MrsPeel wrote:
Quote:
"Although fascist parties and movements differed significantly from one another, they had many characteristics in common, including extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a Volksgemeinschaft (German: "people's community"), in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation."
"a far-right political philosophy, or theory of government, that emerged in the early twentieth century. Fascism prioritizes the nation over the individual, who exists to serve the nation." and as "an ultranationalist, authoritarian political philosophy. It combines elements of nationalism, militarism, economic self-sufficiency, and totalitarianism. It opposes communism, socialism, pluralism, individual rights and equality, and democratic government."
“a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime... 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”
Wikipedia's definition of fascism has a lot of overlap with extreme communism, namely:
Extreme militaristic nationalism
Contempt of democracy
social hierarchy and the rule of elites
individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation
prioritizes the nation over the individual (not sure why this is mentioned twice?)
authoritarian
economically self-sufficient
militaristic
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
Based on the above criteria Vladimir Putin's Russia could be put into this category.
Where German (and modern European) fascism diverts from extreme communism is the incorporation of Darwinian principles into ethnonationalism. It automatically targets undesirable elements (race, disability, sexual orientation, beliefs) as a life unworthy of life (Lebensunwertes Leben).
Such a pillar of fascism was born of scientific theories of eugenics where certain races were superior to others. Indeed followers of such philosophies such as manifest destiny (that some races were mean't to rule/take over because of inherent superior qualities) were espoused by philosophers like Nietzsche and toynbee. toynbeeism was popular well into the 20th century with leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret thatcher and Lee Kuan Yew in favour of ideas that some races perform better because of colder climes and difficult environments creating hardship leading to the evolution of supermen who were adaptive and culturally advanced and destined to rule (Europeans and Chinese).
While there are many things unpalatable about the extreme far right, but their unique desire to eradicate society of undesirables elements is what makes them a very evil movement
23 Jan 2025, 7:41 pm
