Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has blocked quick approval of more than 300 top-level military promotions in protest of the Defense Department's abortion travel policy.
I’m pretty sick of people throwing the word “fascist” around - but regardless here we are…
It’s difficult to square that with how ineffective Trump actually was as president. Almost none of what he wanted to happen did happen. He could barely get a wall built that actually had strong support in his own party which controlled both branches at the time.
So is “Tuberville” a political genius working toward a greater goal? Or is he a blowhard scoring cheap political points by “fighting woke”? I dunno - maybe you’re right but I lean a bit more on the side of incompetence for now.
“Fascist” is absolutely an appropriate label for the modern GOP.
Per Umberto Eco’s 14 points of ur-fascism:
The cult of tradition. “One has only to look at the syllabus of every fascist movement to find the major traditionalist thinkers. The Nazi gnosis was nourished by traditionalist, syncretistic, occult elements.”
The rejection of modernism. “The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity. In this sense, Ur-Fascism can be defined as irrationalism.”
The cult of action for action’s sale. “Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation.”
Disagreement is treason. “The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism. In modern culture, the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge.”
Fear of difference. “The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.”
Appeal to social frustration. “[…] one of the most typical features of the historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation, and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.
The obsession with a plot. “The followers must feel besieged. The easiest way to solve the plot is the appeal to xenophobia.”
The enemy is both weak and strong. “[…] the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.”
Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. “For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle.”
Contempt for the weak. “Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology.”
Everybody is educated to become a hero. “in Ur-Fascist ideology, heroism is the norm. This cult of heroism is strictly linked with the cult of death.”
Machismo and Weaponry. “This is the origin of machismo (which implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality). Since even sex is a difficult game to play, the Ur-Fascist hero tends to play with weapons—doing so becomes an ersatz phallic exercise.”
Selective Populism. “There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People.
Ur-Fascism speaks Newspeak. “All the Nazi or Fascist schoolbooks made use of an impoverished vocabulary, and an elementary syntax, in order to limit the instruments for complex and critical reasoning.”
Apart from some people getting confused, it’s Republicans who are calling everything fascist. Liberals for the most part are calling fascist things fascist, while people like Marjorie Greene are calling anything they don’t like fascist.
I missed where those points talked about Hitler or Mussolini.
Do you want to provide a definition of fascism if you find Eco’s inadequate? I’m sure you’ve done a lot more research into this than he did when he wrote the book.
Or is your objection based more on vibes than reality?
I missed where those points talked about Hitler or Mussolini.
Nudge nudge wink wink - we’re not comparing anyone to Hitler just fascism - that’s “COMPLETELY DIFFERENT™”.
My objection is to the over-use of “fascism” for everything liberals don’t like. MAGA is a dangerous beast and has strong authoritarian leanings but it’s not fascism. It can get worse. Much worse. Calling it fascism now is hyperbole that won’t be taken seriously by people who aren’t already in your circle-jerk.
It doesn’t meet the definition. MAGA is heavily influenced by fundamentalism. Where is that in Fascism?
The very first one?
The cult of tradition. “One has only to look at the syllabus of every fascist movement to find the major traditionalist thinkers. The Nazi gnosis was nourished by traditionalist, syncretistic, occult elements.”
I’m pretty sick of people throwing the word “fascist” around - but regardless here we are…
It’s difficult to square that with how ineffective Trump actually was as president. Almost none of what he wanted to happen did happen. He could barely get a wall built that actually had strong support in his own party which controlled both branches at the time.
So is “Tuberville” a political genius working toward a greater goal? Or is he a blowhard scoring cheap political points by “fighting woke”? I dunno - maybe you’re right but I lean a bit more on the side of incompetence for now.
“Fascist” is absolutely an appropriate label for the modern GOP.
Per Umberto Eco’s 14 points of ur-fascism:
Sure sure. The fact that it’s related to Hitler and Mussolini has nothing at all to do with it.
If the GOP doesn’t want to be compared to Hitler then they should stop acting like him.
The problem is that when you compare everything to Hitler then it doesn’t much weight when Hitler appears before you.
Liberals are calling f’ing everything fascism now. It’s become the left’s “woke” in that it labels everything they don’t like.
Apart from some people getting confused, it’s Republicans who are calling everything fascist. Liberals for the most part are calling fascist things fascist, while people like Marjorie Greene are calling anything they don’t like fascist.
I missed where those points talked about Hitler or Mussolini.
Do you want to provide a definition of fascism if you find Eco’s inadequate? I’m sure you’ve done a lot more research into this than he did when he wrote the book.
Or is your objection based more on vibes than reality?
Nudge nudge wink wink - we’re not comparing anyone to Hitler just fascism - that’s “COMPLETELY DIFFERENT™”.
My objection is to the over-use of “fascism” for everything liberals don’t like. MAGA is a dangerous beast and has strong authoritarian leanings but it’s not fascism. It can get worse. Much worse. Calling it fascism now is hyperbole that won’t be taken seriously by people who aren’t already in your circle-jerk.
So even though it fits the definition it isn’t fascism because it hurts people’s feelings.
Boo fuckin’ hoo.
It doesn’t meet the definition. MAGA is heavily influenced by fundamentalism. Where is that in Fascism?
Having similarities doesn’t make them the same.
The very first one?
You still haven’t made any sort of point.
There is a definition, and it applies. It’s unclear why you disagree.
Definitions are useful to describe what people are talking about. They are not magical rules which speak things into existence.
Where is christian fundamentalism in that definition of “fascism”? Or un-regulated capitalism / corporatism?
There are similarities between MAGA and fascism but there are things that are quite different as well.