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The article compares the term "fascism" to the term "game" in that it names a family of things that may not share any given trait. If I say the stock market is
by brlewis 10y ago
The article compares the term "fascism" to the term "game" in that it names a family of things that may not share any given trait.
If I say the stock market is a game, I have some hope people will understand I'm saying there are winners or losers. If I say commenting on HN is a game I have some hope people will understand I'm saying it's more for amusement than for any other purpose.
With the term "fascism" I have no such hope. Nobody understands if I say "Trump is fascist" or "Hillary is fascist" unless we're already thinking along the same lines, in which case I'm not communicating anything new.
My conclusion is that "fascism" is not a useful term for discussion.
- morgante 10y ago> Nobody understands if I say "Drumpf is fascist" or "Hillary is fascist" unless we're already thinking along the same lines, in which case I'm not communicating anything new. I think you're right when it comes to Internet commenting, but it's possible. I've personally convinced a few people to support Johnson instead of Trump by pointing out the distinctively fascist elements of his campaign. Thinking people are entirely polarized and unwilling to listen to respectful points just enhances polarization.