learntoquestion ltq discussions

Questions to Consider:

Please craft a well written response that incorporates what we have discussed in the Dinner Table Discussion. You should also refer directly to the readings linked below as well, including at least one quote for reference to at least one of the readings in your response.

How and why does fascism manifest in a society? Which characteristics must be present for a society to be considered fascist? What is it about fascist ideology that people initially find appealing? Are there currently nations that are experiencing what could be considered a neo-fascist era?

Word Count Requirement: 500-750 words

Readings to Reference:

Please refer to the ideas, either using a quote or paraphrasing, from at least one of the readings in your response.

Excerpts from How Fascism Works (Jason Stanley)

The Psychology of Fascism (Comparative Civilizations Review)

Populist, nativist, neofascist? A lexicon of Europe’s far right? (The Guardian)

Does American Fascism Exist? (New Republic)

No, Trump Is Not a Fascist (National Review)

With Trump’s Victory, Europe’s Populist Right Sees Return of a Fellow Believer (NYTimes)

Rubrics to Review:

LTQ Rubric

Fascism manifests in society’s that are in need of certainty and stability. There must be the desire for promise, and a strong reliable political position. Oftentimes, this scenario arises when there is mass dissatisfaction with the political, economical, or even social state of any given country. Given that fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology, it has many key aspects that make it such a powerful force. It values nationalism and expansionism, which promotes the use of force to reach any given goal. It also puts the state on a pedestal, meaning the state’s needs are often put ahead of individual needs and rights. Additionally, fascism relies on a dictatorial leadership style, by a leader who leans on the power of fear to gain national support. Many fascist leaders use manipulative strategies to win not only the support of the citizens of their country, but also gain their loyalty. Some of these strategies might include propaganda, the exploitation of fear, or the use of symbols to create a sense of loyalty. Propaganda and media control are extremely powerful tools, as they allow one leader to control the narrative an entire country is being told. Often, the opposition is portrayed as a threat to national security, while the leader is portrayed as strong and decisive, “Where speech is a right, propagandists cannot attack dissent head-on; instead they must represent it as something violent and oppressive…” (Stanley 37). The leader is also shown to be the country’s only chance of hope, which is completely possible since the government meticulously curates the nattitive told to the country. The reason fascism is so appealing at first is because of its simplicity. The leader can do no wrong, there is promise of stability and order, and there are no unknowns. In the past few years we have seen a rise in neo-fascist parties, many of which gained support after the Great Recession. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who is a member of the Brothers of Italy party, was elected Prime Minister. Other examples include Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, who supported fascist groups during his presidency, and the Golden Dawn in Greece. The Golden Dawn is a neo-fascist party who has used political strategies similar to those of the Nazis. Given that all of these groups and leaders have gotten away with abusing fascist ideologies and strategies, it is important to be aware of what is happening in the United States. In our discussion, we talked about the fear of Donald Trump becoming a fascist leader. While this might sound outrageous at first, it is important to acknowledge that many fascist leaders gain their support slowly and implement their ideologies slowly, in a way that does not allow society to recognize at first. I do not think that it is productive to speculate about Trmp’s intentions, or characterize his leadership as fascist without hard evidence, as it could invalidate the decisions he makes. I think by comparing Trump to Hitler, his actions are no longer seen as evil and selfish, but rather a better version of Hitler’s decisions. By framing his objectively bad political decisions in such a way, we are, as a society allowing him to make a joke of his actions rather than taking accountability.

Fascism manifests in society out of an irrational fear of change. Those who fear losing what they have are the most susceptible to fascism, as well as those who feel like society is pushing them away. “The Psychology of Fascism” cites Ziegler’s list of fascist attributes to be anti-enlightenment (or the idea that not all humans are created equal), identity politics, a nationalistic state, a positive emphasis on violence, the stressed importance of youth, anti-individualism, anti-intellectualism, and charismatic leadership. However, it is not exactly right to say a nationalistic state is necessary to breed fascism, as sentiments of hypernationalism and fascist movements can exist before they control the government. Nobody would argue that Hitler was ever not a fascist; he didn’t become fascist when he was granted dictatorial control. Maslov’s list of attributes adds a desire for authority, obedience, belief in social hierarchy or social Darwinism, conformity, traditionalism, and xenophobia.

The belief in tradition is the most important attribute defining fascism as, as Maslov claims, fascism is marked by a zero-sum way of thinking. In reality, nothing is taken from men by giving women rights, nothing is taken from white people by giving people of color rights, and nothing is taken from straight and cisgender people by giving queer people rights, yet fascists see strides in equality as threatening as they disrupt social hierarchy. Fascism positions equality as a loss of power. This is the foundation of the expression of other fascist principles, such as xenophobia and anti-intellectualism; anything new information or people that could threaten homogeneity or tradition is seen as dangerous.

People are drawn into fascist movements out of their genuine fears. It is important to remember that all sides hold similar moral intentions deep down; for example, most people value protecting their families from harm. This can be expressed in many (good and bad) ways—for example, people, because they need to provide for their family or value their kids’ success, may be manipulated to irrationally fear that immigrants could take their jobs. In their minds, their concern is right for their family. Fascist movements are able to manipulate the fears of the everyman and adapt them to whatever goal its leaders wish to achieve. This is why it is problematic to accuse people caught up in the deceit of leaders of being inherently evil by definition.

This leads into the discussion of politics today. It is absolutely fair to say that America is seeing a rise of movements and ideologies that are reminiscent of fascism. Trump and the MAGA republicans check many of the fascist boxes discussed earlier: they are hypernationalistic (the statement “make America great again” in and of itself), they emphasize violence (January 6th), they are willing to obey and conform to whatever Trump desires, there is increased concern over identity politics (trans rights), there is a return to traditional gender roles (alpha males and tradwives), and, above all, there is the zero-sum idea that someone else’s gain is their loss (especially with immigrants, poc, and queer people). Yet, using fascist as an indiscriminate insult against Republicans is counterproductive—after all, they are still people, and they have been manipulated into their beliefs. It is impossible to convince someone to change their views once you have told them they are evil. Once someone’s morals are called into question, they no longer listen; everyone believes they have the best intentions at heart (and they usually do, even if poorly applied). This, for example, is why Hillary Clinton failed to gain any Republican votes in 2016: she called them “deplorables,” dehumanizing them and villainizing them. Why would anybody want to listen to that? The only way we can avoid slipping into fascism is by undoing polarization and seeking to bridge the ideological gap. Fascism feeds on division.

Fascism manifests in society through a combination of political, social and cultural elements. In the case of Germany, they were suffering politically, with an abundance of political groups leaving the political aspect of the nation unstable. Socially, German citizens were ready to turn against their government. They blamed them for surrendering in WWI and from that point onwards there has been a lack of trust between the people and the government. And finally, culturally, anti-semitism wasn’t an unusual thing. It has been going on for centuries. So when the hatred towards them started increasing, they didn’t find anything wrong with it. In fact, they loved it because it provided them something to let their anger out towards. Jewish people ended up becoming a scapegoat.

There are fourth big characteristics of a fascist society: charismatic leaders, propaganda, no access to the truth, and nationalism. Fascism is often led by a charismatic leader and that is exactly who Hitler was. He was able to get the attention of the citizens of Germany just by the way he talked. He was able to use propaganda to his advantage in painting Jewish people as the enemy. Fascism cannot take place without propaganda, it cannot exist without an “enemy” or an “other” and that’s exactly who the Jewish people were. With no access to the truth, the citizens of the society are unable to tell what is actually true and what is not true. They end up believing the twisted lies that the charismatic leader tells and passing it on from ear to ear until the truth is so skewed that nobody can tell. Last but not least-- nationalism. The charismatic leader is able to invoke the feelings of nationalism through every one of their citizens. In Hitler’s case, he was able to convince the German people that Jewish people were out to get them and that they had to protect their children and family members from them. That type of thing invokes a feeling of nationalism in the sense that they have to protect their country from these outsiders.

The aspects of fascist ideology that people initially find appealing is strong leadership and order. Especially in Germany, there was an extreme desire for stability and a centralized leadership that Hitler seemed to promise. He also provided a sense of restoration, he would bring Germany to its former glory which is something that many, if not all, German citizens wanted to see. It gave them a sense of belonging and like said before, clear enemies that they could scapegoat and blame for all their problems.

From the article titled The Psychology of Fascism there is an interesting line-- “The relationship between a person with an authoritarian personality and his father is described as one of both physical and psychological abuse” (2). Children tend to want to please their parents, and in extreme cases they would go to any length to do so. That is the same for an authoritarian leader and his citizens, they want to please him. But there is also some semblance of fear; if they don’t do his wishes correctly, they will be punished. If they don’t adhere to the rules, they would suffer the consequences. This can be seen today, especially the fear and no access to the truth, in North Korea. The citizens there are forced to adhere to the whims of Kim Jong-un and have absolutely no access to the truth, they believe everyone else in the world lives like them and thus there's nothing wrong with it. If they go against his whims they will be punished. It may not be a traditional fascist society but the extreme nationalism and authoritarianism share some of the features listed above.

The birth of fascism comes not from an explosion, but rather from a steady build-up of an agitated society with aspects of traditionalism, anti-intellectualism, and the exclusion of groups of people. Fascism is not a thing of the past, and it's important to remember how it can conform to any society regardless of their position. Years can pass yet human nature will stay the same, and in a large group this feeling will only intensify. A large part of fascism revolves around the exclusion of others which is described in the article “Does American Fascism Exist?” as, “their shared racism, reliance on the petit bourgeois, hypernationalism, and xenophobia—indicate that fascism, finally, has come to America.” Later on in the article the author examines how the constant use of the word fascism can take away from certain meanings, which while is a big concern, it is also interesting to note how certain aspects of it are still alive today.

The concept of fascism is broad. It acts in the way that slime will conform to its surroundings, or how a square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square. Instead of trying to find a rigid definition, we should instead turn to the countries that have exhibited these qualities and compare them to the countries of today. I believe that the biggest part of a fascist society relies on both anti-intellectualism and also the exclusion of people. By creating what would be called an outgroup, or perhaps fostering a “us vs. them” mentality it gives power to the leader. On this, another powerful part of a fascist society is how charismatic the leader is. Like previously mentioned, fascism can occur anywhere, however much of it is due to this idea of having a mob mentality, and how tensions in a society can boil up. The addition of a strong leader is what makes this movement become solidified however, as it adds a structure to an idea and builds it up into something more.

On this I don’t believe that it is entirely correct to call the United States a fascist country, however there are still many fascist qualities that are exhibited here throughout the nation, and it begs the question of what will happen next. Taking a deeper dive into this thought, the idea of exclusion is prevalent throughout the country, and the foundations of it were built upon this sentiment. While looking into this on the European side, many of these countries also experience this idea of “Populist, nativist, neo-fascist.” The article also takes a look into the extreme right and how they are related to neo-Nazi ideologies like nativism and anti-intellectualism. One thing I wonder is how the people react to this all, and if they feel safe with their government, or if they wish to change it yet either are remaining silent by choice or by fear. All in all, fascism is a packed word, and it can carry the weight of history with it. While it can be hard to pin down, it’s always important to look at these ideas with a critical thought because the sentiments that are born from fascism ultimately are harmful to all groups, and the only way we can change this is by learning.

Any society could become a fascist one at any moment, it doesn’t take a lot to happen. People are easy to manipulate, and that’s all that a dictatorship needs. The most regular people working 9 to 5 jobs could become extremists with the right propaganda. Though fascism in particular is easy, because even those who don’t appear to be extremist just go along with it, because they’re not being affected by it, and they don’t have to think for themselves, they have a ruler to do it for them. In order to be fascist, a society must have an absolute ruler—- a dictator. Well known fascist societies include Italy under Mussolini, and Germany under Hitler. One might think it’s impossible to agree with these two, but looking back at how the common people acted at the time, they were all for these two. Perhaps the idea that there is one powerful ruler that leads a country to victory is rather nice, and people could possibly find comfort in that. It could also be the fact that the majority is almost never the target, and if most people aren’t complaining, then it should be fine, right? It’s appealing to those who wish to be in a group, and they find community within those that aren’t affected. It goes back to the movie Die Welle, where the students appeared happy to be within that group, they all relied on each other. Even those that didn’t seem to talk before would get along, and it was because of The Wave. Though some might say that those who fall for fascist propaganda are weak, it really does sound nice being part of the in-group, and that can’t be denied. Also, when it comes to the Nazis, the German citizens had already been told that the Jews are ruining everything, so they’d obviously want to get rid of them. Not to mention they were being fed the idea that their race, the Aryan race, was better than any other, they were the most superior race in the world, it’s incredibly easy to fall for that propaganda. Even considering those that were against it, they still didn’t do anything, perhaps out of fear, or maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. No doubt it absolutely could happen today, looking at Europe’s far right in modern times. 'Nativism , defined as “the belief that ‘states should be inhabited exclusively by members of the ‘native group’, and that ‘non-native elements’ fundamentally threaten the homogeneous nation state’” (Henley), sounds so similar to what the Nazis believed, that Germany should only consist of native Germans, the ‘superior race’. There are people that believe almost the same ideologies today. Nativism is actually a key point in the Radical Right, specifically in Europe, but it does seem to apply to America as well, considering the hatred towards immigrants. It actually seems to be the focus of the American far-right, the removal of immigrants, keeping America for Americans. However that type of thinking is flawed when it comes to the States, as that would mean giving back the land to its native people. What the people who really say that mean is that they want America to be white. Moreover, former and future president Donald Trump’s slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’, or MAGA, is quite similar to the idea that ‘older Germany was greater’, the focus of the Nazi party. This is not implying anything in particular, it’s just interesting to point out, and it's important to recognize these signs before anything worse can happen. Germany was quite progressive before falling victim to fascism, and it can happen again.

Fascism manifests in societies when they are in a politically, economically, or socially unstable time making them vulnerable to ideologies that ensure safety. These times of turmoil, cause citizens to be desperate for any solution, which fascist regimes promise. For example, in Germany specifically, I don't think Germans would have been as susceptible to this propaganda if the Weimar Republic hadn’t already caused so much damage to society. Nazis promised economic and political stability which was highly appealing to most civilians. In addition to this, Germany was in a humiliating position as they had just lost World War I, lost their military, lost their territory, and any form of power they once had. The Nazis brought Germany out of this position and created a patriotic environment which lots of Germans liked. During the Weimar period, a singular loaf of bread cost 200,000,000 marks, and there was an increase in starvation. Hyperinflation and unemployment caused a great divide between the people and the government. When traditional political systems are seen as corrupt, ineffective, or fractured, fascism can position itself as a solution, offering strong, centralized leadership. I also believe that the growth in cultural and nationalist fear causes fascism to manifest in the citizens, as they begin to believe that immigrants are bad and that purity is what they need. This theme can be seen across several fascist regimes including, the Nazi Party, Mussolini, and the Young Turk regime. Each fascist party had a common enemy that they blamed for unifying their citizens and creating a mindset of a “superior and pure nation”. Offering simple solutions to complex problems by blaming specific groups (e.g., immigrants, religious minorities) can feel satisfying to those seeking safety. By creating an “Us vs. Them” mentality, it provides people with an easy way to channel their frustration and anger. I think that currently, several countries promote neo-fascist ideology, for example, countries such as Hungary, India, and even The United States face fascist ideologies. Hungary has witnessed a rise in authoritarianism, attacks on journalistic freedom, and anti-immigration policies under Viktor Orbán. India’s Narendra Modi has several views on religion and tends to be a Hindu nationalist. Even America has developed some fascist themes such as White nationalist movements, populist authoritarian rhetoric, and growing political polarization. “No, Trump is not Fascist” states, “Obviously, Trump isn’t deploying a paramilitary wing of the GOP to clash with his enemies on the streets.” The statement alludes to how the word "fascist" is often used casually, making it lose its serious meaning. Although I don't agree with Trump he has not engaged in actions like deploying troops to kill political opponents putting together state-sanctioned murders, or murdering 6 million people because he wanted to. True fascist regimes had things like violent paramilitary groups, rigid control over people’s freedoms, and extreme nationalism. When we throw the term around too easily, it can make it harder to spot the real dangers of fascism when they appear. It’s important to use the word carefully so its meaning stays clear and powerful. Ultimately, I think that fascism grows during unstable times by using fear and blaming certain groups, making people feel united with simple solutions. It's important to continue to talk and learn about fascism to prevent history from repeating itself.

The key to fascism is the myth of the past. We all gravitate towards a world where we are better off than those around us, whether consciously or unconsciously. Our nature pushes us toward capitalistic systems that reward those at the top and punish those who cannot find their way up. Thus, when societies fall on economic hardships, we tend to wish for better times when things were stable and profitable. Fascist movements capitalize on this energy to provide the people with propaganda that they are the ones who can return them to the “glory days”. This often involves attacking minorities and others who these movements see as inferior to the majority of people in society. “Fascist politics invokes a pure mythic past tragically destroyed,” which allows for the movement to advocate for building that past up again, even if it never existed, by highlighting a small truth from the past (How Fascism Works 1). In order to have these movements, fascism requires an us vs. them mentality that pits one group against another to foster hatred. Hate is the only way that fascism gains a significant grip on society and an us vs. them situation allows for an increase in the violence and instability that fascism needs. Without hate and violence, there would be no need for a fascist society to advocate for law and order and take over.

People want to feel like they are safe, and fascist societies provide that safety while taking away individual rights. The lure of fascism is a return to traditional values, which include law and order and traditional familial roles, for example propaganda around women’s role in society. Many countries around the world are currently dealing with fascist movements/ideas gaining popularity, including Italy and South Korea. The recent events in South Korea highlight how a fascist power grab like martial law can quickly be enacted even if it lacks popular support. Giving powers like these to a President presents many risks for the stability of democracy and allowing for the people to have a voice. Hitler was able to succeed where the South Korean President failed though in that he used the Reichstag Fire to rally people to his side and gain enough popular support, whereas in South Korea they just tried to ram through the orders without the backing of the people. These movements take time to grow and evolve, just like what is happening in Europe. Over the years many European countries have begun to crack down on immigration, utilizing fascist policies that were based on an us vs. them mentality to do so. This is in contrast to the neo-liberal foreign policy of many of these nations, supporting Ukraine and free trade, while pursuing neo-fascist policies domestically. The rise of Trump certainly has included some fascist ideas, but Trump himself is not a fascist. The United States is too divided to allow for a fascist state, and though that can change, our history suggests that these movements cannot succeed because they go against the traditional American rights that people fight for.

Fascism tends to manifest itself into societies which are in a time of crisis, due to its authoritarian and nationalistic roots. Nationalism was a very prominent driving factor for the manifestation of fascism into societies in a state of crisis because of its idea of national superiority and strength. When nationalism makes its way into a country in a state of vulnerability, it tends to very much so take hold of the citizens in that place because of its idea that their country is better than any other, despite its current flaws, and helps people to hold out hope that their country will become the prosperous nation they once were. Therefore, people easily get mesmerized by the fascist ideas which promise prosperity. However, the authoritarianism aspect doesn’t come off as beneficial for the citizens as the idea of national prosperity does, but people are too distracted by everything happening in the country to realize the change in their government to realize the issue a lot of the time, or they just choose to neglect it. People initially found the fascist ideas appealing due to this idea of prosperity. For a society to be considered fascist it needs to have characteristics such as a dictatorship, enforcement of centralized ideas, censorship of outside ideas, social hierarchies that are very prominent within communities, and a centralized autocracy. Another reason which people find fascism to be appealing is because it gives people the opportunity to take out their countries' issues on a common enemy, typically one which they have held prejudice against for years prior, and one that makes up a very small portion of the population. These hateful movements are also usually led by larger more powerful groups of people as evidenced by the quote “The strong and powerful are simply admired” whereas “the weak and helpless were hated and despised.” This quote also displays the lack of reason which people had in their hatred towards minorities, that wasn’t solely based on the fact that they were different. There are in fact countries in today’s society which are seeming to experience neo-fascism. One major example of this being the country North Korea. This is evidenced by the dictatorship forcing North Korean citizens to follow Kim Jong Un, religiously even making it a requirement to have photos of him in their homes at all times, filtering media, isolation of citizens from the outside world, and heavy oppression of opposition. All of these factors combined display to everyone across the world an example of neo-fascism in our society. Another example of a neo-fascist country in today's society is Russia. This is due to its heavy militarism, and suppression of opposition. As we have seen, Russia is heavily prideful in their military and the size and power of it. These are both very well known aspects of fascist societies as seen throughout history. These aspects are also very heavily influential ones seeing as a strong military can often create a sense of patriotism or nationalism in a country, therefore reinforcing their faith in fascist ideas, creating this endless cycle of fascist beliefs being followed by citizens.