On the rise of fascism.

[dutch]

Is it always a bad thing? Or are there circumstances where it is justified?

Or should we be constantly vigilant to recognise it and oppose it wherever it manifests?

 

It depends on who is behind fascism and the qualities this person or group of people has.

Depending on these qualities it can become good or bad, in this society it will usually become a bad thing.

 

Opposing it being constantly vigilant uses a lot of energy you can use to go beyond these lower things yourself. It is very easy to go beyond fascism and leave that world behind. Then when fascism manifests you realise it is something meaningless and why bother investing energy into it?

[L00b]

Is it always a bad thing? Or are there circumstances where it is justified?

There is little doubt that the UK developed a fascistic form of governance (albeit not at the hands of a dictator, but under Parliamentary scrutiny) during World War II. There is, equally, little doubt that this was justified by the circumstances of the day: the enduring penury of everything, daily bombing raids and the permanent threat of invasion called for a strong regimentation of British society, industry and resources, to prevent British society from falling into chaos, and then -later on- facilitate the management of the war effort.

 

So the answer to your question, depends upon whether you consider the sort of temporary [e.g. wartime] emergency powers required by a democracy (or other, comparable form of governance) to combat imperilling factors effectively, to be for the common good (and so justifiable), or not.

 

For instance, and as a counterpoint, I don't see France's emergency powers, promulgated in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack, but now seemingly on a course to become ever-lasting, as justified in the least. Because the elbowing of due process which such powers allow (supposedly, temporarily whilst the emergency endures), is certainly a sturdy foundation on which to build a bona fide police state.

Edited August 29, 2017 by L00b

[Hairyloon]

It depends on who is behind fascism and the qualities this person or group of people has.

Depending on these qualities it can become good or bad, in this society it will usually become a bad thing.

 

Does it? How so? I cannot envisage any scenario where the prohibition of discussion can be anything but malevolent.

 

Opposing it being constantly vigilant uses a lot of energy you can use to go beyond these lower things yourself. It is very easy to go beyond fascism and leave that world behind. Then when fascism manifests you realise it is something meaningless and why bother investing energy into it?

What an odd thing to say: it appears to amount to: "ignore it, it's not important", when clearly it is.

[Harrystottle]

Are there any real Fascists in the UK? Serious question. I know there are plenty of "anti fascists" but I don't think many people have plans for invading Poland or building gas chambers.

[melthebell]

Are there any real Fascists in the UK? Serious question. I know there are plenty of "anti fascists" but I don't think many people have plans for invading Poland or building gas chambers.

 

Yes do your homework, there's plenty of neo Nazi skinheads and others on the extreme edge of the bnp, edl etc still, they may not be invading Poland but they do cry out about the "holo hoax" and sieg heil a lot

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2017 at 13:02 ----------

 

Funnily enough I was reading this earlier

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40779377

 

Good read, and also interesting about all extremists too not just Nazis, a similar mind set

[Hairyloon]

Are there any real Fascists in the UK? Serious question. I know there are plenty of "anti fascists" but I don't think many people have plans for invading Poland or building gas chambers.

 

Ah "Fascist" means different things to different people expansionism and genocide are not AFAIK essential requirements.

 

Yes do your homework, there's plenty of neo Nazi skinheads and others on the extreme edge of the bnp, edl etc still, they may not be invading Poland but they do cry out about the "holo hoax" and sieg heil a lot...

 

Proving my point somewhat: "Nazi" and "fascist" are not synonymous: they mean very different things.

 

From the definition in OP, I would cite the suppression of criticism as an essential element, and add to it the principle that the state comes before the individual, but I don't see how that is very much different from Spock's assertion that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

[the_bloke]

Are there any real Fascists in the UK? Serious question. I know there are plenty of "anti fascists" but I don't think many people have plans for invading Poland or building gas chambers.

 

If you read the dictionary definition in the first post, why would you only associate fascism with the far right white European flavour of extremism?

[Hairyloon]

If you read the dictionary definition in the first post, why would you only associate fascism with the far right white European flavour of extremism?

 

I wouldn't. If you'd read and understood the first post, then you would probably realise that.

[Hots on]

To find out who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.

[despritdan]

Fascism is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days and probably means different things to different people. I think political correctness and Islam are both forms of fascism.