Reply #38: The use of the term "Nazi" loads the discussion, but... [View All]

[GliderGuider]

Once you understand the nature of fascism - its genesis, the culture-dependence of its manifestations, its mutability, but most of all what its common driving forces are (as opposed simply deconstructing particular instances like the German or Italian models) it's pretty hard to deny that the US is at the moment a fascist state in some very pure senses.

The article referenced above at http://www.cursor.org/stories/fascismintroduction.php is excellent at getting past the "Nazi" interpretation of fascism and delving into its culture-independent fundamentals. I particularly appreciate the phrase "palingenetic ultranationalist populism", and the associated definition:

Fascism: Modern political ideology that seeks to regenerate the social, economic, and cultural life of a country by basing it on a heightened sense of national belonging or ethnic identity. Fascism rejects liberal ideas such as freedom and individual rights, and often presses for the destruction of elections, legislatures, and other elements of democracy. Despite the idealistic goals of fascism, attempts to build fascist societies have led to wars and persecutions that caused millions of deaths. As a result, fascism is strongly associated with right-wing fanaticism, racism, totalitarianism, and violence.

That sounds like the current state of affairs in the Good Ole Yew Ess of Eh to me...