Fascism Is When It Happens To White People

From the U.S. Holocaust Museum

In order to solve a problem, it is a good idea to define the problem first. I’ve heard a lot of people talking about fascism lately, but not a lot of talk about what fascism is, how it comes into being, the psychological appeal of fascism, or how it has effectively been combated in the past. It might be a good idea for those who are concerned about fascism to do a little research on the topic before plunging headlong in their attempts to fight it.

I’m far from being an expert on fascism, though I have read several books on the subject. But from what I’ve read, I’ve never really been able to come up with a definition of exactly what fascism is, at least as distinct from authoritarianism. In fact, I have read entire books (e.g. Fascism, Past Present, Future) that never bothered to try to define fascism. I’ve taken to saying about fascism what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about pornography: “I know it when I see it.”

But deep down I know that’s not an acceptable answer. Both authoritarianism and fascism have a fondness for a strong-arm ruler, both have a disregard for an individual’s rights to free speech or privacy, both have a propensity for violent crackdowns on dissent, both use crude propaganda, both demand loyalty to the state, both have little regard for rigorous intellectual debate on matters politic. Both inspire hatred among…