We do live in different times. What we are looking at is the alt-right taking advantage of in the United States:
- Workers hit hard by the Great Recession.
- A discredited left alternative.
- Dissatisfaction with an inefficient democracy.
- The end of consensus politics.
- Racism provoked by job stealing immigrants, refugees, and political asylum seekers.
- A respectable right party
- Nostalgia for a strong state.
- A compliant media and a major propaganda effort by the right.
*Adapted from Introducing Fascism: A Graphic Guide (2013)
https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Fascism-Graphic-Stuart-Hood/dp/1848316127
So basically the playing field is different. There are plenty of people still wanting to argue rationally against the thinly veiled fascism of the alt-right. The alt-right isn't interested in a rational argument. They offer the same old arguments in new veiled packages. Here are a list of thing I hear regularly on these and other boards:
- The family is being destroyed by feminism.
- Men have been emasculated and are treated unfairly by feminism.
- Women's primary roles is that of family caretaker.
- The unions forced the companies to relocated the jobs to China.
- The government is too large and there are too many regulations forcing companies to relocate to China.
- Police are innately heroes and are fighting a war against drug addled super-predators (Blacks).
- Minorities are leeches on the system and need to be forced off.
- White people are to be bred out of existence.
- Immigrants have stole all of the real American's jobs.
- Campuses crush free speech (hate speech).
- Colleges are part of a liberal conspiracy.
- Racism is okay and based in sciencefact.
Now let's look a a checklist of common fascist groups and compare this to the alt-right in America:
Are their primary targets:
- The left?
- Democratic processes such as compromise and rule by consensus?
- Unions?
Are they supported by:
- the middle classes?
- by disillusioned workers?
- Do they appeal to youth?
- Rely on support from the military and police?
- Are they racist?
- Extreme nationalists?
- Funded by industry? (I have doubts about this one being included.)
- Do they attempt to limit the role of women?
- Are they hostile to homosexuality - transgender individuals?
- Rely on a mass party? (Probably not in the USA)
- Appeal to a mythical history?
- Use terrorism against their opponents? (this one should get a reaction here.)
- Enjoy the complicity of the authorities?
- Exalt the leader?
*Adapted from Introducing Fascism: A Graphic Guide (2013)
https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Fascism-Graphic-Stuart-Hood/dp/1848316127
So in the United States there is a real danger of devolving into a fascist state. The mental health of our president is in question and there is no doubt that Steve Bannon, a White Supremacist is pulling the strings. then we have this guy:
Steven Miller.
http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/joe-takes-stephen-miller-to-school-on-law-875977283878
Only one danger could have jeopardised this development – if our adversaries had understood its principle, established a clear understanding of our ideas, and not offered any resistance. Or, alternatively, if they had from the first day annihilated with the utmost brutality the nucleus of our new movement.
Neither was done. The times were such that our adversaries were no longer capable of accomplishing our annihilation, nor did they have the nerve. Arguably, they furthermore lacked the understanding to assume a wholly appropriate attitude."
- Adolph Hitler, Nuremberg Speech 1934
Today they're beating the fascists at their own game. I mean, today the people advocating the strongest for free speech, ie against political correctness is de facto fascists. That's opposite Tuesday. Makes no sense. My political compass is just spinning right now. I just want identity politics to die soon. There's got to be a blow back from this idiotic state of affairs, and we can go back to fighting what the left should be fighting for = more freedom for everybody.
Oh the left here is still fighting for everybody, but there is a clear and present danger of the United States being taken over by a right-wing fascist dictatorship. The tools that are being used to are a wide variety and some are anti-social. Are they effective or counter productive?
That is what we are discussing here.