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on fascism in the United States of America
Aug. 7th, 2009 05:42 pmI just read a fantastic article on the idea that we're literally becoming a fascist state. You can read the whole thing here. http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009083205/fascist-america-are-we-there-yet
Here's my own recap of the first part of the article, with direct quotes in italics.
There are the five stages of how facsism unfolds in modern society, according to historian Robert Paxton (a big-time authority on fascist movements).
Stage One
A movement emerges based on a nationalist revival.
They come together to restore a broken social order, always drawing on themes of unity, order, and purity. Reason is rejected in favor of passionate emotion. The way the organizing story is told varies from country to country; but it's always rooted in the promise of restoring lost national pride by resurrecting the culture's traditional myths and values, and purging society of the toxic influence of the outsiders and intellectuals who are blamed for their current misery.
Stage Two
The fascist movement establishes itself as a valid political force, acquires real power and seizes a seat at the table.
Paxton wrote that succeeding at the second stage "depends on certain relatively precise conditions: the weakness of a liberal state, whose inadequacies condemn the nation to disorder, decline, or humiliation; and political deadlock because the Right, the heir to power but unable to continue to wield it alone, refuses to accept a growing Left as a legitimate governing partner."
..And more ominously: ( my skin is practically crawling, holy CRAP )
Do we even need to get to Stages Four and Five?
Jesus fucking CHRIST this stuff scares the piss outta me.
Here's my own recap of the first part of the article, with direct quotes in italics.
There are the five stages of how facsism unfolds in modern society, according to historian Robert Paxton (a big-time authority on fascist movements).
Stage One
A movement emerges based on a nationalist revival.
They come together to restore a broken social order, always drawing on themes of unity, order, and purity. Reason is rejected in favor of passionate emotion. The way the organizing story is told varies from country to country; but it's always rooted in the promise of restoring lost national pride by resurrecting the culture's traditional myths and values, and purging society of the toxic influence of the outsiders and intellectuals who are blamed for their current misery.
Stage Two
The fascist movement establishes itself as a valid political force, acquires real power and seizes a seat at the table.
Paxton wrote that succeeding at the second stage "depends on certain relatively precise conditions: the weakness of a liberal state, whose inadequacies condemn the nation to disorder, decline, or humiliation; and political deadlock because the Right, the heir to power but unable to continue to wield it alone, refuses to accept a growing Left as a legitimate governing partner."
..And more ominously: ( my skin is practically crawling, holy CRAP )
Do we even need to get to Stages Four and Five?
Jesus fucking CHRIST this stuff scares the piss outta me.
