Episode 205 - The #Fascism Question, Part II | #LeftAnchor

After unlocking our episode about the January 6 putsch, Ryan is doing a quick follow-up on our episode with John Ganz from February. This time we're talking about #RobertPaxton's book The #AnatomyOfFascism in the context of Trump lawyer John Eastman's coup memo, and various aspects of current right-wing culture. Enjoy! Also check out the Adolph Reed essay mentioned here.

https://www.leftanchor.com/e/episode-205-the-fascism-question-part-ii/

@Stoori Recognising the fascistic tendency or potential of communications modes and media formats is actually precisely what I'm encouraging here.

It's not that "all memes are fascist".

But you'll find that very nearly all fascists uses memes.

I'm reminded of the parallel with a famous observation of John Stuart Mill on stupidity and conservatives:

I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant, that stupid persons are generally Conservative. I believe that to be so obvious and undeniable a fact that I hardly think any hon. Gentleman will question it.

https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/23qdkr/john_stuart_mill_i_did_not_mean_that/

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1866/may/31/committee-adjourned-debate#column_1592

My view (supported by the work of Arendt, Paxton, Eco, MacDonald, and others) is that fascism is a behavioural mode, not an ideologial one, one that tends to be highly emotive, low-information, and reactionary. It probably emerges in times of high social and political stress.

Knowing that, and being aware of the risks and signs is valuable.

Yes, fascism wears ideological trappings, but those serve its behaviours and not the other way 'round. The specific ideologies claimed are fluid and flexible and inconsistent both internally and over time.

See the commentary on this post:
https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/6wuenu/is_politics_truly_ideological_or_is_this_a_20th/

@steko @zatnosk

#fascism #ideology #HannaArendt #FrankfurtSchool #Memes #MemeticWarfare #RobertPaxton #UmbertoEco #DwightMacDonald #MarshallMcLuhan #AdamCurtis #CenturyOfTheSelf #NoamChomsky