Are we witnessing the full-blown return of fascism, cruelty and unaccountability?
The impression that a far-right totalitarian movement has taken hold in the US, Europe and many other countries and regions is increasingly becoming self-evident.
Be warned, be on your guard: “let us remember: fascism moves faster than any democracy. Barely nine weeks separated Hitler’s rise to the Chancellorship and the first antisemitic measures.”- Hervé Le Tellier, El nombre en el muro (The Name on the Wall), as quoted in The return of fascism
The world of politics and political leadership today: A world devoid of humanity, dignity, trust, spirituality, meaning, purpose, morals, and manners.
Resistance is noble and courageous: Honouring the legacy of those who stood against fascism then and now.
"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others." - Aristotle
Fascism was and for ever will be the corruption of humanity and the denial of human dignity
When a tsunami of crisis hits us on the shores of fear, hopelessness, helplessness, self-doubt and destruction, let us embrace the true values of our humanity to give us hope for better days to come.
The legacy of all those who have resisted fascism lives on. Their fight in the past century is now our fight in this century. As always, when we oppose cruelty, hate, racism, xenophobia and injustice, we keep the legacy of resistance alive. When we refuse to stay silent, when we defend decency, kindness and empathy, we defend and save humanity. When we fight for equality, fairness and justice, we carry forward the antifascist spirit. The message of fighting fascism to us, over more than 80 years later, is clear: Do not look away. Do not walk away. Do not stay silent. Do not despair, walk on. Take action in the interest of the common good —and build a society rooted in solidarity, equality, fairness, peaceful co-existence and humanity. Carpe diem!
N.B. I urge you to delve into this posting (and then read the full original sources noted in this write up) and mull over the substance of fascist situations, moves and actions, as well as it's linkage to the neoliberalised, deregulated, privatised free market and economy of self-interest, money and power, which have removed moral compass in what it means to be human.
![When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled 'made in Germany'..." - Halfrod E. Luccock [2000x900] [OC] : r/QuotesPorn](https://external-preview.redd.it/when-and-if-fascism-comes-to-america-it-will-not-be-labeled-v0-VGUBv1LTZ5PEOGz14sPoslel49kgeYCg6WQ5Y-YNM_Q.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=83a13d5d39df5202bb5a8131fc8ecf093aee6eb9)
Photo via Reddit
'Fascism is back. This time no swastikas, Nazi flags, or deadly bureaucracy, but MAGA hats, right-wing extremist memes, and a triumphant fist held high. For the first time in modern history, far right parties in some European countries have won a larger share of the votes than the Conservatives and the Social Democrats.'- This is Fascism: A Wake-Up Call
For those seeking a better understanding of the present age
Humanity Under Siege: Neoliberalism, Cruelty, Fear, Unaccountability, Populism and Global Fascism
“[T]he moment would come when both the economic and the political systems were threatened by complete paralysis. Fear would grip the people, and leadership would be thrust upon those who offered an easy way out at whatever ultimate price. The time was ripe for the fascist solution…In fact, there was no type of background— of religious, cultural, or national tradition—that made a country immune to fascism, once the conditions for its emergence were given.”- Karl Polanyi on the Rise of Fascism and Market Economy
‘On 1 May 1925, with Benito Mussolini already in power, a group of Italian intellectuals publicly denounced his fascist regime in an open letter. The signatories – scientists, philosophers, writers and artists – took a stand in support of the essential tenets of a free society: the rule of law, personal liberty and independent thinking, culture, art and science. Their open defiance against the brutal imposition of the fascist ideology – at great personal risk – proved that opposition was not only possible, but necessary. Today, 100 years later, the threat of fascism is back – and so we must summon that courage and defy it again.’- We are Nobel laureates, scientists, writers and artists. The threat of fascism is back
‘Let us join," said he, "to guard the weak from oppression, to restrain the ambitious, and secure to every man the possession of what belongs to him: let us institute rules of justice and peace, to which all without exception may be obliged to conform; rules that may in some measure make amends for the caprices of fortune, by subjecting equally the powerful and the weak to the observance of reciprocal obligations. Let us, in a word, instead of turning our forces against ourselves, collect them in a supreme power which may govern us by wise laws, protect and defend all the members of the association, repulse their common enemies, and maintain eternal harmony among us.’- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Fascism was and for ever will be the corruption of humanity and the denial of human dignity
‘More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…’
Recalling the most powerful and enduring denunciation of fascism. Charlie Chaplin’s words proved deeply prophetic, accurately diagnosing the psychological mechanics of fascism, with many lessons for today.
Watch the Great Dictator Speech - Charlie Chaplin + Time - Hans Zimmer
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.'- The Final Speech from The Great Dictator
Our greatest folly has always been our willingness to repeat and repeat our past follies
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” ― Collected Essays
And Below is the Proof of the Above!
To understand the current age, we must understand the relationship between Neoliberalism and the Rise of Fascism in the 21st Century, first and foremost.
A carnival float mocking US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was displayed in Duesseldorf, 2016. Getty Images/via the BBC
Humanity, Civilisation, Civility and Democracy Under the Siege: Neoliberalism, Fear, Global Fascism, Populism, Illiberalism.
The so-called progressive leftist parties by embracing neoliberalism and their collective emulation of the far-right rhetorics are responsible for ushering in the rise of fascism in the 21st century. By continuing and deepening the neoliberalisation of the 1980s and 90s, they privatised everything and in the process sold the soul of humanity. They are now paying the price of their folloies, being humiliated at every ballot box by the populists and the fascists. They cannot blame anybody but themselves.
How the Center-Left is Responsible for the Rise of Fascism
Neofascism and Neoliberalism: What’s the Connection?
The Left has lost its moral compass, corrupted and untrustworthy
The Left and the Integrity Gap
From Trump’s victory, a simple, inescapable message: many people despise the left
Lesson 101: If neoliberalism is not defeated, then, fascism will become the norm, as neoliberalism became the norm in the last 40 years or so. It is only by defending humanity and embracing the true values that have made us human, love, kindness, empathy, beauty, goodness, will it be possible to combat and defeat modern fascism. Ignore this warning at your own peril!
It is now an established fact that the shift of center-left parties toward neoliberalism and embracing it fully in the 1990s and 2000s—created a political vacuum, when the de-franchised, left-behind masses, became politically, economically and socially ‘homeless’ and then, like a ripen fruit they fell into the arms of the waiting vultures, the neo-fascists, who promised them unlimited milk and honey and nostalgic greatness.
Americanism Personified: Why Fascism Has Always Been an Inevitable Outcome of the American Project
This Happened Here Amerikaners, Neoliberals, and the Trumping of America
Fascism Comes to America: A Century of Obsession in Politics and Culture
Political Economy, Nationalistic Populism, and Immigration in Today's World
'Neoliberal capitalism' has contributed to the rise of fascism, says Nobel laureate
The political economy of cruelty
A digital illustration of pain, fear, and cruelty by artist Angel García Pinto
“To learn one must be humble. But life is the great teacher.”― Ulysses
Lets We Forget
Our age, the age of pain, fear, cruelty, hate, bigotry, injustice, indifference, deprivation, outright racism, exceptionalism, censorship and public mistrust, wars of choice against peoples and nature, war crimes and 'accidental' collateral damage, plunder and theft,..., in short, the triumph of evil and fascism.
‘Endless pursuit of wealth and power by western leaders led us here: The west is in freefall’
The cruelty of banality: Necro-economics and global letting die
The Ultimate Weapon of State Control The Politics of Cruelty
Human Rights Economy: A Solution to Economic Cruelty and Everyday Atrocities
That was the bad news. The good news is that our humanity is resilient and our true values of love, kindness, empathy will triumph over fascism. Moreover, there is another trusted path out there, the path to the common good, opening the door to democratic socialism, economics and politics of hope, for the people and by the people.
Global Crises are Spiritual: A Time for Awakening
What might an Economy for the Common Good look like?
America will become Great Again with Democratic Socialism
Neoliberal fascism can and will be defeated.
‘Cruelty has always had a special place in fascist politics. Not only did it embody a discourse of hate, bigotry, and censorship, it also initiated a practice of cruel power in order to eradicate those ideas, dissidents, and human beings considered unworthy. Legacies of fascism in Hitler’s Germany, Pinochet’s Chile, Franco’s Spain, and Mussolini’s Italy, among others, mixed a language of dread, fear, and contempt with wide-spread practices of suppression and the repressive power of the state in order to eliminate any just concept of politics and the structural conditions and ideological possibilities for developing civic and democratic communities.’- Henry Giroux in Neoliberal Fascism, Cruel Violence, and the Politics of Disposability
Nota bene
“The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.”- The quote is widely attributed to Hannah Arendt Hannah ((1906-1975)
Whether or not Arendt ever wrote those exact words, nonetheless, the idea feels disturbingly relevant not only to the Nazi Germany, but speaks volumes to the present age, the age of indifference, exceptionalism, and barbarism.
At Nuremberg, psychologist Gustave Gilbert, concluded that evil is rooted in “a genuine incapacity to feel with one’s fellow human beings.” And Arendt herself observed during the Eichmann trial that what enables cruelty is not monstrous intent but “thoughtlessness” — the inability or refusal to think from another’s point of view. More on these later.
Continuing our conversation on how to beat populism, fascism, and religious dogmatism and fundamentalism, to save our humanity, and build a brighter future
In the 21st century, the world once again, is at brink of abyss
Echoes of the 1930s: is fascism shaping and reshaping us again?
“Looking back to look forward” is what wisdom compels us to do
‘Fascism is capitalism plus murder.’ ― Upton Sinclair
Following on our earlier posting What it means to be Human in the age of End of Times Fascism, we now continue the conversation to discover how we might learn more about the current ‘barbarism’ by looking back on the past barbaric behaviours.
'History never repeats itself exactly, but UC Berkeley historians see troubling parallels between social and economic conditions in European fascism a century ago and U.S. anti-democratic movements today. Photo left by John Partipilo/ Tennessee Lookout ©2024; photo right by Fotoarchiv für Zeitgeschichte/Archiv, 1935, via AP. Illustration by Neil Freese/UC Berkeley News
The Rise of Fascism and the Lessons that Must be Learned
‘People have lost their sense of security, status and even identity. This result is the scream of an America desperate for radical change’- Naomi Klein, in the Guardian, Wed 9 Nov 2016
‘“Here is what we need to understand: a hell of a lot of people are in pain. Under neoliberal policies of deregulation, privatisation, austerity and corporate trade, their living standards have declined precipitously. They have lost jobs. They have lost pensions. They have lost much of the safety net that used to make these losses less frightening. They see a future for their kids even worse than their precarious present.
At the same time, they have witnessed the rise of the Davos class, a hyper-connected network of banking and tech billionaires, elected leaders who are awfully cosy with those interests, and Hollywood celebrities who make the whole thing seem unbearably glamorous. Success is a party to which they were not invited, and they know in their hearts that this rising wealth and power is somehow directly connected to their growing debts and powerlessness.
For the people who saw security and status as their birthright – and that means white men most of all – these losses are unbearable.
Donald Trump spoke directly to that pain. The Brexit campaign spoke to that pain. So do all of the rising far-right parties in Europe. They answer it with nostalgic nationalism and anger at remote economic bureaucracies – whether Washington, the North American free trade agreement, the World Trade Organisation or the EU. And of course, they answer it by bashing immigrants and people of colour, vilifying Muslims, and degrading women. Elite neoliberalism has nothing to offer that pain, because neoliberalism unleashed the Davos class. People such as Hillary and Bill Clinton are the toast of the Davos party. In truth, they threw the party.
Neo-fascist responses to rampant insecurity and inequality are not going to go away. But what we know from the 1930s is that what it takes to do battle with fascism is a real left. A good chunk of Trump’s support could be peeled away if there were a genuine redistributive agenda on the table. An agenda to take on the billionaire class with more than rhetoric, and use the money for a green new deal. Such a plan could create a tidal wave of well-paying unionised jobs, bring badly needed resources and opportunities to communities of colour, and insist that polluters should pay for workers to be retrained and fully included in this future.
It could fashion policies that fight institutionalised racism, economic inequality and climate change at the same time. It could take on bad trade deals and police violence, and honour indigenous people as the original protectors of the land, water and air.
People have a right to be angry, and a powerful, intersectional left agenda can direct that anger where it belongs, while fighting for holistic solutions that will bring a frayed society together.”- Naomi Klein, It was the Democrats' embrace of neoliberalism that won it for Trump
'After the mass death and destruction of World War I, with their economies shredded by inflation and unemployment, Italy and Germany turned from democracy to dictatorships. UC Berkeley scholars see troubling parallels in contemporary American democracy.'
‘It was a time of historic change, and society was buckling under the stress. There had been a war, then a deadly pandemic. Economic crisis was constant: Racing inflation, unemployment and changes in technology provoked extreme economic insecurity.
'But a leader emerged who understood the fear and humiliation felt by his public. He validated their rage and focused blame on a scapegoat. He pledged to make the nation whole again, to return it to its rightful glory. Much of the population, suffering so profoundly from the shock of loss and change and insecurity, embraced the leader as a sort of messiah. They accepted political violence, even welcomed it, and they turned away from democracy. ‘The scenario is historically accurate, but to which country does it apply? Italy in 1923? Germany in 1933? Or the United States today…’?
The answer, according to some UC Berkeley scholars, is that the scenario applies generally to all three: Italy during the rise of Benito Mussolini, Germany as Adolph Hitler maneuvered his way into power, and the United States, deeply polarized and tense as the MAGA movement led by president Donald Trump. Fascism shattered Europe a century ago — and historians hear echoes today in the U.S.
'Trump administration undermining rule of law at home and worldwide, according to intergovernmental report.'
Democracy indicators in US at lowest levels for 50 years, data shows
Echoes of the 1930s: is fascism our future?
As we have been reminded by many sages, philosophers and students of truth and integrity, understanding the present age requires looking at the forces that had shaped human life across culture, civilisations, philosophy, and sociopolitical ideologies and perspectives in the past. Lessons must be learned. It must never be forgotten that: Hubris precedes fall and humiliation!
“You have to know the past to understand the present.”
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”- (Both quotes by Carl Edward Sagan (1934–1996), American astronomer and planetary scientist
As in the 1930s, fascism, once again, is on the march again
“In 1933, the German people surrendered without resistance to their democratic institutions, culture and liberties. As the walls of Jericho fell at the sound of the bugle, so the whole structure of German democracy tumbled down at the roaring of Nazi demagogues. The result was the establishment of a system of abject slavery. Now the world looks aghast at a new catastrophe that befell European democracy. Without firing a single shot, Hitler has inflicted a crushing blow on the great Western Democracies, Britain and France…- Fascism on the March
That was 1930s fascism! And now the world is grappling with 21st century fascism!
…’The bigger, worldwide picture is more alarming still. Far from being an exception to the rule, Trump reflects, amplifies and popularises a regressive global trend towards authoritarian, totalitarian, dictatorial, nationalistic and religiously, ethnically and culturally majoritarian forms of rightwing governance.
To put it more simply, fascism is once more on the march – and liberal democracy risks being trampled under its marauding boots…’ ‘Fascism is everywhere on the march. And it’s Trump who sets the pace’
‘Today, as extreme right-wing radicalism grows in strength in Europe and elsewhere, this timely exhibition looks back to the first manifestations of the destructive phenomenon of fascism.’- This Fascist Life: Radical Right Movements in Interwar Europe
‘The world is being driven to the brink by thugs and dictators’
‘Don’t look up! The world is a mess. The sky could fall any day. Unending wars, expanding humanitarian crises, rising authoritarianism, dysfunctional democracies, rampant racial and religious extremism, and unchecked lawlessness cast a dark cloud as the west’s new political year begins. Set all that against a backdrop of staggering global economic inequality, corporate and individual greed, irresponsible government indebtedness, dangerous AI gambles, climate breakdown and proliferating nuclear weapons, and a truly apocalyptic global outlook begins to take shape. It’s enough to make anyone shut their eyes, cover their ears and utter a Munch-like scream. And it’s only getting worse…’- The world is being driven to the brink by thugs and dictators, but there is a route to a brighter future
The end times fascists are plotting their escape from our world. Our mission is clear
The far right’s rise is a wake-up call for Europe
A bird's-eye view on the increasing popularity of rightwing extremists in Germany and Britain
…’the liberal centre itself in creating the conditions for their rise’…
'While Thatcher, Reagan and their successors weakened trade unions and workers’ bargaining power, subsequent centre-left governments largely accepted these changes rather than reversing them. Under the banner of the “third way”, they expanded labour market insecurity, embraced financialisation and allowed private interests to penetrate ever deeper into public services. Social and economic inequality soared.
From the anti-globalisation movement and post-2008 anti-austerity protests to more recent pro-Palestinian mobilisations, the liberal centre has relied increasingly on policing, surveillance and legal restrictions to contain political opposition.
Decades of economic insecurity, shrinking democratic participation and declining faith in established institutions have created fertile ground for the far right. Kremlin money and Maga-style politics can only thrive because the centre has hollowed out the social and political foundations of liberal democracy. The Alternative für Deutschland’s success should be a wake-up call. History suggests the centre will hit the snooze button.'- Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of international relations and international development, University of Sussex
The rise of fascism in Britain
Credit: ITV News/@VanguardBritannica>
Fascism on the rise in the UK, Anglican bishop says
The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?
The changing faces of fascism in Britain today
Brexit: The Path to Tyranny and the loss of Moral and Spiritual Compass
The rise of fascism in the land of 'Never Again'
Photo credit: The New York Times
Fascism on the rise in Germany - what’s driving young and old into the streets today?
The Return of the German Question
Germany’s Political Firewall Is Crumbling
Deep crisis in Germany as fascists top polls in Saxony-Anhalt
Key factors in the unstoppable rise of fascists in Germany
The Alternative for Germany’s electoral victory: Who is responsible?
The rise of fascism in Italy again
League party leader Matteo Salvini, Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi, Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni, and Italian center-right lawmaker Maurizio Lupi stand onstage during a joint rally of Italy’s coalition of far-right and right-wing parties in Rome on Sept. 22. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images/Foreign Policy Magazine
'While the German state often argues that one must remember so as not to repeat history, but ignores the genocide in Palestine, it seems that Meloni is even more brazen – she is remembering so as to repeat.'
‘If every age has its own characteristic doctrine, there are a thousand signs which point to Fascism as the characteristic doctrine of our time. For if a doctrine must be a living thing, this is proved by the fact that Fascism has created a living faith; and that this faith is very powerful in the minds of men is demonstrated by those who have suffered and died for it.’- Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) What is Fascism (1932)
Is Italy Seeing the Rise of a New Fascism?
The Return of Fascism in Italy
The fascist movement that has brought Mussolini back to the mainstream
Giorgia Meloni and the return of fascism: how Italy got here
Watch the video HERE (Fascism Returns in Italy: Giorgia Meloni Claims Victory, Allied with Right-Wing Parties)
The rise of fascism in France again
Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images
The Emergence of French Fascism
Why Fascism Is on the Rise in France: From Macron to Le Pen
How Fascism Returned to French Politics
A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front
The rise of fascism in Spain again
An image of late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco decorates the wall of the tapas restaurant 'Una Grande Libre', in Madrid, Spain, November 10, 2025. © Violeta Santos Moura, Reuters/FRANCE24
Spain's far-right resurgence raises spectre of Franco 50 years after his death
Half a century after burying Franco and fascism, Spain turns again to the far right
Spain’s Far-Right Resurgence Comes From Decades of Fascist Organizing
Fascism is on the rise again – and this time it’s here
What Franco’s fascist regime in Spain can teach us about today’s America
Must-read books to Help us to Understand the Present Age better
'The Present Age was published in 1846 by Søren Kierkegaard. He discusses the philosophical implications of a society dominated by mass media, foreseeing the rise of twenty-four hour news and social media, it examines the philosophical implications of a culture of endless, inconsequential commentary and debate – a society eerily similar to our own. While a revolutionary age is an action of action, the present age is one of understanding and reflection, without passion. It is the age of advertisement and publicity. Nothing ever happens but there is immediate publicity everywhere, as well as an age of anticipation when even recognition is received in advance. “There is no more action or decision in our day than there is perilous delight in swimming in shallow waters.”- The Present Age: Kierkegaard’s Warning About Our Hollow Times
The Rise of Fascism: History, Documents, and Key Questions
'This book is a valuable resource for understanding the character, development, and consequences of fascist dictatorships.'
'Approximately 60 million lives were taken during World War II. This book serves to explore the ultimate cause of it—fascism—and to educate readers on the history and motivation behind this complex political movement.
This historical exploration includes many helpful educational tools, including a timeline, an encyclopedia, and excerpts from primary source documents. Using primary document sources, the author provides a direct account of the origin and evolution of fascism. This text analyzes the rise of fascism in Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain from 1919 through 1945. Readers in high school and college will not only learn the facts surrounding World War II but also understand the cultural environment and events that led up to the devastation of the Holocaust. This text is crucial for educating students about the beginnings and extension of the fascist movement in Europe in the early 20th century.'
Learn more and buy the book HERE
‘Totalitarianism in the age of Trump: lessons from Hannah Arendt’ 
Photo via Amazon‘
'How could such a book speak so powerfully to our present moment? The short answer is that we, too, live in dark times'
‘Hannah Arendt's chilling analysis of the conditions that led to the Nazi and Soviet totalitarian regimes is a warning from history about the fragility of freedom, exploring how propaganda, scapegoats, terror and political isolation all aided the slide towards total domination.’
Learn more and buy the book HERE
…‘When she describes the rise of the dictator, which requires a mass not a mob, you could be reading a sociologist’s thesis about Trump supporters. “The term masses applies only where we deal with people who either because of sheer numbers, or indifference, or a combination of both, cannot be integrated into any organisation based on common interest, into political parties or municipal governments or professional organisations or trade unions. Potentially, they exist in every country and form the majority of those large numbers of neutral, politically indifferent people who never join a party and hardly ever go to the polls…”- Zoe Williams, in Totalitarianism in the age of Trump: lessons from Hannah Arendt
Creeping Fascism: Brexit, Trump, and the Rise of the Far Right
'The election of Trump is the most significant breakthrough so far in the advance of a global movement. Trump, anticipating victory on the eve of his election, bragged it would be ‘Brexit plus, plus, plus’.
'It was one of those moments when the world changed. Like the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the bombing of the Twin Towers in 2001, and the financial crash of 2008, the election of Donald Trump as US president in November 2016 sent shock-waves across the globe.
Commentators struggled for words. A billionaire tax-dodger, a ranting racist, a misogynist and self-confessed abuser of women, a bully who taunts the disabled and the bereaved, a serial liar, a man proud of his bigotry, his hatred, his contempt for most of humanity, this man had just been elected to the most powerful political position on the planet. Sixty-three million Americans had voted for a political psychopath...
He was referring to the victory of the Leave campaign in the British EU referendum. Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, and other right-wing politicians, backed by the gutter press, had secured a narrow win on the basis of vacuous ‘take back control’ rhetoric and vicious anti-immigrant racism...'
Learn more and buy the book HERE
Concluding Remarks
How to Defeat Fascism in the 21st Century
‘Pentti Linkola, the late Finnish ecofascist, basically said the Earth can sustainably support about half a billion people, and the other six and a half billion ought not to exist… Linkola said this has to happen, if necessary, through war and genocide…
‘Hannah Arendt described fascism as the temporary alliance of the elite and the mob, and the only thing that ever defeated that was the temporary alliance of the centre and the left – and that’s what we need’- Paul Mason: ‘Modern fascism’s interests are being represented in government by rightwing populists’
‘The far right isn’t a monolith. It’s a network of movements, from organised fascist groups to right-wing populists. What unites them? A worldview built on hierarchy, exclusion, and the premise that some people inherently deserve more rights, safety, and belonging than others.’-HOW TO DEFEAT THE FAR RIGHT - IT'S NOT TOO LATE
How we can stop the fascists: part one – the resistible rise of Hitler
‘The model for building a mass movement against fascism remains the battle against Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) in the East End of London, particularly the Battle of Cable Street on 4th October 1936.’
How we can stop the fascists: part two – from Cable Street to the Anti Nazi League
Book Review: How to Stop Fascism: History, Ideology, Resistance by Paul Mason
Time for Reflection
Searching for Our Souls
This is How We Can Beat the Fascists
Watch the Great Dictator Speech - Charlie Chaplin + Time - Hans Zimmer
We owe it to our humanity and honesty to reflect upon the following questions, amongst others, as we debate and reflect on the state of our world today, and moreover, on how we may be able to propose solutions for change, so that we may reverse the despair and destruction to hope and construction, moving from darkness to light, where all the entire web of life can live in peace and harmony together for the common good.
The pertinent questions are:
- What does it mean to be human? Who am I, where have I come from, where am I going to, what is the purpose of this journey we call life?
- What does it mean to live a life of meaning and purpose?
- What does it mean to understand and appreciate the natural world?
- What does it mean to forge a more just society for the common good?
By their very nature, these questions involve thought and discussion around spirituality, ethics, morals and values, in contrast to today’s dominant neoliberal model which is all about money and more money and the exploitation of our mother nature and sacred earth for personal gains.
This means that our lives are connected not only to knowledge, power, money, and technology, but also to our humanity, love and wisdom.; kindness and empathy. Unless the questions we ask encompass the full spectrum of these emotions and experiences, we are unlikely to find the answers we are looking for, or to understand them in any depth, let alone solving problems and attaining goals. We must rise to this challenge. Our calling is to save our humanity. Carpe Diem!
The rise of fascism is the direct result of unhappiness, unworthiness, unkindness and unempathetic behaviour
This is how the writer David Brooks explains it: ’ The most important story about why Americans have become sad and alienated and rude, I believe, is also the simplest: We inhabit a society in which people are no longer trained in how to treat others with kindness and consideration. Our society has become one in which people feel licensed to give their selfishness free rein. The story I’m going to tell is about morals. In a healthy society, a web of institutions—families, schools, religious groups, community organizations, and workplaces—helps form people into kind and responsible citizens, the sort of people who show up for one another. We live in a society that’s terrible at moral formation.’
(At this point I wish to note that I’d be remiss here if I didn’t mention that I am not making a sweeping generalisation about the entire US population. Like anywhere else in the world, the US, too, has its own share of good, bad and ugly. However, as many observers and researchers have candidly noted, it is safe to assume that a very large percentage are leaning towards meanness and ugly.)
Below I have noted a few articles and analysis to highlight the points raised above.
Why have Americans become so sad? Why have Americans become so mean?
Illustration by Ricardo Tomás, depicts a shattered map of the United States/via The Atlantic
Why have Americans become so sad? Why have Americans become so mean?
The world is watching America lose its moral compass and its global credibility
America Is Having a Moral Convulsion
America is destroying itself. It’s no surprise
The lost frontier: how America mislaid its moral compass
Have We lost the Art of Knowing What it Means to Be Human?
(A few antidotes to sadness, meanness, anxiety, and fear)
We need friends, we need connection and we need friendship
America will become Great Again with Democratic Socialism
A Manifesto for a Good Life and a Better World
What might an Economy for the Common Good look like?
Journey to Healing: Let Me Know What is Essential
Connect a painting by Jacky Gerritsen