# How do you define fascism. Who is a fascist. And how do you identify. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111 "2019-07-15T04:40:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/1 "2019-07-15T04:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by HurricaneDitka > View Post > I doubt you and I agree enough about who the fascists are in modern-day America to make an answer to that question worthwhile, and besides that, my position on fascists isn’t the topic of the thread, your (general you, I have no idea if you personally identify with Antifa or not) dead Antifa comrade is. Please, oh please. DO tell us your definition of fascist/fascism, who you think ARE fascist, and how you identify. I’ll post a non pit thread for you to ignore shortly. Ok Ditka. Please enlighten us. This ain’t the pit. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/2 "2019-07-15T13:03:03Z")
Are you just asking Ditka or all of us. I’ve looked at the official definition of fascism and found it kind of convoluted. To me fascism is a response to feeling threatened by things like foreign threats, economic collapse, minorities, terrorism, etc. It’s a strict, authoritarian, right wing movement that believes strongly in social hierarchies and being as strong and ruthless as possible in the face of external and internal threats. They want to purge domestic weakness and strengthen the police and military to deal with threats. Civil liberties are seen as inviting weakness in. There is also the argument that a nation’s level of pathogens helps predict how fascist it is prone to becoming. The argument is that the fear of infectious diseases make people naturally conformist and afraid of outsiders as a built in method of preventing disease spread. These attitudes make a society ripe for fascism. > **[Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts...](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062275)** > > According to a "parasite stress" hypothesis, authoritarian governments are more likely to emerge in regions characterized by a high prevalence of disease-causing pathogens. Recent cross-national evidence is consistent with this hypothesis, but there... ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/3 "2019-07-16T04:04:29Z")
Orwell, _Politics and the English Language_: > [@](#): > > The word _Fascism_ has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies “something not desirable”. […] Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different. […] Other words used in variable meanings, in most cases more or less dishonestly, are: _class, totalitarian, science, progressive, reactionary, bourgeois, equality._ ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/4 "2019-07-16T05:00:51Z")
I am 100% certain that someone carrying an axe with a bunch of sticks tied around it is a fascist. The rest I can’t be completely sure of. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/5 "2019-07-16T05:49:29Z")
My opinion: Fascism is a totalitarian dictatorship. It’s a system where the government is absolute and controls all aspects of society. Fascism is militaristic. It believes that war is a good thing for society. (Although in some cases, the fascist regime will recognize its limitations and accept that it’s not strong to attack other countries. So it will talk a lot about war but not follow through.) Fascism is based on a cult of personality. It says that the leader of the nation is at a level above ordinary men and is entitled to blind and total obedience and veneration. Fascism is nationalistic. It believes that there is a group of people who are inherently superior to everyone else and that these people should rule over everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/6 "2019-07-16T12:17:28Z")
Summary: Hateful, bossy jerks are fascists. Hateful = focusing national animosity on a cultural minority, malicious & misleading propaganda, generally nasty personal disposition appealing to anti-intellectuals Bossy = telling someone else what to do, totalitarian Jerks = the sort of people who are not allowed to post here. HD, Shodan, and I are not jerks. SA was. pimpdaddylongstroke & Thaidog were just weird. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/7 "2019-07-16T12:31:11Z")
A fascist is someone who believes that access to political processes and markets, and protection by the state should be based on racial and cultural identity. When a fascist speaks of democracy s/he sees it as limited to those of a certain race/culture. The state exists to advance the agenda of the preferred race and to protect it from the undesirable races. When people from undesirable races step out of line, the state should come down hard on them. To the extent that other races are allowed to exist, it is to serve the needs of the preferred race. ETA: fascism is often characterized by wildly conflicting ideologies and belief in conspiracy theories to explain away those conflicting beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/8 "2019-07-16T12:37:19Z")
To me fascism is about ultra-conformity. it’s about making sure that everyone stays in their culturally-defined role, by force if necessary. A dictator is not completely necessary. We all know how oppressive a community can be to those who “get uppity.” I hear people ask, “How could anyone be in favor of fascism?” Well, those in charge sure love any system that is all about keeping them in charge. But it extends throughout a culture. Favored groups can act in a fascist nature too, when they choose leaders to enforce the status quo or oppress those trying to change the situation. I am always wary of anyone whose politics is based on The Way It Used To Be. This is someone from a favored group trying to push down at those trying to rise up from lower down the pyramid. Fascists have traditionally harnessed this to push their agenda. Sowing fear among the voters of hated minorities who are gaining “at the expense of us good people.” Isn’t it funny that the higher you go in the pyramid, the more morally acceptable the pyramid becomes. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/9 "2019-07-16T13:14:21Z")
Another factor, besides authoritarian and militaristic nationalism, usually coupled with strict defined social roles and sometimes a traditionalist religiosity (or an invented set of rituals aping the religious), is the common characteristic of a lot of bullies - playing on their perceived sense of grievance to get their martyrdom in first, so as to plead justification for whatever they do later to their victims. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/10 "2019-07-16T13:28:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > My opinion: > > Fascism is a totalitarian dictatorship. It’s a system where the government is absolute and controls all aspects of society. > > Fascism is militaristic. It believes that war is a good thing for society. (Although in some cases, the fascist regime will recognize its limitations and accept that it’s not strong to attack other countries. So it will talk a lot about war but not follow through.) > > Fascism is based on a cult of personality. It says that the leader of the nation is at a level above ordinary men and is entitled to blind and total obedience and veneration. > > Fascism is nationalistic. It believes that there is a group of people who are inherently superior to everyone else and that these people should rule over everyone else. This seems like a fairly decent definition. And I would say a person who wants all those things is a “fascist” ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/11 "2019-07-16T13:29:49Z")
“fascists” are anyone who have political beliefs different from mine. /s ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/12 "2019-07-16T13:45:18Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > “fascists” are anyone who have political beliefs different from mine. > /s Actually, it is a real concept with a definition in the dictionary and everything. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/13 "2019-07-16T14:02:34Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Actually, it is a real concept with a definition in the dictionary and everything. Right, but his definition is how I see the word used most often, lately. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/14 "2019-07-16T14:05:52Z")
Is it possible that others are noticing an alarming trend in the rise of fascism in the United States and that some of our citizens are oblivious or complicit? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/15 "2019-07-16T15:15:33Z")
_covering head with arms_ Please forgive me. Every single definition/explanation just screams “Trump” to me. You gotta understand. In my very first presidential election, at the ripe old age of 19, I voted for McGovern. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/16 "2019-07-16T15:26:53Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > _covering head with arms_ > > Please forgive me. Every single definition/explanation just screams “Trump” to me. > > You gotta understand. In my very first presidential election, at the ripe old age of 19, I voted for McGovern. > ~VOW What’s the problem? Trump’s a fascist. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/17 "2019-07-16T15:28:53Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > What’s the problem? Trump’s a fascist. What? No kissy smilie? _kisses_ ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/18 "2019-07-16T15:29:35Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Please, oh please. DO tell us your definition of fascist/fascism … I think these posters nailed it: > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Orwell, _Politics and the English Language_: > [@jz78817](#): > > “fascists” are anyone who have political beliefs different from mine. > /s > [@Scumpup](#): > > Right, but his definition is how I see the word used most often, lately. In [the dead Antifa terrorist thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=878751), I wrote this: > [@Antifa terrorist attacks ICE detention center, gets killed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifa-terrorist-attacks-ice-detention-center-gets-killed/837053/82): > > … To too many on the Left, “fascist” is just the latest smear for everyone they don’t like. I think that accurately reflects how the word is most often used today in modern American political discourse. If you want a dictionary definition, this one is as good as any: > [@](#): > > Fascism is a form of radical right-wing, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > … who you think ARE fascist… Benito Mussolini, to offer one prominent historical example. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > and how you identify. … I identify as someone who hates identity politics. If I must label myself, I consider myself to be a conservative and a capitalist, and don’t really have any sympathy for early 20th-century Italian dictators that got lined up against a wall and shot. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/19 "2019-07-16T15:30:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > My opinion: > > Fascism is a totalitarian dictatorship. It’s a system where the government is absolute and controls all aspects of society. > > Fascism is militaristic. It believes that war is a good thing for society. (Although in some cases, the fascist regime will recognize its limitations and accept that it’s not strong to attack other countries. So it will talk a lot about war but not follow through.) > > Fascism is based on a cult of personality. It says that the leader of the nation is at a level above ordinary men and is entitled to blind and total obedience and veneration. > > Fascism is nationalistic. It believes that there is a group of people who are inherently superior to everyone else and that these people should rule over everyone else. This sounds like you’re describing communist North Korea ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111/20 "2019-07-16T15:36:11Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > If you want a dictionary definition, this one is as good as any > > > [@](#): > > > > Fascism is a form of radical right-wing, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe Are you for or against that type of radical right-wing, authoritarian ultranationalism? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-define-fascism-who-is-a-fascist-and-how-do-you-identify/837111.md?page=2)