Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Umberto Eco’s List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism

Umberto Eco’s List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism:


Creative Commons image by Rob Bogaerts, via the National Archives in Holland

One of the key questions facing both journalists and loyal oppositions these days is how do we stay honest as euphemisms and trivializations take over the discourse? Can we use words like “fascism,” for example, with fidelity to the meaning of that word in world history? The term, after all, devolved decades after World War II into the trite expression fascist pig, writes Umberto Eco in his 1995 essay “Ur-Fascism,” “used by American radicals thirty years later to refer to a cop who did not approve of their smoking habits.” In the forties, on the other hand, the fight against fascism was a “moral duty for every good American.” (And every good Englishman and French partisan, he might have added.)

Eco grew up under Mussolini’s fascist regime, which “was certainly a dictatorship, but it was not totally totalitarian, not because of its mildness but rather because of the philosophical weakness of its ideology. Contrary to common opinion, fascism in Italy had no special philosophy.” It did, however, have style, “a way of dressing—far more influential, with its black shirts, than Armani, Benetton, or Versace would ever be.” The dark humor of the comment indicates a critical consensus about fascism. As a form of extreme nationalism, it ultimately takes on the contours of whatever national culture produces it.

It may seem to tax one word to make it account for so many different cultural manifestations of authoritarianism, across Europe and even South America. Italy may have been “the first right-wing dictatorship that took over a European country,” and got to name the political system. But Eco is perplexed “why the word fascism became a synecdoche, that is, a word that could be used for different totalitarian movements.” For one thing, he writes, fascism was “a fuzzy totalitarianism, a collage of different philosophical and political ideas, a beehive of contradictions.”

While Eco is firm in claiming “There was only one Nazism,” he says, “the fascist game can be played in many forms, and the name of the game does not change.” Eco reduces the qualities of what he calls “Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism” down to 14 “typical” features. “These features,” writes the novelist and semiotician, “cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present to allow fascism to coagulate around it.”

  1. 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.”
  2. 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.”
  3. The cult of action for action’s sake. “Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation.”
  4. 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.”
  5. 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.”
  6. 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.”
  7. The obsession with a plot. “Thus at the root of the Ur-Fascist psychology there is the obsession with a plot, possibly an international one. The followers must feel besieged.”
  8. The enemy is both strong and weak. “By a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.”
  9. Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. “For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle.”
  10. Contempt for the weak. “Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology.”
  11. 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.”
  12. Machismo and weaponry. “Machismo implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality.”
  13. 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.”
  14. 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.”

One detail of Eco’s essay that often goes unremarked is his characterization of the Italian opposition movement’s unlikely coalitions. The Resistance included Communists who “exploited the Resistance as if it were their personal property,” and leaders like Eco’s childhood hero Franchi, “so strongly anti-Communist that after the war he joined very right-wing groups.” This itself may be a specific feature of an Italian resistance, one not observable across the number of nations that have resisted totalitarian governments. As for the seeming total lack of common interest between these parties, Eco simply says, “Who cares?… Liberation was a common deed for people of different colors.”

Read Eco’s essay at The New York Review of Books. There he elaborates on each element of fascism at greater length. And support NYRB by becoming a subscriber.

Note: This post originally appeared on our site in 2014.

Related Content:

The Story of Fascism: Rick Steves’ Documentary Helps Us Learn from the Painful Lessons of the 20th Century

George Orwell Reviews Mein Kampf: “He Envisages a Horrible Brainless Empire” (1940)

Are You a Fascist?: Take Theodor Adorno’s Authoritarian Personality Test Created to Combat Fascism (1947)

Walter Benjamin Explains How Fascism Uses Mass Media to Turn Politics Into Spectacle (1935)

20 Lessons from the 20th Century About How to Defend Democracy from Authoritarianism, According to Yale Historian Timothy Snyder

Tuesday 5 November 2024: GENERAL ELECTION DAY in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA

Tuesday 5 November 2024: GENERAL ELECTION DAY in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA:

"Electors" for President and Vice-President of the United States are being "appointed" per the result of the Popular Vote for President in each of the 50 States of the American Union and the District of Columbia: each State has as many such Electors as they have United States Senators (2 per State) and members of the U.S. House of Representatives (which varies according to a State's population); in addition, D.C. (and incorporated U.S. Territory) has as many Electors [3] as the least populous State-- the total number of Electors is 538, and a Majority of same [270] is necessary to elect a President and Vice-President outright.

These Electors meet (separately, as 51 different "electoral colleges" [NOT all together as one single Electoral College!]) in their respective States (and D.C.) to formally, and officially, cast their respective 'Electoral Votes' for President and Vice-President on Tuesday 17 December 2024.

In addition: 33 Class 1 U.S. Senators are being elected, along with all 435 voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives; 11 State Governors are also being elected. There are also other Statewide elected officials being elected in most States (including a Special Election for the Class 2 seat in the United States Senate from NEBRASKA), along with numerous "down ballot" elective offices: State legislators in many States, along with many other County, Township, Municipal and other local officials all across the country-- please check locally!

Polls throughout the Union begin closing this evening at 6 AM Eastern Time US [2300 GMT] in parts of two States [Indiana and Kentucky], while the last polls will close in parts of Alaska at 8 PM local time [=1 AM Eastern: 0600 GMT]

2024 Poll Closing Times Chronologically
2024 General Election Polling Hours Alphabetically with annotations

2008-11-04-Voting.jpg

Results from Politico.

Monday, November 4, 2024

Carlson: Hurricanes Are The “Consequence” Of Abortion

Carlson: Hurricanes Are The “Consequence” Of Abortion:

“Not since we dropped the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, the second one in August of 1945, and decided that we were gods and that God himself no longer existed — since then, we have been a secular society, and that’s why we’re now being destroyed in my view.

“But even if you don’t buy any of that, you have to acknowledge that we’re living in an anomalous time. This is the only period, these 80 years, where people haven’t been daily discussing the spiritual battle around them. Every other culture has. And, in fact, the remote ones still do, and they’re all right and we’re wrong.

“People — and I have to say, and I’m sure I’ll be attacked for saying this, but I really believe it. People are like, oh, well, we had another hurricane, must be global warming. No, it’s probably abortion, actually. Just being honest. Like, you can’t do that.

“You can’t kill children on purpose knowing that you’re doing that in exchange for power or freedom or happiness, whatever you think you’re getting in return. You can’t participate in human sacrifice without consequences.” – Tucker Carlson, on Steve Bannon’s podcast.

The post Carlson: Hurricanes Are The “Consequence” Of Abortion appeared first on Joe.My.God..

The Powerful Density of Hypertextual Writing

The Powerful Density of Hypertextual Writing:

The NY Times has had a difficult time covering the 2024 election in a clear, responsible manner. But I wanted to highlight this short opinion piece from the paper’s editorial board, which I’m reproducing here in its entirety:

You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best. He tried to subvert an election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences. Mr. Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyond elections: It’s his whole ethos. He lies without limit. If he’s re-elected, the G.O.P. won’t restrain him. Mr. Trump will use the government to go after opponents. He will pursue a cruel policy of mass deportations. He will wreak havoc on the poor, the middle class and employers. Another Trump term will damage the climate, shatter alliances and strengthen autocrats. Americans should demand better. Vote.

What makes this piece so effective is its plain language and its information density. This density is a real strength of hypertext that is often overlooked and taken for granted. Only 110 words in that paragraph but it contains 27 links to other NYT opinion pieces published over the last several months that expand on each linked statement or argument. If you were inclined to follow these links, you could spend hours reading about how unfit Trump is for office.

A simple list of headlines would have done the same basic job, but by presenting it this way, the Times editorial board is simultaneously able to deliver a strong opinion; each of those links is like a fist pounding on the desk for emphasis. Lies, threat, corruption, cruel, autocrats — bam! bam! bam! bam! bam! Here! Are! The! Fucking! Receipts!

How the links are deployed is an integral part of how the piece is read; it’s a style of writing that is native to the web, pioneered by sites like Suck in the mid-90s. It looks so simple, but IMO, this is top-notch, subtle information design.

Tags: design · Donald Trump · journalism · NY Times · politics · writing · WWW

💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Voting Has Never Been More Secure Than It Is Right Now

Voting Has Never Been More Secure Than It Is Right Now:

voting_tabulation_machine.jpg?m=17304880

Efficient machines, paper ballots and human checks make the U.S. voting system robust

Idaho Public Health Department Bans COVID Vaccines

Idaho Public Health Department Bans COVID Vaccines:

The Associated Press reports:

A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department.

Of the more than 290 public comments, many called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines, neither of which are happening in the district.

At the meeting, many people who spoke are nationally known for making the rounds to testify against COVID vaccines, including Dr. Peter McCullough [photo], a Texas cardiologist who sells “contagion emergency kits” that include ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

Read the full article.

McCollough has 1.1 million followers on X.

The post Idaho Public Health Department Bans COVID Vaccines appeared first on Joe.My.God..

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Ted Cruz showed this trans wrestler in campaign ads. Now the athlete is fighting back.

Ted Cruz showed this trans wrestler in campaign ads. Now the athlete is fighting back.:
mack-beggs-espn-films-texas-ted-cruz-ant

Male transgender wrestler Mack Beggs plans to fight Texas Republicans in court after they used his likeness in transphobic campaign ads.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) used an ad featuring 2018 footage of Beggs winning his second Texas University Interscholastic League women’s wrestling state championship. Under the footage, Cruz’s ad featured text saying that Cruz’s political opponent “Colin Allred failed to protect women’s sports, supporting boys competing with girls.” 

Related

Pro-wrestler receives “overwhelming” support after coming out as bisexual
“If me coming out and living my truth helps at least one other person feel more comfortable in their own skin, it makes it all worth it.”

Cruz did not get Beggs’ permission to depict him in the ad. The ad also failed to recognize that Beggs only competed against girls because of state policies forcing him into sports teams matching the gender listed on his birth certificate. Beggs had wanted to compete against boys.

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“The Republican Party messed up and they know what they’re doing,” Beggs told Lonestar Live. “You can’t just go around throwing around false narratives when this is literally what y’all asked for.”

He only became aware of the ad when people brought it to his attention. He plans to take action in court, and is talking with lawyers.

“I’m definitely going to take legal action,” Beggs said. “It’s a false narrative and defamation.”

Marc LaHood, a Republican candidate for Texas House District 121, also depicted Beggs in a similar ad without his consent. The ad implied Beggs was a cisgender boy.

“I’m not afraid of my name being known,” Beggs said. “I’m not afraid of my face being plastered everywhere. What I don’t appreciate is my story being told falsely and me being painted out to be someone that I’m not.”

He believes that Republicans are deliberately labeling him as either a cisgender man or a transgender woman as an attempt to defame him.

“They are spinning the narrative to continue to push the anti-trans agenda,” Beggs said. “My name was brought up 20 times in the (Texas) Senate when it came to first enacting the anti-trans athlete bills back in 2017. So, I think they are very much aware of what they’re doing.”

Beggs also emphasized that trans athletes of color are often subjected to similar scrutiny. “It’s not just me who is being attacked or trans athletes or trans individuals in general,” he said.

“That’s more important to me than me being trans,” Beggs said. “I think that if we continue to fight for marginalized groups as a whole, then myself and everybody in my community will as well win this fight.”

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