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OK, so this was obviously brought up because of the parallels with Trump, but while reading I noticed another group that strongly aligns with these principles:

OK, so this was obviously brought up because of the parallels with Trump, but while reading I noticed another group that strongly aligns with these principles: ISIS. I've mostly thought of them as a regressive, extremist theocracy, but they really do match up with every one of these points. You have the cult of tradition and rejection of modernism, action for action's sake, a fear of difference, obsession with violence, and most especially the cult of heroism (martyrdom). I wonder if this is just coincidence, or if the recent explosion of Islamic extremism is a new variation on Fascism.

nooron 10y ago
I think this is a very fair comparison. One important way that I think people miss is their demographic similarity. Fascism was largely a movement of young people, especially men. This is true of ISIS. To be clear, I don't think how you deal with ISIS is the same as Nazi Germany because they are also quite different in practical and ideological terms. It's worth considering that ISIS is at least nominally a globalist, not nationalist movement– they have a vision of umma/Islamic community that means to include all races. This is not true of the Third Reich.
- openasocket 10y ago
  ISIS has two faces: the globalist terrorist group that organizes out suicide bombings and shootings all over the world, and the sectarian militia group which conquers and holds territory. The nation-state component is very much like Nazi Germany: it's going around conquering its neighbors, persecuting minorities, and there is active resistance from those they have conquered. Though, as a nation-state ISIS is rather weak; most of its perceived strength comes from the global terrorist attacks. I wonder what would have become of the Nazis if they hadn't taken control of Germany, or if they failed to amass enough military power to invade other nations. Perhaps they would have switched to guerrilla-style tactics and terrorist attacks?
- morgante 10y ago
  Is ISIS actually globalist? As far as I know, they don't openly incorporate Muslims from other cultures. I think they're more imperialist than globalist: they must cast their reach wide to liberate the oppressed Muslims of other nations.
mturmon 10y ago
Do you mean: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism
eli_gottlieb 10y ago
>I wonder if this is just coincidence, or if the recent explosion of Islamic extremism is a new variation on Fascism. Several authors have studied the connection and found that the earliest Islamists (as we currently know them) actually cited the European fascists openly and approvingly, being contemporaries! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_and_Liberalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_and_Liberalism http://eustonmanifesto.org/the-euston-manifesto/ http://eustonmanifesto.org/the-euston-manifesto/

nooron 10y ago

I think this is a very fair comparison. One important way that I think people miss is their demographic similarity. Fascism was largely a movement of young people, especially men. This is true of ISIS. To be clear, I don't think how you deal with ISIS is the same as Nazi Germany because they are also quite different in practical and ideological terms. It's worth considering that ISIS is at least nominally a globalist, not nationalist movement– they have a vision of umma/Islamic community that means to include all races. This is not true of the Third Reich.

openasocket 10y ago
ISIS has two faces: the globalist terrorist group that organizes out suicide bombings and shootings all over the world, and the sectarian militia group which conquers and holds territory. The nation-state component is very much like Nazi Germany: it's going around conquering its neighbors, persecuting minorities, and there is active resistance from those they have conquered. Though, as a nation-state ISIS is rather weak; most of its perceived strength comes from the global terrorist attacks. I wonder what would have become of the Nazis if they hadn't taken control of Germany, or if they failed to amass enough military power to invade other nations. Perhaps they would have switched to guerrilla-style tactics and terrorist attacks?
morgante 10y ago
Is ISIS actually globalist? As far as I know, they don't openly incorporate Muslims from other cultures. I think they're more imperialist than globalist: they must cast their reach wide to liberate the oppressed Muslims of other nations.

mturmon 10y ago

Do you mean: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism

eli_gottlieb 10y ago

>I wonder if this is just coincidence, or if the recent explosion of Islamic extremism is a new variation on Fascism. Several authors have studied the connection and found that the earliest Islamists (as we currently know them) actually cited the European fascists openly and approvingly, being contemporaries! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_and_Liberalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_and_Liberalism http://eustonmanifesto.org/the-euston-manifesto/ http://eustonmanifesto.org/the-euston-manifesto/