this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024
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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

You missed the point. Fascism doesn't arrive looking like Nazis. But it eventually starts to look like them. The German people during WWII weren't unaware of the mass transport and concentration camps. They knew, but by that time they were either conditioned to support it or feel unable to do anything to stop it.

Rosen's quote, then. Must not be interpreted as in, fascism just arrived to the US proposing these horrible things. As most of the world will tell you, fascism installed in the US as early as the XIX century. The Nazis took cues from the US actions to create their extermination programs. It's just that the US hadn't started their full metamorphosis in full until the 80's. It was always focused against particular groups of individuals or specific outsiders, and was very slow with their own people unless they belong to a marginalized community. It's just now that they openly promote the atrocities, but they have been doing them for two centuries. But most people were blind to them, because fascism arrives as your friend.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago

You missed the point.

I can read you know. I didn't miss the point, I disagreed with it

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

fascism installed in the US as early as the XIX century.

There's some debate over the history of fascism but fascism was not "installed" in the US in the 19th century; it was barely even making inroads in Europe, its birthplace.

The Nazis took cues from the US actions to create their extermination programs. It’s just that the US hadn’t started their full metamorphosis in full until the 80’s

Yes, but that doesn't mean that the US was fascist. The US genocide of indigenous peoples was not a fascist project, it was a colonial one. You seem to be of the opinion that committing atrocities is fascist and fascism is committing atrocities, which is understandable given that fascism inevitably leads to brutality. But for example, I'd hardly call FDR a fascist, but he put Asian Americans in concentration camps and (while knowing about the holocaust) refused entry to Jewish refugees. Likewise, Japan looked to US for inspiration for its expansionism, but Japan wasn't fascist: it was imperial.

I do think Rosen is mistaken, or at least this quote is misleading on this part. The Nazis were talking about exterminating Jews before they got into power. But they were also focusing hard on the "friendly" points and downplaying the uglier ones whenever dealing with moderate audiences.