this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
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US Authoritarianism
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I’ve never understood the label. I’ve had to explain on a few occasions that no, you’re not trying to maintain traditional values. You’re just authoritarian.
Authoritarianism is the traditional value they're trying to maintain
it's the traditional conservative value. it's what they're trying to conserve, the time when they're the boss. all the rest is bullshit, every word. If they actually cared about you they'd listen to you
Speaking of traditional values, I still want to know what Southern Pride is if it isn't glorifying the Confederacy.
So am a southerner, and have relocated, southern pride as in pride in the food, music, language/dialect, and culture all of which is heavily influenced by black people is very different than being one of the assholes flying a confederate flag and claiming the south will rise again.
I should add that I grew up in the 90s and witnessed the rise of black culture to the American mainstream so i probably view my enjoyment of southern things differently than someone 20 years older
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that's because fascism is not like other political views. it doesn't come from thinkers, economists, sociologists or philosophers. it comes from maniacs doing maniacal shit. there is no "theory" to read on fascism. which is why the best academic text you find on it comes from its critics.
People don't recognise fascism when it's in front of their faces.
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Huge military budget
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weaponized, authoritarian police force with little oversight.
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Nationalist habits like pledging allegiance regularly when young and national anthems when together.
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a strong belief that they are the best nation on earth, often backed with religious certainly.
Bit like Russia then?
A bit? Exactly like Russia. They're at the full blown invading neighbors stage.
Declaring war on inantimate objects/conditions
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Ummm many fascists are disguised as intellectuals whose sophistry is only revealed by challenging their assumptions. There were a number of such people who came to rise in Nazi Germany and afterwards, and there are many who are their contemporaries
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Conservatism is a distinct political ideology that basically says not all change is for the better, nothing more--it's in the name: conserve. This is a separate concept from authoritarianism, which is all about how power flows. It's possible to be conservative and liberal at the same time if society is losing its liberal values.
US republicans are fascists through and through that wear a disguise of conservatism on select issues to convince people to relinquish their political power so that they can do whatever they want.
Sure, it's theoretically possible, but I've never met a conservative anywhere who actually wants to conserve what they have today. In practice, they all want to go back to the past, and most prefer some kind of fictional 1960s past.
That’s the tricky part about conservatism. If their values never change, they are eventually left behind by progress and they become reactionaries. Unfortunately, people just keep accepting their use of the label “conservative” when it stopped fitting them decades ago, which is a convenient cover for the more reprehensible ones.
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Conservatism is a distinct political ideology that basically says not all change is for the better, nothing more
Based on what? Conservatism's roots go back to royalists after the French Revolution. Conservatives were the American colonists who objected to the war of independence calling it treason against the crown. It's not about change in a general way, it's about resisting democratic movements and preserving autocratic rule.
It's possible to be conservative and liberal at the same time
Liberalism is an offshoot of Conservatism that favors empowerment of the economic elite and institutions over kings and politicians. It's economic totalitarianism instead of political totalitarianism. These become indistinguishable when the economic elite capture the body politic.
US republicans are fascists through and through that wear a disguise of conservatism
This is backwards. The disguise is the thing that turns conservatism info fascism. It's the dressing up of conservative totalitarianism with nationalism, religious fundamentalism, racism, and other forms of identitarianism.
I like the idea of conservatism, but not the way it is executed.. Like why aren't these people for conservation of the environment, or actually financially conservative? All I'm noticing is greed, and corporate corruption.
Because by "conserve" they mean conserve the status quo.
Rich people stay rich poor people stay poor and anyone who tries to change that is a commie.
Rich people *get even richer and poor people *become even more poor.
The status quo can include trends, it doesn't necessarily mean a static state. "If the status quo is me getting [richer, more powerful, more control], then that's the one I want."
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It seems useful to note that the EPA was signed into law by Nixon. We have fallen a long way since Reagan took office.
The EPA was the idea of the progressives who seemed to have some momentum toward eventually achieving it. The conservatives (and their polluting corporate benefactors) were threatened by it. So, Nixon co-opted it while conservatives were still in power with the purpose of making sure it was ineffective. They achieved that.
You'll notice that when conservatives have power, they castrate the EPA and make sure it does not affect any of their benefactors. The Dem neo-liberals usually bend a little toward the progressives and will re-instate some of the EPA's power when the Dems are in charge, but it's never enough to undo whatever damage the last GOP administration did. This is because neo-liberals are conservatives. (They aren't as conservative as Republicans, but they are conservative by every international standard.)
Do not give credit to Nixon for the EPA. Like everything else ever done by a conservative, it was an act of self-serving deception. Nothing good in all of human history has ever come from conservatism. Nothing at all.
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They only thing they want to conserve is their capital/social status.
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I see the lightbulb flickering!
Basically admitting that mainstream conservatism is indistinguishible from fascism.
It isn't, he's just trying to pull mainstream conservatives in to defend him. The far right has been very successful at getting normal conservatives to cover for them over the last 50 years. The actual ideas of fiscal and social conservatism are only partially aligned with fascism. The far bigger problem with regards to sliding into fascism is America's pro corporate stance.
"Fiscal conservatism" has always been a straw man though. Literally nobody holds the policy that government should be reckless or wasteful. All fiscal conservatism does is promote one vision of fiscal responsibility, linguistically represented as some ideal.
And of course, social conservatism is just very thinly veiled hate politics.
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Assuming the post was made in earnest - the poor guy is so close to getting it. Just let yourself start with your last sentence buddy, and think out from there.
I hate the name of the community is US Authoritarianism when there’s so much fascist rise in EU
And for extra lols the dude in the meme should be asked what he thinks are “normal” right wing policies
Look, conservatives suck but theyre not fascists. Calling everybody to the right of you fascist waters down the meaning of the word.
Heres a good take by Umberto Eco on what makes fascism distinct from other political movements: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism
It's hard because, yes you are right, but when can you start calling somone a fascist? Do you have have to wait for them to actually start rounding you up and putting you in prison, or can you point it out early in order to avoid the complete fascist takeover?
I guess my point is that, once a group is actually fully fascist, you will no longer be allowed to call them that.
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What a dense, stupid motherfucker. Smacked in the face by a sledgehammer of truth that screams at him at full volume, and STILL he cannot grasp the damn thing.
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Fascism is a movement led by a cult of personality with no clear direction, but get people to follow with maniacal views and populist energy against a false premise of a target in an "Us V Them" ideology.
Example: "They stand for everything we don't stand for. Also, they told me you guys look like dorks!"
“Trying to define fascism is like trying to nail jelly to the wall."
-Ian Kershaw
But yes, Christian Nationalism, oppressive legislation on civil liberties, exploitative economic systems designed to further widen wealth inequality, and support for militant police conduct are all symptoms of fascism.
Are you willing to vote for an obvious criminal who commits election fraud, commits insurrections, extorts foreign governments, and sells top secret documents to adversarial nations? Then you are a fascist.
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At least here in the US an admitted fascist won the Republican primary, so anyone who is willing to label themselves a Republican should also be perfectly fine with being labeled a fascist.
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