I’ve written a longer, more detailed explanation of the fascism taking hold in America, based in part on Professor Stanley’s excellent book. You can read it at https://www.winwindemocracy.org/p/2023-06-fascist-politics-in-america. If you have the time to read Professor Stanley’s book, I highly recommend it.
Stephen Greenblatt's Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics and Ruth Ben-Ghiat's Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present are excellent resources on this as well. Wrote about this intersection: https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/tyrants-at-the-gate
While it's from two years ago, sadly, it's become an evergreen piece.
According to the 10 points listed here, fascism is absolutely "on the rise" in the USA and we should be calling it what it is! Thanks for this very informative article, which I have shared on Facebook. Re: the comment about "WITH WHOM?" there will, of course, be many people who don't care because they are too embedded in the cult. There will, however, be others whose minds are more open who could be shocked and who (hopefully) could wake up after learning about the information that is presented here.
'Some FrameLab readers have argued that we should be using the word “fascist” instead of “authoritarian,” “conservative” or “right-wing.”'
We should use these terms when holding discussions WITH WHOM? It's been clear for a while that Trump's Republican party can be accurately described as a fascist movement. However, the more interesting question to me is how to frame this when talking to people who agree, people who are MAGA supporters, people who are old line Republicans, and people who are apolitical.
Does using the term fascist help frame the conversation in useful ways with each of these groups? Why or why not?
As always, Mrrs. Lakoff and Duran, this is such wonderful work. Every time, you seem to put your finger on exactly the right issues, and your work is always pulling in exactly the right direction.
But I hope you will entertain a question about it.
I am concerned that the people for whom the label "fascist" is most resonant require neither persuasion nor mobilization. Audiences in need of convincing messages about the dangers of Trump's illiberalism are probably very different from us, and may well see the use of the political label "fascist" as something that "people like me" don't do. The use of that label--accurrately or not--is political language pretty strongly associated with leftists and uncommonly deployed by moderates or even liberals.
So I would be interested to see how polling and focus groups among moderates, and those conservatives who may be leaning away from Trump, react to this terminology. I have a strong hunch that they will not respond to it the way we do, and if my suspicion is borne out, I think it would be really important to test different rhetorical approaches to convey danger about Trump's illiberalism.
When the modern anti-fascist movement first surfaced in this country I thought it sounded like a good idea on its face. What reasonable person is pro-fascist? Then “antifa” became a buzzword on the right and they even got blamed by the Trumpies for January 6th. To this day I don’t know if antifa was ever a genuine grassroots organization that got infiltrated by MAGA, or whether it was wholly invented by the right to delegitimize the fight against fascism. (The right is so good at co-opting words and weaponizing them against those who hold different viewpoints—woke, anyone?) Either way, Democrats and other reasonable people ought not to be afraid to call out fascism where we see it.
“Authoritarian,” “conservative” or “right-wing" all apply to American fascism and the caste system we live within. All three words are components of American fascism. Then is no such thing as left-wing fascism.
Do people who live under fascism care about the intricacies of its definition?
I would argue that if you don’t know the lessons of history and see the parallels with last century’ s fascism, all of this intellectualizing isn’t going to matter. Start with the parallels in Nazi Germany. Maybe they’ll get it.
The sympathizers see the term “fascist” as a slur…and they’ll use it interchangeably with “indoctrination” and “socialist”. If you try correct it, you ‘ll be called “elitist”. Jumping into the definition of fascism will gain nothing but resistance. I recommend a history discussion in an attempt to reach common ground.
Caution: No country including the USA can endure massive multiculturalism. Read Karen Stenner’s book on Authoritarianism. The human race has a natural inbred proclivity to be fearful of “the other” … real or imagined.
I’ve written a longer, more detailed explanation of the fascism taking hold in America, based in part on Professor Stanley’s excellent book. You can read it at https://www.winwindemocracy.org/p/2023-06-fascist-politics-in-america. If you have the time to read Professor Stanley’s book, I highly recommend it.
Very timely.
Stephen Greenblatt's Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics and Ruth Ben-Ghiat's Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present are excellent resources on this as well. Wrote about this intersection: https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/tyrants-at-the-gate
While it's from two years ago, sadly, it's become an evergreen piece.
According to the 10 points listed here, fascism is absolutely "on the rise" in the USA and we should be calling it what it is! Thanks for this very informative article, which I have shared on Facebook. Re: the comment about "WITH WHOM?" there will, of course, be many people who don't care because they are too embedded in the cult. There will, however, be others whose minds are more open who could be shocked and who (hopefully) could wake up after learning about the information that is presented here.
'Some FrameLab readers have argued that we should be using the word “fascist” instead of “authoritarian,” “conservative” or “right-wing.”'
We should use these terms when holding discussions WITH WHOM? It's been clear for a while that Trump's Republican party can be accurately described as a fascist movement. However, the more interesting question to me is how to frame this when talking to people who agree, people who are MAGA supporters, people who are old line Republicans, and people who are apolitical.
Does using the term fascist help frame the conversation in useful ways with each of these groups? Why or why not?
Thanks so, so much for this superb and most timely summary.
As always, Mrrs. Lakoff and Duran, this is such wonderful work. Every time, you seem to put your finger on exactly the right issues, and your work is always pulling in exactly the right direction.
But I hope you will entertain a question about it.
I am concerned that the people for whom the label "fascist" is most resonant require neither persuasion nor mobilization. Audiences in need of convincing messages about the dangers of Trump's illiberalism are probably very different from us, and may well see the use of the political label "fascist" as something that "people like me" don't do. The use of that label--accurrately or not--is political language pretty strongly associated with leftists and uncommonly deployed by moderates or even liberals.
So I would be interested to see how polling and focus groups among moderates, and those conservatives who may be leaning away from Trump, react to this terminology. I have a strong hunch that they will not respond to it the way we do, and if my suspicion is borne out, I think it would be really important to test different rhetorical approaches to convey danger about Trump's illiberalism.
When the modern anti-fascist movement first surfaced in this country I thought it sounded like a good idea on its face. What reasonable person is pro-fascist? Then “antifa” became a buzzword on the right and they even got blamed by the Trumpies for January 6th. To this day I don’t know if antifa was ever a genuine grassroots organization that got infiltrated by MAGA, or whether it was wholly invented by the right to delegitimize the fight against fascism. (The right is so good at co-opting words and weaponizing them against those who hold different viewpoints—woke, anyone?) Either way, Democrats and other reasonable people ought not to be afraid to call out fascism where we see it.
“Authoritarian,” “conservative” or “right-wing" all apply to American fascism and the caste system we live within. All three words are components of American fascism. Then is no such thing as left-wing fascism.
Do people who live under fascism care about the intricacies of its definition?
I would argue that if you don’t know the lessons of history and see the parallels with last century’ s fascism, all of this intellectualizing isn’t going to matter. Start with the parallels in Nazi Germany. Maybe they’ll get it.
The sympathizers see the term “fascist” as a slur…and they’ll use it interchangeably with “indoctrination” and “socialist”. If you try correct it, you ‘ll be called “elitist”. Jumping into the definition of fascism will gain nothing but resistance. I recommend a history discussion in an attempt to reach common ground.
Caution: No country including the USA can endure massive multiculturalism. Read Karen Stenner’s book on Authoritarianism. The human race has a natural inbred proclivity to be fearful of “the other” … real or imagined.
Doesn't this description better fit populist authoritarianism more than fascism?