What exactly qualifies someone as “fascist” now?

[Taenaeris]

Concentration Camps are generally associated with heaps of dead bodies - we shouldn’t overcomplicate things for ourselves by first having to explain why we don’t want to kill people. And making jokes about that topic isn’t helping.

[PC2]

Concentration Camps are generally associated with heaps of dead bodies - we shouldn’t overcomplicate things for ourselves by first having to explain why we don’t want to kill people. And making jokes about that topic isn’t helping.

au contraire, comedy is a tranquilizer.

[Najnaj]

I see a lot of physical assault, intimidation, doxxing, censorship, etc being justified because the victims are “fascists”, but what exactly does that mean today?

You do? I don't.

I see a lot of physical assault, intimidation, doxxing, etc being justified because the "victims" have done things that provoke people to do these things regardless of political views. After that I see a lot of crying about how unfair people are to some dude convinced that he is better than someone else based on.... [insert random value here]

As for censorship, there is virtually none in the western world.

I also see a lot of people debating definitions over and over again for no good reason other than to deflect. A bit like you are doing right here.

[Ghostpanther]

Uh-huh well it's against the rules to call someone a troll here right? But not a nazi with no shred of proof. You see a problem with that. My beef with the hall moniters I can't go into since the "unwashed rabble" can't criticize them.

Yep. It is against the rules. But then again, much worse things people are allowed to say on here, is tolerated.

On topic, I consider someone is acting like a fascist, when they are conducting themselves like one. That is, they want to shut down any who disagree with them. Look up the definition of fascism. It refers to a form of government which does such. If enough people condone it and act on it, it has the potential to become the active form of government eventually.


Definition of fascism

1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

[Cizr]

nowaday its just a buzzword. Empty label left uses on opposition, same as "nazi" , "racist" etc. Often used when you want dont have any arguments and just want to ad hominem oposition.

Examples :

"Oh you think that illegal immigration is bad? Fucking nazi !"

"You think that vigilant mobs beating up journalists and people they dont like are bad? Fucking fascist !"

etc

[Machismo]

nowaday its just a buzzword. Empty label left uses on opposition, same as "nazi" , "racist" etc. Often used when you want dont have any arguments and just want to ad hominem oposition.

Examples :

"Oh you think that illegal immigration is bad? Fucking nazi !"

"You think that vigilant mobs beating up journalists and people they dont like are bad? Fucking fascist !"

etc

Nah, but ethno-nationalism and white nationalism are bad, right? I'd say that would make someone a fascist, don't you think?

[Collegeguy]

Yep. It is against the rules. But then again, much worse things people are allowed to say on here, is tolerated.

On topic, I consider someone is acting like a fascist, when they are conducting themselves like one. That is, they want to shut down any who disagree with them. Look up the definition of fascism. It refers to a form of government which does such. If enough people condone it and act on it, it has the potential to become the active form of government eventually.


Definition of fascism

1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

Does Trump fit this definition?

[Daedius]

Or the right. If you listen to both sides crazies you'll tend to notice the complaints they lodge against each other almost match. At some point both sides would be able to merge as they are basically indistinguishable from each other.

Pretty much;

[Xarkan]

There's an and before the bolded. Without those other things, it's not fascism. You do know what "and" means, right?

I suspect he is perfectly well aware of that but he does not care

[downnola]

Yep. It is against the rules. But then again, much worse things people are allowed to say on here, is tolerated.

On topic, I consider someone is acting like a fascist, when they are conducting themselves like one. That is, they want to shut down any who disagree with them. Look up the definition of fascism. It refers to a form of government which does such. If enough people condone it and act on it, it has the potential to become the active form of government eventually.


Definition of fascism

1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

Forcible suppression of opposition is an indicator of totalitarianism, not just fascism. The USSR suppressed opposition, but it wasn't run by actual fascists.

The first part of that definition is the important feature of fascism.

[Galactis]

I find Umberto Eco's 14 general principles of fascism the clearest definition, in practice. They speak to the character of the movement itself, rather than particular specifics which may or may not apply. Borrowed shamelessly off Wikipedia;

1> "The Cult of Tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by Tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.

2> "The Rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.

3> "The Cult of Action for Action's Sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself, and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.

4> "Disagreement Is Treason" – Fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.

5> "Fear of Difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.

6> "Appeal to a Frustrated Middle Class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.

7> "Obsession with a Plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's 'fear' of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also anti-Semitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.

8> Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak." On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.

9> "Pacifism is Trafficking with the Enemy" because "Life is Permanent Warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to NOT build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.

10> "Contempt for the Weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate Leader who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.

11> "Everybody is Educated to Become a Hero", which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death."

12> "Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality."

13> "Selective Populism" – The People, conceived monolithically, have a Common Will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the Leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the Voice of the People."

14> "Newspeak" – Fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.

Any one particular element isn't enough to qualify anything as "fascist", but once you get to a plurality of those features, the label starts to become meaningful.

A lot of these "rules" more like, "guidelines" are very resembling of the United States course of direction in the last 50 years. Way more in the last 20 years it has escalated dramatically into some new modern form of this.

[Dextroden]

According to Endus, a lot of people here. And himself since he matches 8 out of 14.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Of course women can be Fascists by accepting and embracing the position that Fascism attributes to them (support personnel meant to produce as many men as they can). Machismo is important to fascism as psychological support for the men it pushed to war.

I think it's a lackluster definition that only defines by anecdote and not by reason.

[Ghostpanther]

There's an and before the bolded. Without those other things, it's not fascism. You do know what "and" means, right?

I know what the " 2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control means." Do you?

- - - Updated - - -

Forcible suppression of opposition is an indicator of totalitarianism, not just fascism. The USSR suppressed opposition, but it wasn't run by actual fascists.

The first part of that definition is the important feature of fascism.

I agree. The 2: however, says it can also apply in other situations. It is normally referred to with a government, Such as Nazi Germany during WW2. But also says it can apply to a political philosophy or movement.

[Xarkan]

I know what the " 2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control means." Do you?

Do you?

What do you imagine when you hear words like Autocratic or Dictatorial?

[Doctor Amadeus]

When a select few use the government to stifle the rights of others through unjustified laws and processing.

[Ghostpanther]

Do you?

What do you imagine when you hear words like Autocratic or Dictatorial?

A individual can have the tendency for such. And certainly a movement can. It only becomes actually dictatorial when the movement or individual is powerful enough to exert it on others.

Remember it says a tendency toward then says "or".

[Xarkan]

A individual can have the tendency for such. And certainly a movement can. It only becomes actually dictatorial when the movement or individual is powerful enough to exert it on others.

Remember it says a tendency toward then says "or".

Yes.. but that was not the question

[ParanoiD84]

Like the medieval witch hunts, you simply point your finger at someone and scream facist minus the burning at the stakes or beheading of course

[Lex Icon]

eh.. if you feel offended everytime someone who's ideology you admire get's labeled fascist maybe some self reflection would be in order.
it's like certain posters here acting surprised when they get labeled in a certain way when they keep showing up in full force to defend that very same thing every time it's brought up.