How #fascism works, and how to stop it: #Dehumanizing people is the first and last step in a fascist society
By Dave Gamrath | June 8, 2022
"#Fascist politicians typically come to power through a democratic election, but after being elected, the new leader rules society absolutely, demanding loyalty to him and to his ethnic identity. This authoritarian leader speaks on behalf of the country and aims to separate society into 'us' versus 'them.'
"'We' are everything virtuous. We are the makers: hardworking, industrious and exceptional. 'They' are lazy, exploiting government handouts; they are the takers. They are lazy criminals on whom freedom would be wasted. They take our hard-earned money and threaten our traditions. They believe in liberalism and #SocialJustice, both of which will destroy our culture.
"Fascist politics includes many strategies, including the creation of a mythical past. This mythical past includes purity of religion, race and/or culture. It was a time of glory, lost due to 'humiliation brought on by globalism and liberal cosmopolitanism.' Values such as equality made the nation weak. Inventing a glorious past requires deleting inconvenient realities. Past sins are erased. History is cherry-picked.
"Propaganda is an important tool of fascist politics. 'Political propaganda uses the language of virtuous ideals to unite people behind otherwise objectionable ends,' Stanley writes. The term 'draining the swamp' is a common theme in fascist movements; the false charges of corruption hide that the party is, at the same time, engaging in even greater corruption. Propaganda works best when confined to a few points brought out in slogans and simple language. It generates anger and resentment and gets people to the polls.
"Anti-intellectualism is a common theme of fascist politicians, who attack and devalue education and expertise to undermine public discourse. They denounce teaching perspectives that don’t fully support their culture. On his radio program, Rush Limbaugh once famously stated, 'The four corners of deceit are government, academia, science and media,' and he continued, 'Science has become a home for displaced socialists and communists.' Fascist leaders are 'men of action' with no use for deliberation or consultation. Hmmm.
"Stanley writes that 'unreality' is an important fascist goal — to cast reality into doubt. In that state, what is true cannot be agreed upon. The goal is to break down reality and remove the ability to assess arguments by a common standard. Reasoned debate is replaced by fear and anger. According to Stanley, 'regular and repeated obvious lying is part of the process by which fascist politics destroys the information space.' A common tactic is the use of conspiracy theories, which work to denigrate, delegitimize, impugn and malign their targets, to raise suspicion about credibility and decency. Conspiracy theories are the calling card of fascists, and help them delegitimize mainstream media. Reasoned debate is impossible when one side is basing their beliefs on conspiracy theories. Use of coded language becomes common. Dramatic inequality drives people’s willingness to believe conspiracy theories.
"Fascists believe that nature imposes #hierarchies that are totally inconsistent with #equality. Hierarches are standard within fascism — most importantly, 'us' over 'them.' Fascists believe that natural hierarchies of worth exist. Groups that historically have benefited from being at the top of the hierarchy can feel victimized by equality. Fascist politicians play to this.
"Stanley writes that #white Americans vastly overestimate progress toward racial equality in America over the past 50 years. Even though white men still have most of the power in America, many feel victimized. Reducing inequality often leads to those who had benefited under it now feeling persecuted for their loss of advantage. Fascist leaders exploit feelings of victimization to obscure their attempts at victimizing others. '#Nationalism is at the core of fascism. The fascist leader employs a sense of collective victimhood to create a sense of group identity.' A constant danger exists because of 'them,' including immigrants and those from other races, religions or political parties."
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How fascism works, and how to stop it: Dehumanizing people is the first and last step in a fascist society
In “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them,” Yale professor of philosophy Jason Stanley explains the mechanics, strategies and tactics ...
