Fascism is not a word that I quite understood, until recently. It is a political ideology that dominated many parts of central, southern, and eastern Europe between 1919 and 1945. It is a word that is being used quite commonly now and we have to wonder why that is.
What is Fascism
One dictionary definition of fascism says it is a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism. In addition, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism. Does that sound familiar to you?
Whichever way you cut it, Fascism opposes democracy and liberalism. So how can you spot when this starts to happen?
History of Fascism
History tells us Fascism started with Mussolini in Italy, who formed the National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista ) in the 1920s.
Then Hitler took up Fascism in Germany in the 1930s. He gained support by appealing to people’s nationalism and racism, especially by promoting suspicion and hatred of the Jewish People that he labelled as foreigners and illegitimate citizens.
Fascist leaders often reinforce these themes among their followers with rallies and mass parades, developing a cult of personality as Trump did recently in USA. The right-wing Conservative Government of Boris Johnson is showing traits of fascism.
I found this twitter thread recently, as you do, from another article that I was reading. It made me pause and reflect especially as fascism is a topic that has been a lot on my mind of recent. It is a list that the author of the tweet found in the US Holocaust museum.
The tweet by an American followed the event where an official was removed for not following an order that is unlawful. It means the government of the day is removing signs of resistance. It is trying to replace those who would do the right thing with those who will not object to doing the wrong thing because they were just doing their job. Or because it was the easy thing to do.
Fascism Early Warning Signs
These are 14 early warning signs of fascism – it should concern each of us
- Powerful and continuing nationalism
- Disdain for human rights
- Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
- Supremacy of the military
- Rampant sexism
- Controlled mass media
- Obsession with national security
- Religion and government intertwined
- Corporate power protected
- Labour power suppressed
- Disdain for intellectuals & the arts
- Obsession with crime & punishment
- Rampant cronyism & corruption
- Fraudulent elections
The current Conservative Government has so far ticked a lot of these points.
You can read the full thread by Felonious Munk here