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This is one of the classic pillars of fascist politics. Justify atrocious, anti-democratic actions by citing widely shared ideals. Implement Jim Crow laws and
by panarky 6y ago
This is one of the classic pillars of fascist politics. Justify atrocious, anti-democratic actions by citing widely shared ideals.
Implement Jim Crow laws and prevent Black people from voting under the guise of "states' rights".
Invade a nation that does not threaten us in order to "liberate their people" and "spread democracy".
Encourage paramilitaries to intimidate peaceful protesters with weapons of war to "protect property and the rule of law".
And now send heavily armed mercenaries or federal agents into cities, with no identification and no accountability, against the will of local leaders, to kidnap citizens from the streets to "protect federal property".
- amadeuspagel 6y agoJustifying things you do - atrocious and anti-democratic or not - by citing widely shared ideals is a pillar of any kind of politics. To claim that sending feds into cities is like Jim Crow in a meaningful sense because it was also justified with widely shared ideals is ridiculous.
- panarky 6y agoThe difference is that in fascist politics, the justifications are lies. The US didn't invade Iraq to "liberate its people", and federal thugs aren't abducting people from the streets to "protect federal property". Those are lies and transparent pretexts. In non-fascist politics, the justifications aren't dishonest pretexts. For example, when non-fascist Roosevelt established Social Security, the stated reason was to safeguard "against the hazards and vicissitudes of life". That was not a lie or a pretext. It was true, and that's the difference.