Is Donald trump a fascist? He checks a lot of boxes!
Core characteristics of fascism
While different fascist movements throughout history have had their own nuances, historians and scholars have identified several key shared characteristics:
Ultrananationalism and the "rebirth" myth: Fascism emphasizes extreme nationalism, often tied to a "palingenetic" myth of national rebirth.
This involves presenting a narrative of the nation's past greatness, claiming it has fallen into a state of decline or decadence, and promising to restore it to glory.
Authoritarian and dictatorial leadership: Fascist states are typically one-party, totalitarian states with power centralized under a single, charismatic leader. A personality cult is often built around this leader, who is presented as embodying the will of the nation.
Militarism and violence: Fascism glorifies military power and warfare as a means of national rejuvenation and expansion. Violence is often celebrated as a redemptive or purifying force and is used to suppress opposition and advance national goals.
Suppression of opposition: Fascist regimes systematically suppress all forms of opposition, including political opponents, dissenters, and minorities. They control the media and use violence and intimidation to eliminate any perceived threats to national unity.
Scapegoating: Fascist movements commonly use scapegoats to unite the population against a perceived enemy, often blaming specific groups (such as ethnic or racial minorities, immigrants, or political opponents) for the nation's problems.
Hierarchical social structure: Fascism promotes the idea of an inescapable social hierarchy and views human inequality as natural. It demands that individual interests and rights be subordinated to the perceived good of the nation or race.
State-directed economy: Fascism operates a dirigiste economy, where the state plays a strong, directive role in economic interventions. While not abolishing private property like communism, it forces cooperation between businesses and workers to serve nationalistic goals and achieve economic self-sufficiency (autarky).
While different fascist movements throughout history have had their own nuances, historians and scholars have identified several key shared characteristics:
Ultrananationalism and the "rebirth" myth: Fascism emphasizes extreme nationalism, often tied to a "palingenetic" myth of national rebirth.
This involves presenting a narrative of the nation's past greatness, claiming it has fallen into a state of decline or decadence, and promising to restore it to glory.
Authoritarian and dictatorial leadership: Fascist states are typically one-party, totalitarian states with power centralized under a single, charismatic leader. A personality cult is often built around this leader, who is presented as embodying the will of the nation.
Militarism and violence: Fascism glorifies military power and warfare as a means of national rejuvenation and expansion. Violence is often celebrated as a redemptive or purifying force and is used to suppress opposition and advance national goals.
Suppression of opposition: Fascist regimes systematically suppress all forms of opposition, including political opponents, dissenters, and minorities. They control the media and use violence and intimidation to eliminate any perceived threats to national unity.
Scapegoating: Fascist movements commonly use scapegoats to unite the population against a perceived enemy, often blaming specific groups (such as ethnic or racial minorities, immigrants, or political opponents) for the nation's problems.
Hierarchical social structure: Fascism promotes the idea of an inescapable social hierarchy and views human inequality as natural. It demands that individual interests and rights be subordinated to the perceived good of the nation or race.
State-directed economy: Fascism operates a dirigiste economy, where the state plays a strong, directive role in economic interventions. While not abolishing private property like communism, it forces cooperation between businesses and workers to serve nationalistic goals and achieve economic self-sufficiency (autarky).
