong regimentation of society and the economy.
  4. Militarism
  5. Strong Nationalism
  6. Focus on decline and threats
25

:backhand_index_pointing_up: We have our winner! :backhand_index_pointing_up:

26

Boop…covid.

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27

Il Duce was guilty of all six. Then Adolph used him as a puttana and destroyed Italy.

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28

COVID really broke a lot of people, they still can’t get over living through a pandemic. Lots of lunacy now about vaccines, mRNA and the like. Happens every time when you look back on prior events like this. It can really change societies in their aftermaths.

It was handled alright, could have been loads better in retrospect. It’s funny, those of us who lived through it from a Medical Standpoint are dealing with PTSD from the horror we saw while hosts of people are arguing nothing even happened, or that vaccines didn’t save our collective asses. We live in 2 realities, it seems.

It was a public health crisis, one for the ages, but a lot of people seemed to have simply snapped and veered into wild conspiracy theories and junk science, like that horse paste stuff. I stopped posting about COVID here because I realized facts were not welcome here.

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29

Misuse?

Perhaps overuse in some cases, but given the slide, I would argue against even that.

I believe even fascists (or socialists) can have some good policies mixed in. Whether it is a true policy or camouflage can be argued.

I think one has to kind of step back into a 10,000 foot view and ask “are the policies mostly fascist/socialist”? Then go from there.

The problem as I see it is, they start off good, then everybody wants to add their 10% and you end up drifting into bad.

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30

Or have thugs to clear it for him.

31

Can dictatorial power be wielded by a committee?

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32

I could not disagree more.

33

Especially bureaucrats.

35

From Webster:

Fascism : a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition

Doesn’t seem like something that is possible in the US. Too many different races; Capitalism is still dominant, not going to see the military take out an entire political party.

36

Yes exactly.
100%
That is the literal actual source of the word.

The Lictors (bodyguards) carried Fasces (bundles of sticks) to clear a path for the lofty and arrogant leaders (the orginal Fascists.)

37

And it has evolved again. :wink:

I’ll be explaining soon enough.

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38

Yes I think one popular definition is “anyone with an ‘R’ next to their name and anyone who thinks there are only two genders.”

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39

Seriously?

40

No, it far more sinister then anything we witnessed in 20th century.

41

3e49d228029648a61af64ecc8cfb6255

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