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facinghistorystudent
West Roxbury, MA, US
Posts: 7

Fascism manifests in a society when the people are desperate for stability and a brighter future. Even governments that are supposed to be democracies can become fascist societies. Some characteristics that must be present for a society to be considered fascist are the presence of a strong, charismatic leader and a weak political/economic system. Looking back at Germany during the Weimar years, they were in a severe economic crisis and, although they had a democracy, their political system was also very weak. This allowed, in part, for Hitler and the Nazi party to rise to power because Hitler promised to bring stability to Germany. Additionally, there must be hatred or a common enemy present in the country for it to become a fascist society. Looking back at the Nazi party once again, they put a large amount of emphasis on their hatred towards communists and Jews in order to gain German support to win the election. The German people needed someone to blame for the problems that their country was going through, and the widespread hatred towards Jews that had existed in Europe for centuries previous coupled with the fear of communism due the Russian revolution happening nearby gave the Nazis something to capitalize on throughout their campaign. Additionally, fascism was able to take place in Italy because of their hatred for people who were not Italian. According to “Does American Fascism Exist” from The New Republic, fascism signified Mussolini’s “conviction that the Italian people were stronger when individuals acted as a coherent unit.” This gave reason for the Italian people to unite against anyone who was not Italian, and provided them with a stronger sense of nationalism. People are drawn towards fascism often because it provides a sense of nationalism in uncertain and unstable times. Leaders are able to capitalize on that instability in order to bring the people together with the common goal of a better future as a country. Particularly in Nazi Germany, the country lacked a sense of nationalism after the war because they lost unexpectedly after their government officials had been telling citizens repeatedly that they were winning. In light of these uncertain times, Hitler was able to rise and give people reason to trust their government. Many people blamed Jewish people and communists for their loss of WWI, so part of the Nazi campaign was to gain support in this widespread hatred. Their use of propaganda allowed people who shared this hatred to feel that Hitler agreed with them and wanted the best for Germany, and it made people feel that putting him in a position of power would allow Germans to get back the sense of nationalism that they had lost in the war. The use of propaganda in Nazi Germany highlights the importance of control of the media in the rise of a fascist regime. The Nazis were able to completely control the news that Germans were hearing so that they would be forced to agree with the ideas that Hitler promoted. This is one reason that the argument that America is headed in the direction of neo-fascism can be refuted. As Americans, we have full access to media and information and what we see on social media and the news is not controlled by the government. As a result, we are able to form our own educated opinions about politics, which makes a neo-fascist era difficult to achieve in our country.

Overall, there are many factors, including a strong leader, control of the media, and a common enemy present in order for fascism to manifest itself in a society. If a country has a stable government and a thriving economy, fascism is less likely to take over than if this were not the case. However, there is no society that is completely immune to fascism.
facinghistory19
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

Fascism and Modernity

In a modern society, fascism occurs commonly through the hate of the “other”, not governance in America, while in Europe, there has been quite a rise even in governance. Today, NeoFascists, NeoNazis, and more of the sort are extremely fringe in America, while in Europe, theres less extremist groups such as these, and more legitimate lawmakers who endorse some fascist values (Heavy on Anti-Immigration; race purity), especially in Italy. But when people begin to state that fascism is manifesting itself in the same way as that of the Germans, Spanish, or Italians of the time, it’s just simply not true. For a society to be considered fully fascist, there must be the illusion of choice but in reality an autocratic government, there must be control of the media, intense nationalism and hatred for immigrants, and an overall nation-central political view. So while we can see different elements in different governments, there is no fully fascist, oppressive government with true power in todays world. People might ask, why are we so interested with Fascism then, and always talk about it? The reason for this is that the atrocities committed during WW2 and before, by fascist regimes, shocked the world, but also interested us as humans. We like to think ourselves superior to other humans, so we view the Germans, Spanish, and Italians of the time as brainwashed idiots, who allowed fascism to grow in their nations to an alarming point; in turn we study this because it makes us curious how humans could allow it to happen. But the simple fact of the matter is that on a base level, it’s a very appealing form of governance. The nation completely united, the minorities that many dislike would be “gone”, causing the debates to end, and there would be one strong loveable ruler leading the nation to glory. This leader promises to restore former glory, but at the end of the day it’s baseless, and slowly freedoms get taken, until the society becomes dystopian. It’s a cycle of oppression of a people, and from things some might find positive, we see an absolute dismantling of a nation(Germany, Italy, Spain). Making examples of the past and drawing them to today hurts society as a whole, especially American society, because we are intrinsically different, just as New Republic states “As we move further into the twenty-first century, it’s worth asking whether using a twentieth-century term that inevitably invokes images of brown-shirted thugs beating down doors and black-shirted psychopaths running death camps will help us solve the problems we face. Neither climate change, nor inequality, nor structural racism, nor the general hopelessness that has permeated American society will be defeated in ways that resemble the Allies’ defeat of fascism”(New Republic 6). So when people state: “we are in a neo-fascist era”, that's just simply false. While there is certain parts that many people might find appealing, certainly unitedness, we see no form of governance that is directly, at it’s roots, fascism. We see small elements of it everywhere, but it won’t be repeated in the exact ways we saw in the 20th century ever again. So just bringing it up, and making comparisons, hurts us as a society, because we are keeping this inherently evil tool in the spotlight.

purplekiwi
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism manifests in a society because of a myriad of reasons, but it always includes a charismatic, authoritarian leader and the general unhappiness of a society. Fascism sprouts from the discontent and want of better for people in a society, that’s why fascist societies often come about after wars or other large negative events. After WWI the German public felt hopelessly abandoned by their government and were left resentful of their situation. They were lied to throughout the entirety of the war and blindsided by their nation’s loss and the Treaty of Versailles. They plummeted into economic strife and faced hardship for years as the inflation rose astronomically. Poor people, which often included war veterans, couldn’t even afford bread and food while the rich enjoyed life and faced no troubles. Fascism came to arise in Germany because to Germans, it would provide the push they needed to get their country back to some semblance of normal. Fascism was appealing to them because it made them feel like they had a say in their government and that they were cared about. It also is appealing because fascism usually starts off in a democracy and fascist leaders are elected by the people. To them the Nazi’s cared about the poorer majority and wouldn’t leave them in the dark, in the way that they had been deceived by the leaders of the Weimar Republic. The focus on community was also a big part of the appeal because that would help lessen the clear divide between the rich and poor by forcing more unity through the group rallies.

Another fascist characteristic is an obsession with the past and wanting to return to their “former glory”. The Nazi’s appealed to the German public by promising them a return to a better Germany of the past. Hitler used the pride of the German people and convinced them that under the Nazi’s things would improve. Before WWI Germany was in a good spot economically and Hitler promised to return them to a prosperous era under his rule. Hitler was able to be so convincing as a leader because of his authoritarian personality and public speaking skills. Hitler was a very good public speaker and knew how to talk to people in order to make the Nazi’s appealing. He was able to rally together a large number of people within his political party, but then forced his ideas onto the rest of the public after he took power. Yet another characteristic of fascist societies is the involvement of youth. We saw this with Mussolini and the youth groups for boys that were involved in the party. This was also present in Nazi Germany in the education system which they used to influence the youth to their benefit. It is easier to influence the youth because they haven’t formulated their own thoughts and ideals yet, so fascist leaders used that to their advantage. For example the Nazi book burning in 1933 was heavily facilitated by German college students as they fully believed and were committed to Nazi ideals.

Although fascism is treated as an idea of the past it is still present in modern societies. For example, In Iran people live under a fascist regime that they never expected as a possible reality. They weren’t worried about their future because they didn’t think it could happen. This relates to the current fear of fascism within the US. After the recent election of Trump as president many people are worried that fascism could take root due to the many similarities “between contemporary American populism and fascism—their shared racism, reliance on the petit bourgeois, hypernationalism, and xenophobia—”. Some people see this as the start of American fascism and think that we may become a neo-fascist state ourselves.

Dale
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 6

Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism only develops in a society under certain conditions. Fascism requires extreme disapproval from the majority of the population in how the government is handling societal issues. Nazism only gained traction in Germany during heavy economic turbulence and under weak leadership that was not approved of by the majority of the German nation. This is how Hitler came to power. Ultimately, had there been no societal upset, the German people never would’ve resorted to the extreme terms of fascism. Democracy would’ve had more of a chance of survival had there been no economic issues in the country.

Some of the characteristics that must exist in a country for it to be fascist include a head of state and government that has the power to do anything they want. They’re above the law and have as much control over the law and decisions in the state as they want. In Germany, this was Hitler. He was the Führer and had dictatorial powers. Often, these states are military states that rule by means of violence on civilians from the military. Examples are the Gestapo and the SS. The nation that is being governed by fascism also must have a strong majority that loves the fascist leader. The leader must have the approval of their people and absolute power over them in order for the regime to be fascist. Extreme situations may even yield a “cult of personality,” or totalitarianism, in which many aspects of civilian life revolve around the leader. This occurred in Nazi Germany as well as the USSR.

Fascism is appealing to people because it serves a large majority of a population, offering solutions to their problems that the current regime doesn’t offer. Additionally, fascism often will pinpoint a scapegoat as the source of these problems, and the majority of the population isn’t a part of this outgroup that’s been labeled a scapegoat. In Germany, the scapegoats were primarily Jews and Communists. Most Germans were neither of these, and easily could be convinced through propaganda and fiery speeches that these groups were the roots of the existing problems in their country and needed to be eradicated. Propaganda and controlling of the media is one of the largest components of a successful fascist regime.

In order for a regime to be considered fascist, that regime must meet certain standards. Currently, there are no nations that meet the criteria that historically would have created breeding grounds for fascism or would have constituted a fascist regime. Many believe that the US is fascist because of the extreme support from a majority of the population for now president-elect and right-wing Donald Trump. However, this is not yet fascism and is not likely to become fascism because Donald Trump does not have complete power over the decisions in our country. There’s still many checks and balances that exist in the US and the societal upsets that exist currently don’t come close to matching those that existed in Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Italy, or other nations.

greenzebra
Brighton, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

In society, fascism arises during times of extreme societal decline, both social and economical. Fascism is a way of trying to bring control towards governmental downfall. Germany as an example was in political chaos, along with economical, hyperinflation. But there are many other fascist societies in history, some even may argue that the US now is becoming fascist. To be considered fascist, you must have a charismatic leader, propaganda that blocks people from the realities, and a large sense of patriotism and nationalism. There must be major control among the people, with a largely ruling leader. In Germany, this was Hitler and the Nazi party. Hitler was the charismatic leader, and people in Germany were very drawn to him because of his peorsonality, ability to convince them, and his public speaking skills. Propaganda was another big part of fascist societies. Propaganda is the government's way to control the peoples way of thinking, by blocking information about the truth, and only giving them the information they want the people to know. This information is often painting the government in a good light, even if this is not the truth, to keep the people trusting their government. A way Germany participated in this propaganda was book burning, and limiting what is taught in schools. This is a way to keep the people in full control of their leaders. People find the idea that they have a group of people who are close, and have the same ideas and thoughts. They like that they are useful in the world, and people crave a family, and people to rely on. The one problem that people have is not having anyone, feeling alone. People will do anything to not be lonely, because that is one of the feelings we want to distance ourselves from. This is an example of the nationalism that is brought from a fascism society, and how having htis strong government unites the nation, and the people in it. This provides and in-group scenario that makes everyone feel worthy, and in a community. I believe the US has some fascist ideals that are changing more and more as we go through life. I believe that Trump is an enthusiastic leader, who is trying to create a sense of nationalism among the people who support him. There is extreme propaganda being thrown around as well, all that is not the truth. The news where he declared people were “eating cats and dogs” was extremely wrong, but Trump supporters believed it because they are so attached to who he is. The term fascist nowadays however has become so overused, that it has lost its real meaning. People refer to anyone as a fascist, even when they are not. Fascism is specific, and the fact that it is being thrown around on everyday politicians, celebrities, and other famous people leads to the belittling of its meaning. In the New Republic, it states that “Identifying “fascists” allows Americans living today to imagine themselves as part of a consequential world-historical fight between good and evil,” and I believe that this is true, the naming of people as fascists creates a meaning in peoples lives, hoping to believe that they are good, when they really aren't.

bostongirl5
Boston, MA, US
Posts: 8

Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism is a manifestation of fear, instability, and mind games. It looks different in every society, but there are a few characteristics each shares. One is the glorification of the state, seen through intense nationalism, militarism, and authoritarianism. Often people get swept away by the need to have a place in a passionate society. The aesthetic of representing one’s country is an intense form of patriotism, which in turn can form into facism followers. Kenneth Feigenbaum’s article, “The Psychology of Fascism: Wilhelm Reich Et Al” examines the characteristics of a fascist personality, explaining that many ideas stem from “part of the anti-enlightenment tradition” (Feigenbaum 70). The openness and religious rejection that the Enlightenment brought, saw a lot of pushback from people/governments who valued a ruling class and strict governmental order. I think that this is also where the aspects of militarism and authoritarianism should be mentioned. The glorification of warfare and violence, in order to achieve national goals goes hand in hand with a nationalist ideology. There is a craving to be the best, to be the winner, and that manifests in violent affairs. This is where Germany was able to achieve fascist following as the common man was disappointed with Germany’s respectability standing amongst Europe, and wanted to see his country become greater. Lastly, probably the most important aspect of fascist society is authoritarianism. A strong, centralized government, led by a single person or party, is going to have absolute political, social, economical, and cultural control. They have the ability to influence the masses, which churns support, and suppresses any protest due to fear of being on the outside. An authoritarian rule is also extremely attractive to groups that are not doing well, like Germany pre-WW2. People are searching for guidance, and leadership, in order to feel both stability, and gain personal strength and dignity. I think that authoritarianism is one of the most important characteristics of a fascist society because it makes that society seem stronger and more daunting to any other, in turn glorifying the state in a false appearance.


Another key characteristic each fascist society shares is the goal of marginalization. We see this occur over and over again, whether it be via race, religion, gender, class, or anything in between, a fascist regime thrives off of the oppression of a singular group of people. This hatred is centralized, and acts as a goal for a fascist society to collectively strive towards. It gives reasoning, and justification to any and all cruel laws, acts, or ideologies. It also allows for the government to insight mass feelings of intolerance and hatred, a driving force at bringing people together, and allows for the government to more easily control its people. I think that often people find this to be an appealing aspect of fascism because it allows for them to place blame upon a group for all of their own personal faults and disadvantages.


Feigenbaum’s article states in its introduction that, “Both in the far right and in the particular form of fascism one finds the idea of the primacy of the group and the group’s victimhood. Other similarities include the dread of cultural decadence and liberalism” (Feigenbaum 71). This analysis of the viewpoint of those “acting fascist”, concludes a lot of the above ideas as it explains the core characteristics far-right ideology and fascism share: exclusivity and ideas of the “other”, self-victimization as a means to protect authoritarianism, fear of multiple cultures, and rigid hierarchies. I believe that there are many different societies currently that have these core characteristics threatening their government and livelihood, including the United States. In that sense, it is not incomprehensible to make comparisons between our current political climate and historical fascist regimes. However, because fascism manifests very differently in every society, I think it’s unwise to label any political leader as fascist without first understanding what that country’s specific aspects of fascism are.

everlastingauroras
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

LTQ Peer Respinse - Fascism in the Modern Age

Originally posted by greenzebra on December 04, 2024 13:10

In society, fascism arises during times of extreme societal decline, both social and economical. Fascism is a way of trying to bring control towards governmental downfall. Germany as an example was in political chaos, along with economical, hyperinflation. But there are many other fascist societies in history, some even may argue that the US now is becoming fascist. To be considered fascist, you must have a charismatic leader, propaganda that blocks people from the realities, and a large sense of patriotism and nationalism. There must be major control among the people, with a largely ruling leader. In Germany, this was Hitler and the Nazi party. Hitler was the charismatic leader, and people in Germany were very drawn to him because of his peorsonality, ability to convince them, and his public speaking skills. Propaganda was another big part of fascist societies. Propaganda is the government's way to control the peoples way of thinking, by blocking information about the truth, and only giving them the information they want the people to know. This information is often painting the government in a good light, even if this is not the truth, to keep the people trusting their government. A way Germany participated in this propaganda was book burning, and limiting what is taught in schools. This is a way to keep the people in full control of their leaders. People find the idea that they have a group of people who are close, and have the same ideas and thoughts. They like that they are useful in the world, and people crave a family, and people to rely on. The one problem that people have is not having anyone, feeling alone. People will do anything to not be lonely, because that is one of the feelings we want to distance ourselves from. This is an example of the nationalism that is brought from a fascism society, and how having htis strong government unites the nation, and the people in it. This provides and in-group scenario that makes everyone feel worthy, and in a community. I believe the US has some fascist ideals that are changing more and more as we go through life. I believe that Trump is an enthusiastic leader, who is trying to create a sense of nationalism among the people who support him. There is extreme propaganda being thrown around as well, all that is not the truth. The news where he declared people were “eating cats and dogs” was extremely wrong, but Trump supporters believed it because they are so attached to who he is. The term fascist nowadays however has become so overused, that it has lost its real meaning. People refer to anyone as a fascist, even when they are not. Fascism is specific, and the fact that it is being thrown around on everyday politicians, celebrities, and other famous people leads to the belittling of its meaning. In the New Republic, it states that “Identifying “fascists” allows Americans living today to imagine themselves as part of a consequential world-historical fight between good and evil,” and I believe that this is true, the naming of people as fascists creates a meaning in peoples lives, hoping to believe that they are good, when they really aren't.

My peer’s response includes a lot of the similar ideas as I did. For example, they explain that there is certain criteria that must be met such as having a “Charismatic leader,” something that Hitler himself exemplifies. I enjoyed the comparisons that the writer used between Hitler and the Nazi’s and fascism, as in my response I focused more on different Nations. It is interesting to see it all written about the community we are fully focusing on. I also like how the person who wrote this focuses on how people are convinced to follow these institutions. Things such as propaganda and book burning are things I did not focus on as much.


The part that popped out a lot was the connection to Donald Trump and the current state of America. I agree with a lot of what they said, but did not use clear examples to modern day. I find their wording and examples within that part were very engaging; when initially skimming through the paragraph, the part at the end quoting Donald Trump saying people were “eating cats and dogs” stood out to me, and made me more curious to start reading. I also find that in general, using modern day examples makes their argument more convincing and engaging to any reader.


To improve I think my peers could focus in/go into more detail about the propaganda. The discussion of it is a bit surface level, so going into more detail on how this affected each individual’s mindset and beliefs would make the response more engaging and effective. Also, I think things like making sure everything is spelled correctly and separating our response into different paragraphs would overall make this response more comprehensible and engaging.

glitterseashell1234
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

LTQ Post 4: Facism in the Modern Age Response

Originally posted by TheGreatGatsby on December 01, 2024 15:47

Fascism manifests itself in a society during periods of unrest and social crises. Fascism can also arise if a nation has a fascist past. When Nazi Germany first came to be, it was during a period of social crisis that occured due to the end of the Weimar Republic. The people also had a lot of disdain towards the government and had trouble trusting it. All these factors caused the rise of fascism since there wasn’t a solid ground to establish democracy. The hyperinflation during the Weimar period along with the widespread unemployment rates and poverty rates caused the instability of the government, which in turn allowed for fascism to gain control. Some people were advocating for fascism, saying that it could fix all their problems, and since people were so desperate for any sort of stability, people started to support it. I believe that hypernationalism and the marginalization of a group are factors that need to be present for a society to be considered fascist. Hypernationalism is very important since it drives people to try to better the country and causes people to feel the need to do whatever’s the best for their country. This was reflected in Nazi Germany, citizens felt that the Jewish people were holding back Germany and in order to have the best country, they needed to get rid of them. This leads into the other aspect of a fascist regime, the marginalization of a group. In Nazi Germany, the Jewish people were subjected to unspeakable atrocities all on the basis of rumors and stereotypes about them being extremely greedy and inhumane. The German government, especially after the Weimar Republic, wasn’t the greatest, and thus they needed something to blame it on, so they shifted the blame for everything onto the Jewish people. This only made the hatred towards Jewish people stronger. However, it’s important to note that the marginalization of Jewish people didn’t start in Germany, it has been going on throughout history. The Psychology of Fascism states “The broadest approach to understanding fascism is a historical-ideological one which interprets fascism as part of a long-standing tradition in Western Civilization…This struggle has a long history, one parallel to the beginning of the Enlightenment arising in the 17th century and running to the present day.” I believe that fascist ideology is so appealing since those who aren’t being marginalized may feel that they will gain power and status from a fascist regime. People often didn’t think about what they were actually advocating for and the means behind it in Nazi Germany. While a lot of the support did come from pressure from the regime and mob mentality, where people feared to be outcasted by society, others advocated for the regime because of the power they would gain. The United States is a great example of a nation that is approaching a neo-fascist era. With the policies that Trump is enacting, it's clear to see that the U.S. is starting to go towards fascism. Trump’s policies that target illegal immigrants is a way to marginalize people. Trump wants to deport all illegal immigrants from the country. This mirrors the fascist regimes we have been talking about, in each, groups have been marginalized, and with America today, it’s not different.

I agree with The Great Gatsby about the deep social crisis that causes fascism to manifest. However, I think social crisis is simply the overarching theme over the other aspects of fascism. Civil unrest is what causes the anxieties of the people, making them easier to manipulate by leader’s. I agree with your insight on the factors of fascism, such as hyper-nationalism and marginalization. I think another important one to add is anti-intellectualism. I think anti-intellectualism is key for a weakening democracy, as people cannot think about their own political opinions. Recently, we looked at how the Nazis used anti-intellectualism in the form of book banning and surveillance. I think it reinforces the strength of this factor. I find your analysis of hyper-nationalism intriguing as there are multiple aspects and layers to it affecting fascist ideology. Your most compelling idea is analyzing fascism as a problem-solver for some individuals, especially those who are in the majority benefiting. Although I disagree with some of your analysis regarding Neo-fascism in America, I do agree there are clearly marginalized groups in America today. However, I would not say the treatment of these marginalized groups is as severe as those of former fascist regimes. I also think there is fascism present in both the far-left and the far-right, which I would be interested in analyzing.

PinkWaterbottle
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

Fascism manifests itself in society in a multitude of ways. Through propaganda, scapegoating, anti-intelligence, charismatic leadership, militarism, nationalism, and much more, a fascist society can develop, posing a threat to the community. According to The Psychology of Fascism, “The characteristics of Generic Fascism may include identity politics; the creation of a nationalistic authoritarian state; the positive evaluation of violence; the extreme stress on masculinity; the exalting of youth over other phases of life; an attack on individual thinking an egalitarianism; and an authoritarian, charismatic style of leadership.” The involvement of most, if not all, of the members of society, is required for Fascism to affect the state of the nation widely. Another factor of fascism includes repressing democracy by limiting free speech. Through the elimination of free speech, the beliefs and control of the authoritarian figure in the society cannot be tested or challenged, at least not without a severe punishment, sometimes involving death. In addition to this, fear grows and differing narratives diminish. I don’t believe there is a checklist to determine whether or not fascism exists within a society. Still, I think the characteristics that play a bigger role in its effectiveness are authoritarianism, propaganda, and anti-intellectualism. With this combination, the leader of power has absolute control over the society they, essentially, rule over. Fascism wouldn’t be as damaging to citizens without these factors. There are a couple of aspects of fascism that could be appealing to society. For example, if a society is suffering from economic instability, a strong, confident leader could provide people with hope, as they seek change. This, along with the charismatic leader theory, attracts citizens and encourages them to support this new, confident leader. Nationalism is another aspect of fascism that could captivate citizens. The thought of being prideful in one's nation is something that a lot of people would be interested in, and rightfully so. However, dangers become apparent when this becomes too extensive to the point where they look down on others and/or see others as enemies.

Many concepts discussed, like nationalism, propaganda, and charismatic leadership, can be seen in modern-day America. As seen through Trump’s election, the line “Make America Great Again” intends to put all of our trust into Donald Trump and romanticize the past. This can be harmful, as America’s past isn’t exactly known for the progressive strides we’ve reached today. In my opinion, it is accurate to say that Trump is a fascist. Sure, he doesn’t possess the same evils that Hitler did, or at least cannot fully express it, but he does have/promote certain aspects of fascism. The idolization of Trump, the misinformation spread throughout social media by Trump followers, and more directly contribute to his fascist-like campaign. Project 2025, allegedly the plan of the Trump organization for his term, contains multiple policies that aim to reverse the rights gained throughout America’s history and limit freedoms for some. However, no matter what aspirations the Trump campaign has for America, they cannot be passed freely due to America’s checks and balances system and constitutional rights. This cannot be said for countries like North Korea, whose citizens are going through situations where their rights can be legally taken from them.
slaughterhouse5
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism manifests in a society for a variety of factors. Similar to the concepts we learned about in unit one, there are many psychological reasons: desire to fit into a group and conform, desire for the strong emotions that come with this type of society, in addition to the increased feelings of self-esteem, strength, and masculinity. These three things also connect to characteristics of fascist societies. Focus on military and traditional gender roles, as well as the strong belief that the nation is supreme among others (and the extreme nationalism that comes with this), are factors that define fascist societies. Being part of this type of nation can conjure feelings of supremacy and greatness, which is something that many desire, especially in circumstances where the country was suffering before. This is one reason why World War I led to Hitler’s rule. Because the country was broken and struggling, they longed for a sense of power, and saw this in his fascist leadership. This is something that confused me when thinking about the possibility of considering Trump a fascist, because there was not a recent event similar to World War I in this country that would lead to this type of leadership. However, some things remain similar - people still desire being part of a supreme and powerful country. In “The Psychology of Fascism” by Kenneth Feigenbaum, he states “These ‘traits’ lead to denigrating women and to the desire for a militarized, super organized ideal and a desire to humiliate others.” This goes back to the patterns of strength, manliness, and militarism I mentioned before. Some could say that supremacy of the leader is not a necessary characteristic of fascism because there were societies in which the fascist leaders didn’t have a sizable portion of the citizens in support of them, and yet they were still fascist. I would argue against this point and say that “supremacy of the leader” can be interpreted in a different way: rather than the percentage of the country that supports that leader, it is more about the intensity of the support that the leaders have. The supporters of fascist leaders tend to disregard their flaws, see them as perfect, and never question their decisions. This blind support is necessary for fascist leaders’ rise to power as they increase the intensity of their policies. This is one characteristic that is present in modern-day America when it comes to Trump: the intense loyalty to him. Just like this aspect, there are many ways in which Trump is similar to some other fascists, but it is so hard to compare because fascism looks different in every society, time period, and culture. One could argue that accusing people of fascism no longer achieves anything because it is a term that many people have different definitions of. Some could say that you need a certain amount of characteristics, some could say that the severity of the characteristics is the deciding factor - when there is not a solid definition, the term means very little.
ClockRabbit1191
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

In a country, Facism starts with a level of uncertainty and chaos. These two are the biggest factors in why Facism grows. If the government currently in power isn’t working people look to those who can take power and control the nation. This tends to be Fascist governments and this leads to many citizens finding Facism to be appealing as since they think it was better than the government before it’s overall a good thing to happen to them. Over time it slowly grows and grows until it’s fully engulfed the country. This has happened all over the world through the 1900s in countries like Germany, Cuba and Russia. Facism grows in society fast because of a few key characteristics, Kenneth Feigenbaum claims “The broadest approach to understanding fascism is a historical-ideological one which interprets fascism as part of a long-standing tradition in Western Civilization. It forms part of the anti-enlightenment tradition.” (Feigenbaum) Essentially Feigenbaum’s claim can imply another reason why Facism can grow so quickly, being that Facism has been in Europe for many years so it’s likely that it will come back.


There are a few main characteristics for a society to be considered fascist according to Kenneth Feigenbaum he claims these characteristics is, “The concept of a Fascist Personality, The Concept of the Fascist Character Structure, The Right-Wing Authoritarian, and The Authoritarian Personality.” (Feigenbaum) Facism has to have a single mind, meaning that there are no differing opinions and there’s one main idea that everyone must live under. Fascist leaders spread the idea and the people follow, there is no free will. Those in the country are oppressed and some might not even know it. A main characteristic is also a strong and charismatic leader who needs to be there or there will be no one to lead the people, and if different ideas are flying around about how the country should be run then there is not really any facism anymore. To maintain facism there must be a strong leader who can ease people and have them stop asking questions about their government. Another key factor as to what a nation has to be to be considered fascism is extreme nationalism. Nationalism is to have pride in one's country and this leads people to be overly nationalist to a point where they only really care about their country so they’ll do anything, including facism, to do what they think is best for the country. As previously stated facism has a massive appeal to those who live in these countries as how else would it be able to grow. People accept it usually when there is nothing else to go with as their country is going through a sort of chaos. These people look for a strong leader and government and this is where a fascist state can assume power. They are essentially showing their power over the people which in turn makes them look like a more powerful country leading to the people in it being relatively happy as they think that their country is now a big powerhouse.
traffic cone
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

Fascism in the Modern Age

Fascism manifests in societies that are undergoing troubles that fracture the unity between citizens. This can be clearly seen with the Weimar Republic after the signing of the treaty of Versailles . Due to this treaty the citizens of what is now present day Germany had suffered at an extreme economic loss as evident with the hyperinflation of everyday items , making practical existence in this society nearly impossible. With a fractured people tend to look for a leader or someone who is able to take charge and fix the current situation , even in the bases of an authoritarian leader. This is because there is a desire for a leader who promises and is capable of solutions for national pride, even when accounting for the loss of individual freedoms.

To be considered fascist society , certain characteristics must be present. There has to be a clear authoritarian leader with a large following of people. In a fascist society they follow traditional values and typically overthrow a pre-existing institutional power in order to display their beliefs. Additionally a fascist society shows evident support of anti-liberalism as they reject individual freedoms, thus emphasizing the collective unity over personal autonomy.Fascist movements thrive and rely on s[reading the idea of a strong and centralized authority that removes oppressors in order to display extreme nationalism. As a result is it evident that citizens find “The strong and powerful are simply admired” whereas “the weak and helpless were hated and despised.”” ( Psychology of fascism ) when regarding a leader.

What is appealing about a fascist ideology initially is that it is changed from previously existing and current poor conditions. Evidently with someone who is compelling and a “charismatic leader” their initial problems in ideology are not as clear compared to if the current society had no existing problems, since this new charismatic leader is capable of providing a compelling rhetoric and a distinction on how the new system in place with greatly differ from the pre existing one. Additionally, these leaders tend to rely on the emotions of the people so in order to make change it is incremental. However as a citizen in this society, it is hard to break away when the change is small and gradual over time as there is no big major change if there are small actions that occur over time making it seem justifiable to align with.

Currently Russia has demonstrated many characteristics that closely align with neo-fascism. This is evident with their current leader , Vladimir Putin, who demonstrates authoritarianism, suppression of those who dissent, along with the glorification of Russia's military. To add, Russia has demonstrated extreme nationalism which also shows traits of neo fascism. This is seen through the preservation of Russian World, language, and culture all of which seem at an evident superiority compared to the rest of the world. Additionally , it is evident that the state is attempting to control media narratives to limit opposition within Russia in order to consolidate power. Although these characteristics do not mean it is a fascist society it does show traits of neo fascism.

Fahrenheit.jr.
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7

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Originally posted by questions on December 03, 2024 19:25

Fascism manifests in societies that are struggling from political, economic, or social chaos. Some of the most important characteristics of fascist societies are extreme nationalism and having an out group. These aspects usually arise in societies that are struggling and are looking for a way out. These characteristics must be present for a society to be considered fascist because having a common hatred for a certain group of people can cause extreme nationalism. The belief of nativism is also very significant in manifesting a fascist society because it creates outgroups, which are essential. These out groups allow for extreme nationalism to arise, which is the most important aspect of fascist societies. Another important aspect to a fascist society is a great leader. Leaders are meant to gather everyone up for a cause they support and fight for it. Without a leader, fascist societies are likely to not be as extreme because there is no one in command. Most people are too afraid of the consequences of stepping up, so they don’t do anything at all. With a leader, those people are encouraged to fight for whatever they support. Fascism was likely so easily accepted because of the instability and propaganda present in the past. Since people were looking for a way to improve society, fascism might have seemed like a viable solution based on propaganda. Additionally, a society struggling in every way will find solutions to their problems, even if those solutions may seem ridiculous. Many times society is just an echo chamber, blinded by propaganda put in place by the government.


Currently, there are some people that think the United States is neo-fascist. However, the current political and social climate in the United States are different from fascist societies in the past because the US hasn’t gone to the extremes yet. The people of the US also have more individual opinions than the people in the past, making a fascist society hard to achieve in modern day. According to the article, Does American Fascism Exist, “For most of its American history, fascism has been an insult, a performative reflection of the user’s desire to make the object of their derision disreputable.” This means that America does not want a fascist society and one should not manifest in American society. However, our society is not immune to fascism because anything can happen in the span of a couple years. The economy has a possibility of crashing one day, creating chaos and a greater possibility of fascism. It is not likely that fascism will arise in the US, but it doesn’t mean it is impossible. Other than the United States, there are countries that are neo-fascist. The prominent example is North Korea, with its extreme limitations and nationalism. The nation is based on a sole leader, Kim Jong Un, who is seen as the greatest by all. There is great amounts of propaganda about how great the country is, not allowing anyone to enter or exit the country. This makes it seem like the rest of the world is an outgroup to the citizens of North Korea. The extreme limitations the citizens face mirrors that of past fascist societies, potentially making North Korea neo-fascist.

The most compelling idea in this post is how it emphasizes the role of extreme nationalism and the creation of outgroups due to rising fascism. This is interesting because it relates significantly to the historical background of fascist regimes, in which leaders have often used external as well as internal enemies to unify an entire nation and justify their actions. I agree with the idea that extreme nationalism and outgroup identification are necessary for there to be fascism, as they boost collective identity and can often lead to the persecution of marginalized groups. The large focus on a “great leader” is also a compelling idea in this post as it highlights the role of charismatic authority in solidifying power and motivating populations in a time of instability. However, I do disagree with the idea that fascism in the U.S. is impossible. While the political and social status of the U.S. is different from that of historical fascist regimes, I think the post disregards how quickly social and economic instability can alter. Throughout history, fascism arose when conditions were dire, and the U.S. could potentially face those conditions at some point. In terms of suggestions, I believe the post could benefit from more emphasis on how propaganda shapes public perceptions, as it is one of the main rises to fascism. Some ideas about the U.S. and fascism come across as a little under-explained, especially why it is not like to manifest, however the post was overall easy to follow and agree with.

cactus
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

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Originally posted by facinghistory19 on December 04, 2024 11:08

In a modern society, fascism occurs commonly through the hate of the “other”, not governance in America, while in Europe, there has been quite a rise even in governance. Today, NeoFascists, NeoNazis, and more of the sort are extremely fringe in America, while in Europe, theres less extremist groups such as these, and more legitimate lawmakers who endorse some fascist values (Heavy on Anti-Immigration; race purity), especially in Italy. But when people begin to state that fascism is manifesting itself in the same way as that of the Germans, Spanish, or Italians of the time, it’s just simply not true. For a society to be considered fully fascist, there must be the illusion of choice but in reality an autocratic government, there must be control of the media, intense nationalism and hatred for immigrants, and an overall nation-central political view. So while we can see different elements in different governments, there is no fully fascist, oppressive government with true power in todays world. People might ask, why are we so interested with Fascism then, and always talk about it? The reason for this is that the atrocities committed during WW2 and before, by fascist regimes, shocked the world, but also interested us as humans. We like to think ourselves superior to other humans, so we view the Germans, Spanish, and Italians of the time as brainwashed idiots, who allowed fascism to grow in their nations to an alarming point; in turn we study this because it makes us curious how humans could allow it to happen. But the simple fact of the matter is that on a base level, it’s a very appealing form of governance. The nation completely united, the minorities that many dislike would be “gone”, causing the debates to end, and there would be one strong loveable ruler leading the nation to glory. This leader promises to restore former glory, but at the end of the day it’s baseless, and slowly freedoms get taken, until the society becomes dystopian. It’s a cycle of oppression of a people, and from things some might find positive, we see an absolute dismantling of a nation(Germany, Italy, Spain). Making examples of the past and drawing them to today hurts society as a whole, especially American society, because we are intrinsically different, just as New Republic states “As we move further into the twenty-first century, it’s worth asking whether using a twentieth-century term that inevitably invokes images of brown-shirted thugs beating down doors and black-shirted psychopaths running death camps will help us solve the problems we face. Neither climate change, nor inequality, nor structural racism, nor the general hopelessness that has permeated American society will be defeated in ways that resemble the Allies’ defeat of fascism”(New Republic 6). So when people state: “we are in a neo-fascist era”, that's just simply false. While there is certain parts that many people might find appealing, certainly unitedness, we see no form of governance that is directly, at it’s roots, fascism. We see small elements of it everywhere, but it won’t be repeated in the exact ways we saw in the 20th century ever again. So just bringing it up, and making comparisons, hurts us as a society, because we are keeping this inherently evil tool in the spotlight.

I agree that although we can see some elements of fascism in our society today, such as the presence of anti-immigration laws, there is no fully fascist government in place. I think the way that you described why we are so interested in fascism is interesting. In modern society, we believe that we are so advanced and so different from the society of fascist regimes like in Nazi Germany, but that is how fascism there came to be. People found fascism so appealing because, in a time of chaos and atrocity, it gave them a way to be organized and unified as a country. Fascist societies have strong leaders, such as Hitler, who promised to restore former glory to society. Although there was a promise of freedom, the opposite happened, as Nazis came into power they slowly stripped the rights of anyone who wasn’t Aryan and subjected many to oppression. They did this in a way where many people didn’t recognize what was going on because it was a combination of many small acts. These small acts kept building up, which is when people started to realize what the Nazis had done but it was too late to reverse it. As a society, I think most people have this notion that the United States could never become a fascist society. We have to pay attention to laws and restrictions that our government puts on us because they could eventually add up to something that could be similar to fascist societies from the past.

TheGreatGatsby
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 8

Fascism in the Modern Age

Originally posted by glitterseashell1234 on December 03, 2024 16:10

Facism manifests in society because of the insecurity and unrest of its people. In order to allow facism to grow, people need to feel like their society has left them behind in a way. This allows leaders to manipulate these anxieties and take control. Similar to what we learned in the first unit of the class, people are easier to control when they lack a strong sense of self and have insecurities they want to dissociate from. We can see this in Nazi Germany, as people felt anxiety about the Wiemar Republic’s political, economic, and social state and wanted someone to blame for it. This is what prompts us to analyze whether America is experiencing neo-fascism, as we see strong leaders responding to anxieties about the current state of American institutions. According to William Reich in his work The Psychology of Fascism, “This involves the tendency to renounce “the independence of one’s ego” with someone or something external in order to find the power missing from the individual himself. Psychologically, such individuals are much more comfortable when their lives, their will and their minds are controlled by a totalitarian leader”(Reich 75). I think William Reich perfectly elucidates the fact that fascism manifests from already held aggressions and then grows with leadership. This explains why so many people feel anxious and fearful of current American politicians' ability to sway and influence the people's ideology. I think the one factor of a regime that makes it the easiest to label fascist is anti-enlightenment ideologies. The freedom of knowledge and ideas is what empowers society, allowing it to move forward in the right direction. Anti-intellectualism challenged democracy, freedom, and human nature. I think this is one factor of fascism that is escalating in America in legislation and schooling, such as the potential abolishment of the Department of Education and the “Don't Say Gay” bill in Florida. There is also a lot of censorship with current book banning, although not as drastic as what occurred in Nazi Germany. Overall, I think there are some factors of fascism that exist in America but I would not necessarily say America is “fascist”.

I also think that fascism would be difficult in America considering the multitudes of ethnicities, religions, nationalities, and talents that exist here. However, that is not to say that fascism would be impossible, I believe it definitely wouldn’t. I think America’s history with systematic racism shows it is able to be Darwinistic and label a group as “ superior”. However, due to recent growth in diversity, it would be more difficult to find a majority in identity that could be labeled as the “superior”.

I think people find fascism appealing in the modern era as things are rapidly changing. The current discussions around “identity politics”, climate change, immigration, and economics have a lot of information that is constantly changing. Although these discussions are universally and unarguably valid, there may be a lot that people find confusing, leading to animosity and tension. This confusion and rapid change could make people reminisce about the past, as the past is a time when things were easy to understand and “simple”. This reminiscence of the past is one factor of the factors of fascism, leading people back to anti-intellectualism, gender roles, and Social Darwinism.

The most compelling idea in glitterseashell1234’s article is that people that lack a strong sense of self are often easier to control. I completely agree with this since that's one of reasons as to why the Nazi regime was successful, because everyone especially after the Weimar Republic felt lost and wanted any form of order in Germany. Another person who had a similar idea was bluewater who said that fascism provided people with a sense of purpose and acted as a guide for them. Many people felt lost after the Weimar Republic and needed something to give them purpose, that for them was fascism. I have very similar views to glitterseashell’s post since I feel that what caused fascism to really take hold in society was the fragility of democracy and also the fragility of people themselves after the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic and the poverty that came with it. People just wanted any sort of stability or peace after having to struggle to get by for so long, so when the opportunity arose to have stability, they took it. I also believe that fascism took hold because of the strong impact it had on Germany and Hitler’s ability to persuade people to follow him. I don’t have any suggestions for Glitterseashell, but I just want to note that I really liked how they included Social Darwinism into their response.

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