Donald Trump is Not A Fascist Pt. 2

[@themorbidzoo]

I KNOW THERE’S A DEAD PIXEL it’s the only lens I own that will fit in the corner I set up the camera 😭😭😭

[@S...O___S...]

@@themorbidzoo that pixel aged like milk 😭

[@iNDY1001]

Aged milk sealed in a digital echo chamber for 3 years with appropriately mouldy angry people becomes tasty tasty queso/cheese.

[@GoblinWife]

It's the video equivalent of spinach in the teeth or a stained blouse. You have my sympathy.

[@ShutItKyle]

F

[@arzosahsothy]

Dont do that to me, i cant afford a new monitor right now and I freaked.

[@kgblagden]

America basically voted overwhelming to shit itself and die on the world stage. Very stunning and brave.

[@MP-db9sw]

Not unprecedented, however. We did it with Dubya a few terms back. That was the moment the reality of just how stupid we are hit me. This is the worst Ive seen but its not the first.

[@falconeshield]

​@@MP-db9swTo be fair Dubya was first elected through a technicality. Kerry was too 'weak' compared to Bush Jr, because Americans were obsessed with war, and now 20 years on a war monger pretending to be anti war gave Europe first, then America to Putin on a silver platter. Maybe you learn nuance once in your lives you'd stop electing wolves dripped in wooly oil.

[@eliquate]

Very brave. Very stunning.

[@palmereldritch_6669]

Welp, I've said for a long time the rest of the world was making a mistake by looking to USA for leadership. And now, they will have no choice but do it without us.

[@Grimbo_1212]

@@palmereldritch_6669 If there is any smidgen of light in all of this, I think it's that the US threatening to leave NATO and openly encouraging nations to attack allies who don't meet Trump's expectations will hopefully push Europe to depend more on themselves for defense, at the very least. A Europe more capable of defending themselves both lessens the amount of money flowing into the American military industrial complex while also giving them the power to make decisions for themselves that don't require checking if the American government is willing to support them first. They have the industry and funds to do it, they just need to get to work, the sooner the better apparently. With that said I pretty much only started giving a damn about politics a few days ago so idk I may be very ill-informed

[@aWolffromElsewhere]

Back in February a yearling wolf was tortured to death in the green river bar in Daniel Wyoming. The bar had a Trump sticker over the door and there were Trump flags all over. The hogs for hope rally who rode there to hold a peaceful memorial for the yearling wolf found a coyote who was killed and left near the entrance of the town, and the town itself had every property blocked by cattle cars and the police shepherded the hogs for hope through the town, not allowing them to stop anywhere while the people heckled them. The game commission, the police, and the governor of Wyoming knuckled down on the cruelty by enshrining in state law the right for hunters to kill wild animals with snow mobiles. The moral bankruptcy of this country cannot be understated, the public is as corrupt as the politicians in a lot of cases. I do agree that Trump is not a fascist, and not all of his followers are. They are something worse, which is cynical and cruel with no dreams or hope for the future.

[@Simonds007]

I can't take someone seriously who paints almost half the country as a black pilled Marvel villian.

[@badabing3391]

were americans always like this or was it better in decades past?

[@halicritters9478]

​@@badabing3391 We used to own human beings, we committed the largest genocide in human history and have never taken accountability for it, and women couldn't have their own bank account until the 60's. It's always been like this. Those people in Wyoming are, in fact, true American patriots.

[@aWolffromElsewhere]

@@Simonds007 your comment is as cartoony as Marvel itself. Being an asshole is a choice. The ones who are viscous and cruel can stop at any time, but I'm not holding my breath.

[@aWolffromElsewhere]

@@halicritters9478 Precisely.

[@Nidarosgnomen]

Donald Trump aged like milk

[@lmao10834]

I don't know what kinda milk ages into that shade of orange but goddamn that's a kind of aging you *don't* want.

[@arnemartt]

@@lmao10834 The orange color is fake, they just add annatto seeds to him

[@SoHungry666]

Like a bag of buttermilk.

[@honeyheyhey]

@@lmao10834 that's just the serratia marcescens

[@zedmann1680]

Trump aged like roadkill

[@durzio9630]

There are two types of trump supporter: 1.) True Believers - these folks buy in to the arguments and have likely never done anything outside of their bubble except to harass and berate. These are the fascist bootlickers. 2.) The Malcontents - these folks aren't True Believers, but they are tired of the difficulties in their lives. They have come to the conclusion that to get different results, they need to act a different way (i.e., by voting). They are wrong, but their naievite is the fault of ineffective liberal governance, and democrats providing aid and comfort to fascists.

[@AuthorityCat]

And those groups are exactly the same as 2020, plus some Latino voters. The big problem this time was Democrat voters.

[@BlackShardStudio]

@@AuthorityCat or rather, the lack thereof

[@whatup3617]

We need more populism, actual populism but because America is an imperialist capitalist country the powers that be will never allow for that. As long the dem elite head the party like a Gavin Newson, we will never be free from this death cycle. It's said that really my only hope is that the next 4 years are so unbearable hard that it breaks through the 1984 level of not believing what you are seeing. We are cooked.

[@falconeshield]

The Putin lovers. They love a strong, manly leader who commands over the women, the gays and the dissiders. It clicks the monkey brain side that preaches they need a god to worship. Well, there he is.

[@thomasffrench3639]

I think that fascism is really good at exploiting liberal governance.

[@thepnutgallery3860]

I'm continually jealous of how well you write and structure your scripts.

[@commieswine]

Write? Eloquent, concise and just fantastic to listen to!

[@mytmouse57]

Envious. The word you’re looking for is envious.

[@meewarwoowoo]

@@mytmouse57 how about "Proud" instead.

[@noneofurbusiness906]

@@mytmouse57 That's semantics!

[@mytmouse57]

@@noneofurbusiness906 "Jealous" means that you possess something you wish to keep to yourself. "Envy" means who wish you had something that somebody else has. They are among commonly conflated words or phrases. "Eager" and "anxious" is another example. People frequently say the latter, when they actually mean the former.

[@csr7080]

Trump being driven more by narcissism then a coherent ideology doesn't really change the fact the overall movement bears most hallmarks of fascism. And no, I'm not using that term because it's an easy insult, I mean it literally. Maybe it has been overused by some, but it would be an even greater mistake to deny it when it is in fact actually there.

[@glass.hammer]

The outstanding point I think that’s being made, however, is that the entire American “experiment” is fundamentally fascist. Recognize Trump as a product of a long, long finely tuned evolution of post-colonial imperialism. Recognizing him as such also requires us to recognize the far more surreptitious agents of American exceptionalism. He’s not unique in that regard.

[@Feayeme]

agree. think the problem described in the video is also an americans only issue, as a european (german) fascism has a set definition for me and trump and his cronies policies and promises just fit

[@TheKaurK]

Not to mention she does not minimize the threat that Trump is in any sense. She says there are more psychological factors at play here and lumping it all together under Fascism without digging in further does us a disservice... leaves us with blind spots regarding how Trump came to be.

[@davidlahozgil]

No, go read Roger Griffin's The Nature of Fascism, please. Trump is not a fascist and he doesn't need to be one to be a menace.

[@TheChickenMiner88]

she says in the video that she MAGA movement itself is very fascist at times. the video is not about the movement, though, just Trump.

[@ErikBernhardt]

I think there is a distinction between how the left and center (democrats) use the word. When the left says something is fascist, it is often with the understanding that America, historically and currently, is somewhere near fascism. It's how many minutes towards midnight that we're counting, not a "opposite of America" catchall.

[@MrBazBake]

Fascism isn't this thing the US keeps missing. It's a thing the US has repeatedly been that Americans struggle to move away from. Emphasizing that Trump is just an expression of an American ideological trend with respect to the rest of the world is as important as identifying that this trend is familiar. Morbid almost seems to dismiss the post-war use of fascist to describe "things everyone should be" while missing that less than two years after World War 2 the US was overseeing a genocide in Southeast Asia to prop up a fascist regime. When people were pointing at this thing called the US, they were legitimately pointing at American fascism. I think it's a problem to make Trump this other thing instead of the thing people on the left have been shouting about since the US murdered millions of Koreans and tried to hide a genocide to make sure a fascist government was propped up. The reality is, he's the thing. And we're the thing. And we built a thing that makes even the laziest, most boring candidates also support the thing that was built for them. And the thing is fascism.

[@djspacewhale]

this is close to my thought but I'm a little too drunk to state it well. like, Some More News and the 5-4 podcast both have IMO very cogent ideas of fascism and *how* Trump (and also the US in so many ways) is a fascist, and I think that framework is really useful. the reason I hate semantic arguments is that, at least in natural language but this also holds basically true in formal systems for basically the same reasons, we're not really arguing about *the thing* itself but rather arguing about the choice of words we're assigning to the thing. I don't think Mariana would disagree that Trump is a charismatic male right-wing demagogue in the form of an ideologically inconsistent and unprincipled opportunist who plays on anxieties and trends to implement a dictatorship against an advancing left and so on, in fact I think she'd agree, but my point is more of the Wittgensteinian thing that words are used to point at things but aren't the things themselves, and what's most important is the *thing* itself that we're trying to gesture at with whichever words, and getting sucked into the semantic muck can distract us from what's morally going on

[@xujhan]

I was wondering if maybe this was some of the context I was missing as a non-American. Listening to this the first time when I heard the bit about this definition of fascism describing the US government my knee-jerk reaction was "...yes? I thought that was the point." My understanding is that the Nazi party had quite a bit of support among Americans in the 1930s and that not a tremendous amount has changed culturally in the century since.

[@oasntet]

Yeah, I was confused by this, too. Why is calling Trump a fascist somehow saying that America is not? The police didn't cease to exist when Biden was elected. He didn't end the carceral state. Nobody in either party is promoting an end to borders or ceasing support for foreign fascists engaged in genocides. America has fascist leanings already, it's just that Trump probably will let The Heritage Foundation shove the country hard into undeniably fascist territory, and at that point I really don't give a crap whether he knew what he was doing or not.

[@thehumanity3324]

Exactly this! The video blurs popular usage of the term with the application of the term in actual political analysis

[@kezia8027]

Them: ThAtS jUSt SemAnTiCs Me: Yes, obviously, what the fuck did you think this was about?

[@Christian___]

I always find that expression so confusing--semantics is about the meaning of words--it's really important lol

[@bigjawline9235]

@@Christian___ bc there are times when people use semantics to argue a point despite it notreally mattering in terms of the broader argument at hand. like the thing ab when people say "hes not a pedophile, hes actually attracted to 15 year olds so its some other word" like either way its creepy and illegal, and the term pedo has been used to the point of it encompassing all of the "philes" based on liking younger people anyways, so that would be arguing semantics where it isnt necessary. the only time ppl use "ur just arguing semantics" is when the actual semantics of the words dont change any point being made and is just a red herring for the actual argument

[@SleepyAdam]

@@bigjawline9235 I might get chastised for saying this but I see big loose umbrella words that you're advocating for exploited all the time, and pedophilia is a big one that gets abused a lot nowadays. Lot of people using it against trans people, kink shit between consenting adults, or any weird art that dares to explore coming of age, puberty or LGBT youth themes. Words aren't exempt from this type of interrogation because they're emotionally loaded, even if some of those interrogations are uncomfortable, which I'm sorry, a conversation about child abuse should be somewhat uncomfortable, even if some bad actors make bad faith arguments within that it shouldn't be as easy as having a big comfy umbrella term to dismiss every case of anything that might look remotely pedophilic with to the societal, and with the way extremists speak, literal gallows. Even if within the conversation that comes out of that, some bad actors make bad faith ones like the hebephile argument. Like, Christ, you know how many actual Nazis have tried to make bad faith semantic arguments about the word "fascism"? Doesn't mean we shouldn't have the conversation. Pedophilia as a word is a great example of why semantics are important. It is a word that is blatantly weaponized and can destroy lives. You know this, and you know semantics are important, because when you say 'and the term pedo has been used to the point of it encompassing all of the "philes" based on liking younger people anyways' you are making a semantic argument about what the word pedophile means and attributing to it, a certain amount of reverence.

[@SleepyAdam]

@@bigjawline9235 Maybe I'm going to catch some flak for this, but I oftentimes see big umbrella terms that we "shouldn't need to have semantic arguments about" like the one you're advocating for there exploited, pedophilia especially in recent times. People trying to use it against trans people, kinky stuff between consenting adults, any coming of age art, especially stuff involving LGBT youths. Pedophilia is a great example of a word that has been extremely weaponized and can ruin people's lives. And therefore, a great example of why semantics and getting those words solidly defined are important, so we don't just give anyone free reign to send people to the social (and with the way rw extremists speak, even literal) gallows with that word. You know this because you are making a semantic argument when you say "it basically means all philias involving young people in modern times". We shouldn't avoid that conversation just because it's uncomfortable, it should be, we're talking about child abuse, and I can't help but think this avoidance of the subject is borne out of an effort to dismiss it or make it palleteable and something we don't have to think about because it's ugly. As for the hebe argument, you know how many fascists have tried to deconstruct the word "fascist" to discredit it? This shit happens in touchy conversations like this where there are bad actors at play. Doesn't mean we shouldn't have the conversation regardless.

[@SleepyAdam]

Realizing now maybe you were more talking about just that specific situation. Idk 'the only time ppl use "ur just arguing semantics"' felt pretty absolutist to me but I just wanted to say sorry if I lumped you in with a lot of other arguments on the subject I see. The nuclear "we shouldn't have to talk about this" one in particular.

[@RedRenegade29]

I gotta say, out of all the the analyses I heard trying to explain what Trump and Trumpism is, I feel this is probably the most coherent. I agree that labeling Trump as a fascist is extremely self-serving to many Americans. It basically labels him as something alien to the American project; an apparition, a momentary glitch in the program. I wouldn’t even say he’s a symptom. He’s an aspect of America that has been stripped clean of all pretense and PR window dressing, and has been left bare for all to look upon in abject horror and disgust. Trump supporters aren’t new. Conservatives and republicans didn’t start talking like slack-jawed bigots and xenophobes out of the blue. They’ve always been like this. When I look at Trump and all these other right wing demagogues taking power in these other countries, I tend to think of them as authoritarians at the end of history. Or to put it another way, global capitalism is slowly reaching a breaking point, an impasse where in it seems like nothing can get done, and we can’t solve any problems. Things seem so intractable we can’t even do what is necessary to stop climate change. And whatever does get done, turns out to be a racket. Case in point; the War in Afghanistan. We spent years there trying to do “nation building” and in less than two weeks the entire country was taken over by the Taliban once American forces pulled out. All that money, all those resources, all those lives lost… for what? You can’t say it was some kind of colonial project because at least when the old school European powers relinquished their colonies, there was some kind of infrastructure left in its place. But with Afghanistan? Nothing. We might as well have spent the last two decades tossing billions of dollars down into a giant hole in the ground. What I think this means, is that the system is gradually breaking down, and individuals like Trump see that as an opportunity to get a piece like some disease-ridden carrion-eater picking off the last vestiges of meat on the dying carcass that is America. It’s clear he’s not interested in “revitalizing” it. He‘s not like the fascists of yesteryear OBSESSED with the decline of our civilization, and therefore, want to revive it. That would mean he actually has some core set of principles. He doesn’t. He sees an opportunity to take advantage of a dying and collapsing empire and he’s taking it. The movement behind him might constitute a proto-fascist movement, maybe, but Trump himself doesn’t share their views. Like a lot of politicians, his views have changed with the wind. First he had nothing to say about Trans people, now he’s doubling down on it. If tomorrow, he came under the impression that his base supported trans people, he’d be the most vocal in advocating for them. He has no principles save whatever can get him into office or get him out of paying for his many fuck ups. That’s it. He’s a crook, a conman, a carnie, possibly a sociopath, and an unscrupulous opportunist. This man wants to feed off of what remains of the American Empire. He isn’t interested in resurrecting it.

[@CyclicCipher]

An astute observation from you. I have observed that Trump seems to be the most moderate person in MAGA. Where most of his supporters are genuine political extremists, he's just an opportunist.

[@blanktester]

​@@CyclicCipherexactly. He's happy to just admit that he's just saying what he thinks they want to hear.

[@RedRenegade29]

@@CyclicCipher What a perfect way to put it. Yes, he is the most moderate of his own movement. Or maybe, that's giving him too much credit. Basically, he knows how to hit the right pleasure centers for his base, and like a monkey trying to get some complex gizmo to light up, all he knows how to do is to keep hitting the right button. As for the people behind him, his core cabal of apparachiks, advisers, and financiers, (the J.D. Vances, the Peter Thiels, the Curtis Yarvins, the Steven Millers, etc.) I think we can safely see them as definitive ideologues of a reactionary persuation. Unfortunately, for them at least, I suspect Trump is incredibly inconvienced by these insufferable nerds.

[@X_w45ey89]

Totally agree. A narcissist to his core. Feeding off of others at every opportunity and regurgitating anything that guarrantees getting validation instead of having principles.

[@GoblinWife]

@@RedRenegade29 as an OEF vet I can tell you, the biggest hole we threw the money down in Afghanistan was the pockets of contractors back home. We didn’t build anything enduring, because that was never the point.

[@Troelski]

I'm gonna annoy you. Sorry in advance, but I'm not sure I'm completely understanding you this time around. I agree that Trump isn't a fascist for the same reason you gave in your previous video: he is ideologically vacuous. BUT (and this is the part that you're gonna wanna walk into the sea about) as someone who called George W. Bush a fascist in my teen days, the first thing I did after Trump got sworn in in 2017 was pick up a copy of Anatomy of Fascism by Robert Paxton and all the other books you dramatically piled in a heap in your previous video, because I really, really wanted to know what fascism actually means. And...like...not only does it seem to me that John Kelly's definition is broadly speaking correct (though an abridged radio edit of the full 11 minute prog rock banger), it doesn't seem to disagree with the definition you gave in PART 1? Though it leaves a few bits out (Griffin's palingenetic part, which yeah you could argue is crucial). At any rate the part where I feel like I just don't know what your point is, is when you seem to argue that Kelly's definition...fits the US to a tee? I think you're arguing that it's so vague and broad that it can be applied to the US' interventionist adventures in the 20th century, Jim Crow laws and nationalistic jingiosm writ large? But then you also say "fascism was a word built to provide plausible deniability for post-war imperialism". And later that you "don't know what the word means, and you don't believe anyone else does either" I genuinely don't know what you mean here. Do you think fascism doesn't have a workable meaning (that you gave in your first video) and is simply a device of US /Western imperialism, or are you saying SOME people use it that way? As far as I know I'm not on the spectrum but I'm really struggling to understand when you're being sarcastic and when you're just being, you know, confidently, righteously belligerent in your dissenting opinion on the definition of fascism? John Kelly's definition of fascism is definitely a rather truncated one, but I doubt it's one Paxton, Griffin, et al would bristle at under the circumstances. Certainly not now that Paxton too has called Trump a fascist, after Jan 6. At any rate, the definition is hardly one cooked up by the US government. In conclusion, Trump is not a fascist, Trumpism is, I didn't understand the other bits, I probably have piss poor fucking media literacy, please don't screenshot this and humiliate me in a future video, thanks.

[@MooNAtyX]

She took the time to define those two concepts, Fascism with a capital F being this 20th century autocratic movement, collective resurrection of past glory through micro and macro control of everyday life etc etc, and common language fascism being used more like a slur to point at any displeasing idea or persona in the average American psyche. I feel like I can tell which word she means between Fascist or fascist throughout her essay. America is fascist, Trump is not a Fascist, some groupuscules in MAGA are Fascists, and so on... I'm not well versed in politics, nor am I American, English isn't even my first language. I just watched her video on Pirates of the Caribbean's when it came out and watched most of her content since. I really like her essays and how well structured they are. This confusion between Fascism and fascism is understandable although it's easy to read through the lines once you understand her political stance.

[@Troelski]

@@MooNAtyX I don't intuit the distinction, and I'm pretty sure I share her political stance, and I loved the previous video. But this time, this lower case fascism feels like completely private language. When she says "I don't know what fascism means, and I don't think anyone else does either", it's utterly baffling to me, and feels like a know-nothing appeal to ignorance that demands we ignore the most rigorous scholarship on this topic because...something something American imperialism? The reality is, even though Trump himself is not a fascist, voting against him IS a vote against a KIND of American fascism because of what/who Trump's Plus-One is to the White House. Because the people surrounding him are, broadly speaking, in many cases, fascists. Ultimately it's just so unclear to me why it's important to tell people not to feel like they're fighting fascism by voting against Trump. She's clearly annoyed as all hell at this, but again, I just feel like I watched a video recorded right after someone hate-read a KZbin Comments section. What was the point of this?

[@jessidhia3349]

Yeah, she is trying to make a point about the vernacular use of “fascism” but doesn’t make it clear that that’s what she’s trying to do, it feels like she’s ignorant about all the academia until eventually she uses “fascism” correctly

[@adamantiiispencespence4012]

​@Troelski your confusion is that you're correct and much of her point is an example of private definition.

[@lompeluiten]

I also watched some videos about facism… it is an genre mixing different aspact of dictatorship, populism, collectilism and crony capatalism. She tried here to give it an more clear definition that can be distinguished from other forms.

[@spaghettiking7312]

"There are no Storm Troopers. There's no ideology. Trump's only ideology is *_me."_* --Noam Chomsky

[@youtubehandlesux]

Yum yum boot with red paint over it😋😋😋. Me no like boot with red blue and white. --Gnome Chomsky

[@BlueTyphoon2017]

@@youtubehandlesuxwtf are you talking about man?

[@xequth]

Given that there are people surrounding Trump who you would agree are fascist, surely rather than "Assholes Not Fascists" it is "Assholes And Fascists"? Both ideologies arising from something within American culture, with some of the same symptoms and some aligned goals. The issue is not that the wrong snake was identified; it's that no one noticed you got bit by two different snakes.

[@WellenInspektor]

Watched this while drinking milk.

[@UsenameTakenWasTaken]

... How old is the milk?

[@WellenInspektor]

@@UsenameTakenWasTaken Perfectly aged.

[@ChryskylodonInstitute]

I hope it's the aged kind

[@luistenma85]

Did the milk age in your stomach?

[@Darth_Bateman]

Hi , Homelander.

[@ilovemiffy888]

Seeing the clip from The Apprentice made me realize how much I want to know what you thought of the movie.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@ilovemiffy888 it’s extremely good

[@ilovemiffy888]

@@themorbidzooHard agree!

[@dawsonhollingsworth4810]

I aged like milk

[@Hemostat]

you've entered your cheese era

[@chewymclovin58]

Milk aged like milk

[@fan4every1lol89]

cheeze

[@malfegore_7043]

Cheesed to meet you then

[@sagey79]

I milked like age

[@AcappellaTidbits]

I was one of the few people that loved the way John Kelly said he fits the "general definition of a fascist." It's exactly what needs to be said: Trump swiss cheese brain doesn't have a coherent fascist ideology and certainly doesn't claim to be one. Most fascists don't. That's hilarious irony. It was also drop dead funny because, unfortunately, it was too much to ask Kelly or other Americans for some self reflection during that. Just to clarify: The point isn't "oh HE doesn't think he's a fascist and that's an important distinction" the point is "he doesn't think (or say) he's a fascist and that's a scary reality." I'm saying this definition lacks self reflection in imperial power. That, taken at face value, it encompasses peoeple who think they and say they aren't but clearly are. Fascist is as fascist does but if we cannot contend with the fact that the "heroes and winners" define fascism we will have "Trumps" from now into forever.

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

Like being a self serving mask of Republican isn’t fascism. That’s just being a a self serving mask off republican. But that’s such a repugnant image that we have to distance ourselves from it apparently

[@Jachra]

The problem with that, honestly, is that fascism doesn't require consistency. It's more about what you do than what you believe, and he does plenty enough that I don't care what his internal world is like

[@Christian___]

@@Jachra Yeah, like a government weaponizing the judiciary to shut down their main political opponent, riling people up and calling him fascist and refusing secret service protection while he has been the target of multiple assassination attempts...

[@Christian___]

@@Jachra @Jachra Yeah, like a government weaponizing the judiciary to shut down their main political opponent, making incendiary claims against him and refusing secret service protection while he has been the target of multiple assassination attempts...

[@Christian___]

Yeah, like a government weaponizing the judiciary to shut down their main political opponent

[@jays2551]

the atlantic defining or redefining fascism or whatever is hilarious when you think about how bloodthirsty basically their entire editorial board was right after 9/11. did everyone just forget how rabidly hungry they (and basically all of the 'establishment' news agencies) were for the wars in iraq and afghanistan and no, im not calling the atlantic fascist for being so incredibly pro-war in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, im saying that they're a bunch of morally bankrupt neoliberal assholes who have no right to even use phrases like "rampant militarism" in a maligning or derogatory context considering how rampant militarism was basically one of the things they liked most about the bush administration

[@glass.hammer]

The Atlantic is a worthless rag of failed propaganda operations. Couldn’t be coherent enough to sell to anyone but the Americans who wrote it.

[@ossapinhosfazemhumah]

i hate that i only comment on your videos when i disagree with something cause i otherwise like everything you do and never said a word about it, but if youre gonna use the definition of fascism that is the most bad-faith, twisted by the very people who want the word to be meaningless, then NOTHING will meet that definition. youre defining fascism by how the people in power have determined it to be "against american values" and noting, very truthfuly, that those values align with fascism more often than not. but instead of realising that fascism feeds on those populist mainstream rightwing values (the nazis being a popular, supported group in america before ww2) you just take their definition for it, mening noone will ever be considered a fascist unless they agree to the label. Trump is a fascist because of the politics he enacts and supports. It doesnt matter what he personaly believes. Nazis who profited from the holocaust were nazis even if they philosophically didnt BELIEVE all the purity of race thing. a fascist is as a fascist does. and you cant do more fascim than trump unless youre future trump

[@emmymurphy306]

Fascism by its nature is always "homegrown" and very "of" the nation it appears in. Fascism is always somewhat unique/distinct in each country it arises. To my mind, saying "Trump is fascist" does nothing to say "Trump's ideology is un-American." "Fascism" (like the words "democracy" or "communism") describes a broad array of nations and time periods. "Fascist" describes regimes all across the globe, spanning a century. It's a vague, squishy word. I personally find it useful for understanding history. Her argument seems to be (if I can boil it down) that "fascism," besides being too broad, is too weighed down by WWII history and subsequent propaganda movements. "Fascism" is something we will always understand to be an "outside historical force" (unless you're Italian I guess), and thereby calling something "fascist" will disguise its homegrown nature. I can appreciate her sentiment, particularly when it comes as official statements from the democratic party, who themselves are enthusiastic neo-colonialists. But I just disagree, I think the word is valuable. Not just in the historical sense, but in the (necessarily vague) political theory sense which helps us think about present-day politics. I think there's a lexical gap left, if we just agreed to stop using the word due to "too much baggage".

[@thecrakp0t]

You summarized a few of my thoughts and then some better than I could.

[@EtruskenRaider]

So I happen to think that Fascism as a real historical ideology of Spain, Italy, and Germany had significant forebears in America especially in the field of race science. So when I use the term fascist to describe Trump, I do so acknowledging that Trump comes from a long line of American Nazis.

[@EtruskenRaider]

For the further record, I don’t think America is Fascist. Racist, bigoted, imperialist, colonialist sure but not Fascist. What the principle Fascist nations in the 20th century had in common was an aggressive desire to reimpose order orders with a heroic orgasm of violence. America has largely been spared fascism (with a few exceptions) because the crappy social order has rarely suffered any significant setback. Only in those times when white supremacist patriarchal hegemony has been threatened (Reconstruction, Women gaining the vote, the Civil Rights Movement) have we seen quasi fascist movements rise. And now we’re seeing it again. Not because leftism is decaying in America but because it’s growing and starting to win.

[@deckie_]

@@EtruskenRaider I agree with you in both comments. I find this video very difficult to follow

[@EtruskenRaider]

@@deckie_ I think I get it. She’s saying the word fascist has been so removed from its original context to the point it stands for some “unAmerican” other which could, in the eyes of some, overlook how America created the conditions for him. My point is that I don’t think it has to be one or the other. I think Fascist remains the proper term precisely because his rise is so American.

[@thomasffrench3639]

@@EtruskenRaider Yeah, I think that the DNA of a fascism does exist in American culture, and him being fascist doesn't mean he is un-American. Sure, Fascism is anti-liberal, but liberalism was not always practiced in America with things such as slavery, and women and minorities not having the right to vote. I think that he uses fascist rhetoric and policies enough where it is fair to call him fascist. he's a leader of a fascist movement, so I don't think that his personal feeling really matter that much.

[@hokuhikene]

I wish I had aged milk... Need to buy cheese tomorrow.

[@br1na332]

Another banger. I continue to marvel at your capacity to be so coherent in your fury. Sending love, support, and solidarity to those in the US this nightmare season ❤

[@Simonds007]

In the end that's really all it is. Fury at orange man bad.

[@br1na332]

@Simonds007 Did you watch the video? This is paraphrasing, but 'if you think that's all this is, then you have piss poor media literacy'

[@Spheronic]

@@br1na332 they don't care, dont bother responding to them. they are kids that think and attention is good, even if you smack the shit out of them. Its like talking to a baby.

[@--ACCEPT--]

@@Simonds007 It's wild that people think "You're having an emotional reaction" is a gotacha.

[@Simonds007]

@@--ACCEPT-- It is when you're a grown ass adult and you let it take over you.

[@shiloh6915]

This has been the best critical discourse analysis of the use of the word Fascism that does not favor the liberal nor conservative establishment that I have ever heard. Thank you for bringing this to light

[@OldandAbandonedHarcorte]

5:40 Uhm no actually. Facism has a concrete defintion for a set of ideas. The easiest way to describe it is "Palingenetic Ultranationalism". A terrible means of describing it because both words need defintions of their own, but the former alludes to "rebirth" and the latter is the valuing of National identity over any identity. Facism is about convincing enough people that "Our nation was once great and has somehow fallen" and it doesn't matter how the people who need to be in power get there, just that they do. The people who need to be in power can be whatever the group wants them to be, as can the out-group because facism defines itself against what it is not. Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan is basically proof enough on it's own that he will be a facist. It alludes to an imagined ideal image of a perfect America that has never really existed. I can agree that maybe the term has been mis-appropriated and it by no means the perfect label for Trump, but calling him a Racist convicted felon has stopped holding any weight among his insane cult of personality. The last part of Facism also comes from the idea that if we do not succeed and bring back our amazing country we will be wiped out, which in Trump's case would be things like him saying how they'll destroy our country. It's not as blatent because Trump probably isn't ideologically a facist, all he wants is the money and power of being president and nothing else, but whether or not he is a facist in his heart of hearts doesn't matter, he is DOING facism.

[@timothymcqueen3408]

Your ability to put my own thoughts into words is amazing. Thank you for being one of the most masterful writers on KZbin right now.

[@Nohandleentered]

This video milked like age

[@barsabe]

At the end of the last video you said: "Trump isn't a fascist. He just pretends to be one." As if that makes absolutely any difference. It doesn't matter what he cares about or doesn't, he uses them the way he "pretends" nonetheless. In this video you said three contradictory statements somehow at the same time. First that fascism has no definitive definition to use therefore we shouldn't use it, second that it apparently has to micromanage everything to create an identity (and for some reason this is definitive now?), third that what we are face to face with is somehow something different that we haven't named that isn't fascism (this can only be said bcz you have a definition to it in your head). Like yeah, fascism has no one definition and that's also the case for every other political term because they are abstractions, but its usage reflect in general sense a right radicalism. Which also has different definitions but one I'd like to use is that "using ethnic, religous and other identity values to create division between people and derive politicall power from that" I don't think one needs to form a new identity or establish an old one, as long as they can use what there is of those identities for their advantage nonetheless. Which Trump does to an extreme. Yes, he's a fascist, like many prior, and yes he's the fruit of many years of American Imperialism, which is a fascist endevour.

[@Mysillyum]

This ^^

[@roberteriksen6434]

Timestamps, cause I feel like this video could use some work too, and i mostly agree with your point: 1. 4:37 It does seem like she takes issue with the definition itself, delegitimizing it as convient strategic use of american imperialism 2.A 14:57 The word suddenly gains a _very_ definitive definition 2.B 19:57 The word becomes meaningless again lol 3. 20:36 I think this is what you meant here? It feels wrong either way to equivocate Trump's behavior here as equally fascist with Kamala if the word is to be used at all, and that borders with republican/russian apologia if I understood it correctly.

[@barsabe]

@@roberteriksen6434 I don't think they're equal on those terms or anything. Actually I'm not at all sure how to the right is current democratic party. Trump is easy bcz I live in Turkey and there's an insane similarity between him and you-know-who. Edit: Actually I can say Kamala Harris doesn't seem too far behind 2016 Trump. And miles away from 2020-2021 Joe Biden. I think she's after the median voter, which is a historically bad strategy, and is more about marketing than actual politics. She is like an eager salesman rather than a politician, and she compromises her positions based on the marketability. That left her in a wild swing, and I can't tell where the pendulum may go next.

[@barsabe]

@@roberteriksen6434 btw i think youtube ate my reply, it's probably only visible in notifications lol

[@roberteriksen6434]

​@@barsabe KZbin removes like 90% of my comments as well. It kills all my enthusiasm to engage in this platform when all i can really type is roblox or amogus.

[@stretchsebe3572]

Umberto Eco's "Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt", or more commonly known as "Ur-Fascism", was an essay by an Italian author that is renowned today for it's accuracy and analysis with which identifying, and describing fascism can be done. I'm sure this author and the 'fourteen points' as they're often called aren't news to you but the idea that fascism being a term used by US hegemony and solely serving it is incredibly reductionist, and I understand you're trying to point out how fucked US politics are but it still shouldn't be unusable as a term because a powerful establishment uses it.

[@NeverWolf]

someone tell antifa the fascists never even existed. im sure they'll breath a sigh of relief

[@themorbidzoo]

@@stretchsebe3572 Ur-Fascism is a great essay but it’s quite obviously critical, it’s not just a rote description of political beliefs. It is coming from a certain sociocultural position, and that sociocultural position was western post-war academia. Eco, as a semiotician obsessed with contextualization, would absolutely rankle at the idea that his essay is now regularly trotted out as the definitive description of an otherwise amorphous global movement instead of being used as a springboard for more currently relevant analysis, as is supposed to happen with scholarship.

[@n0tthemessiah]

This comment reeks of someone who's been educated beyond their ability to think critically.

[@timsmith559]

​@@themorbidzooI don't think he would. The whole point of Ur-fascism was to identify the common points that unify disparate fascist movements, so they can be accurately defined and destroyed. "Ur-Fascism can come back under the most innocent of disguises. Our duty is to uncover it and to point our finger at any of its new instances-every day, in every part of the world"

[@timsmith559]

​@@themorbidzooI don't think he would. He wrote Ur-fascism as an explicit attempt to codify the characteristics of fascism despite the differences it adopts in each society. He clearly states his view is that despite different strains of fascism having different combinations or commissions of these characteristics, they were still all fascism and should be called such. "Ur-Fascism can come back under the most innocent of disguises. Our duty is to uncover it and to point our finger at any of its new instances-every day, in every part of the world" I also have to disagree with your take that labelling Trump fascist implies he is "other" to the system that produced him. That might be accurate to how some people misuse the term, but Hitler was a product of Germany and still a fascist, Mussolini was a product of Italy and still a fascist. Trump is an asshole, an American and a fascist.

[@bonparadiso]

"Hopefully, this is the last time I'll ever have to talk about it" Aged like milk

[@PretenderWho]

I often feel that comments starting with "Sorry, English is not my first language" come across as somewhat self-pitying, but I have to say it myself this time. This video has an emotionally charged commentary, and I understand why. However, I’m struggling to grasp the main point. As far as I understand, you’re arguing that Trump doesn’t fit the dictionary definition of a fascist, specifically by Mussolini's definition, so labeling him as such is pointless or disingenuous. Is that correct? The whole idea of the “pure Aryan son of the Reich” is so thoroughly discredited (and rightfully so, fuck em) that we’ll never see a literal fascist in a leather trench coat on a “go vote” poster again, hopefully. But that doesn’t mean Trump doesn’t use rhetoric with fascist undertones. So, I’m not quite sure what your point is here. Are you passionate about this because people are saying “he is a fascist” rather than “his opportunistic rhetoric, blaming others for everything, uses many talking points commonly associated with fascists”?

[@jonathangiese5727]

If I understood correctly, Mariana is saying labeling the man as fascist is unhelpful because it brands him as something un-American when his actual beliefs are a uniquely American creation. What makes this so frustrating is that it excuses Americans from considering exactly how it is our national culture produced Donald Trump by casting him as an aberration. I think this is stated most clearly at the 4:55 and 19:24 minute marks. None of that changes the fact he is platforming bona fide fascists, of course, Mariana agrees at 12:15 there are real fascist elements elsewhere in his campaign.

[@matthewlinus4691]

​@@jonathangiese5727 "Labeling him as fascist is unhelpful because it seems un-american" I keep getting confused when I see this explained, because I agree that this does appear to be her central argument, but it's also just, very bad. One can fairly reasonably make a few observations about Trump: 1. That he is ideologically self-interested and personally believes nothing. 2. That his base is often motivated by fascist reasoning, as are many of his policies. 3. That he is a manifestation of many of the most repugnant immoral traditions of the United States. So, it follows one could accurately say that Trump is, in a political verb sense, a "fascist politician" in that he is a politician "doing" fascism, "fascism" being the enactment of fascist policies. Whether or not people "perceive" fascism as unamerican doesn't actually change that fact. It doesn't change what words mean, which seems to be what she is so concerned with in the intro. Trump is a fascist, and so are many elements of the United States. Like she's correct that the central issue here is that "fascism is perceived as alien to the US" but the problem isn't that the statement is true so we shouldn't call people fascists, it's just that the statement *isn't true.*

[@jonathangiese5727]

@@matthewlinus4691 Can’t say I disagree, while I’m definitely sympathetic to Mariana’s frustration at watching political figures just a little to the left of Donald Trump denounce him as fascist without any apparent self-reflection, I do think it makes a useful observation about the rhetoric of his campaign and the people he surrounds himself with (if it walks like a duck…).

[@thehumanity3324]

@@matthewlinus4691 This is the correct take. We have no acess to Trumps brain/motives. What we can assess are his actions and public utterances. There shouldnt be such a rigid distinction between 'doing' the thing and 'believing' the thing.

[@PretenderWho]

I can't speak for others, but in my opinion, "labeling" isn't quite the right word here. As I mentioned earlier, in this particular case, Trump directly quotes well-known, self-proclaimed fascists. He often uses lines from fascist propaganda in his speeches and seems reluctant to denounce Nazis- thinking, "If they're voting for me, why should I?" I understand that as "enlightened internet critics," we recognize him as more of an opportunistic chatterbox with no real values. But so what? I still don’t see why it would be wrong to identify him as someone who aligns himself with fascist ideology, even if it’s just by saying, "Hey, this dude is kind of fascist." In reality, most countries are pretty awful in various ways, and if we’re honest, there are patterns commonly associated with fascism that can be traced and recognized in governments everywhere. It’s not exactly rare. So, what should we do? I feel a kind of moral obligation to notice these patterns whenever we can, to point at them and say, "Hey, I found another one." Sure, it might be more graceful to add some nuance and be specific about what fascism really means in a given case, but in this instance, it still seems fair to say "Trump is a fascist," especially given the sheer volume of quotes he borrows for his stand-up routine. I think the point about "fascist" being shorthand for anything anti-American is valid, but this isn’t just an American issue. I’ve lived in Europe, Russia, the U.S., and the Middle East, and in each of these regions, people often use "fascist" as a substitute for "jerk" or "tyrant." It might be a bit redundant, but the logic is clear.

[@tobiashagstrom4168]

It's a bit late for me, so maybe I'll feel like I missed the point of the video tomorrow when I rewatch it, but for what it's worth, here are my current thoughts to add to the topic. I agree Trump is not a fascist in the sense we would characterize Hitler or Mussolini to be as people, but if there is anything useful in attaching the fascist label to Trump, I think it's the way in which he seems to be aware that he is utilizing vaguely fascist emotional appeals. I get the impression he understands that he's turning his political project into an outright "mythic" battle. The imagery of grand, historically echoing, spiteful walls, the descriptions of an "enemy within", is something that increasingly strikes me as something that does more than incidentally appeal to neo-nazis, I think Trump is fairly aware of where this kind of rhetoric comes from, and that he's actively mining those sources for inspiration, or being very directly fed by people who do. I agree that he represents "assholism" to a large extent, but he also seems very willing to use the romanticization of nationally justified mythic brutality, "we're gonna execute drug dealers, very quickly", "poisoning the blood of our country". I think it goes beyond being an asshole, and has to do with deliberately trying to make people feel like they're in fucking grimdark Warhammer 40 000, a kind of epic and exaltingly ruthless struggle against spiritual and biological adversaries, where death and glory are the only outcomes. If there is anything in my eyes that has always given the US some insulation against what I understand to be fascism, it's the individualism, but I think Trump seems to have paradoxically succeeded at least a bit at marrying this kind of fuck-you-got-mine individualism with a kind of nakedly profoundly vapid and chaotic motivation for nationalist fervor. Where accustoming people to depraved rhetoric with which to whip them up into a less and less meaningful frenzy is absolutely core to the plan. So I thin there is at least usefulness to understand Trump as some kind of casual "practicing fascist", someone who is relatively willing to do fascist things to fascist ends for fascist people, giving fascist motivations, more so than US leaders tend to. How many Hitler mustaches can dance on Trump's heart is an interesting question, but I think at least part of what he is doing constitutes some kind of deliberate fascist practice, which even if not ideologically sincere, still seems to be deliberate for what it is.

[@AcappellaTidbits]

Trump is gonna be the next Reagan for the Republican party. And yes I do mean that derogatorily.

[@jorger1818]

He's been the next Reagan since he first started campaigning for his first term in office in more ways than one. Trump being Reagan for the early 21st century is completely intentional.

[@ca1yps0]

just sending this comment to thank you for your video, your marvelous wordage, and the important topics you logically walk through, ive been watching your videos for awhile and I look up to you a lot (as a wannabe writer/author) so stay safe morbid zoo ^^

[@themorbidzoo]

Thank you ☺️

[@heavenlysadness]

Knocked it out of the park but that ONE DANG PIXEL. Poor tired camera I really appreciate that you stand up to the definition as well as being willing to call out hypocrisy for what it is, which is to paint one side as intrinsically morally superior without addressing the actual issue aside from name-calling.

[@CosmicLatte1]

Great video, Morbid. The catastrophic ramifications of American exceptionalism on both the psychology and the material conditions of its citizens will be studied for thousands of years.

[@LoudAngryJerk]

okay, but the chief argument against the idea that he isn't a fascist is that among all of the various studied criteria, he definitionally fits the bill on basically every one. It isn't at all that his cronies are more brazen, or that his cult has grown more cultish. Its that despite the fact that what it means to be a fascist is somewhat different based on the circumstance, its almost as if he went through the list of what it takes to avoid being a fascist and put it on his "to don't" list. It's not semantic. He's an authoritarian bigot, who uses his popularity to promote a kind of fucked up solidarity with those seeking unity while claiming victimhood. He uses his own racism and bigotry and whatever terminology allows him to accumulate as much singular power as possible by using terms like purity, and othering people who don't look like his target audience. He is a fascist, and frankly I will never understand why some liberals feel like this is a hill worth dying on without any legs to stand there. After watching your video, you lost me at "the word fascist is always implicitly at odds with american ideology." gee whiz you are misinformed if you genuinely believe that. Fascism exists in the american zeitgeist as anathema to what it takes to be american, but is ABSO FUCKINGLUTELY NOT "always positioned in opposition to american values and behavior." I mean, fuck WE STILL HAVE AN AMERICAN FASCIST PARTY. Fascism isn't by definition in any way related to america, or anywhere else. Something can be fascist if its in America, or Nicaragua, the fucking Vatican in rome. The only place that can have any kind of claim to that kind of relationship with the nature of fascism is Italy, where the modern idea of the concept was born, although it's obviously existed elsewhere for about a thousand years. God I hate it when people try to pull out the tiniest little minutia to contradict what words mean, especially when you are objectively WRONG. And you are wrong, ma'am.

[@timsmith559]

Agreed, from an international perspective, he clearly is fascist, or so close to it makes no functional difference. MZ's definition of fascism is too parochial, and while it may be accurate to the way most Americans use the term, it is missing the forest for the trees. If you go through The fascism check list, Umberto Eco's piece on ur-fascism, Trump hits every one of those points. He might not be doing it consciously, but the end result is the same.

[@BayaRae]

There's a single dead pixel just to the right of MZ's head throughout the video and now you can't unsee it.

[@cyclic_infinity]

I came to the comments to see who else noticed, I already couldn't unsee it lmao. If it weren't for MZ's black hair she might have gotten away with it

[@admirall.ackbar]

That pixel aged like milk.

[@joshblack9182]

I thought it was just my screen. I tried to wipe it off.

[@NoahHudson1]

Thank you. It was driving me nuts.

[@nyanko8972]

Oh man, finally part 2. I’ve been waiting for this for the last three years.

[@anubis2814]

I would say Umberto Eccos Ur Fascism is probably a much better definition or term. 1. anti-conservative: Wanting to destroy norms, decorum and institutions 2. anti-liberal: ending basically all of the bill of rights and other liberal rights 3. anti-communist: to the point that anything he doesn't like is a communist 4. A belief in a false past that never was, and if we just do X that glorious past will come back Ur fascism is a collective group of people, not one person each with their own varying beliefs in one or more of these things with cynical hunger for power at all costs. Most wont believe in all of these things, but as you said this is all VERY American. We have always been an ur fascist nation with people fighting to keep it in check. A fascist government is one that embodies all of these at once. The US has not seen all of these in government at all once yet, so we have not had a fascist government yet. Pinochet was technically not a fascist because he didn't use part 4. If Trump wins we will have a fascist government. Trump is a puzzle piece of ur fascism conspiring with other pieces to create a fascist state. Fascism has always been a bunch of heartless, power hungry cynical grifters, even Mussolini who would stab any of their collaborators in the back if they thought they could get more or keep their power. Its quite probable none of the fascist leaders believed none of the ideology, just power pure raw heartless corrupt power. Extracredit has been doing one on the Nazi occult. Hitler didn't believe any of it but found it so useful to manipulate people who did, he couldn't pass it up. Just like anything Trump does. Yeah. Asshole needs a better term, but that definition used sums up trump and his followers to a T. Its a new form of Randian Objectivist Ur fascism that is as you said new and unique to America. It checks all the boxes listed above, But isn't remotely fascism we knew from the past, its something new and worse. Perhaps that's a good term for asshole fascism, Objectivist or Randian Fascism

[@pluginleah]

I would have 100% disagreed with the premise, but you've convinced me.

[@PACR66]

The problem with Trump's supporters is that they think like him. They know how he thinks and they agree with him.

[@Dr.Phosphorus-x7n]

I was just watching your Sound of Freedom video This is insane

[@OldtimeIronman]

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” ― Frank Zappa

[@bjrnbjrnson4823]

First: please read literature on fascism from a European perspective, I think that point is missing in your analysis. Second: I really really really hate your description fascism the idea that it is a term coined by Americans to insult people who are unamerican? Is genuinely hilarious. Because fascism was at the time used to describe different fascist movements across Europe you had fascismo in Italy you have national socialism in Germany had franker ISM in Spain and a few other less successful movements, but they all describe a movement that positions itself as an ultra-nationalist opposition to capitalism and communism that's why it is also called the third way. There are different descriptions of what fascism is for example: fascism is colonialism done at home which is a very broad not in-depth analysis or fascism is ultra-capitalism and attempts to diminish the inevitable communist revolution and therefore needs to rely on the leader principle. There are multiple definitions. But what they have in common is its reliance on racism, on imperialism and on collectivism and all of these things trump relies too. Third: I think you have a too good view of fascists like the point that trump is not responsible, is not honourable, does not have any morals, does not make him not a fascist. I would even argue it makes him more of a fascist. If we look at the people like Mussolini, he ran from responsibilities, he was not an honourable person, he was killed because people found him running away. Hitler claiming during 1943 after Stalingrad that the war is lost, he still said the German people have the responsibility to continue to fight to be an example for future generations when it was time for him to fight, he killed himself in a bunker; to not be in court to run from his responsibilities. He was a coward he was amoral; he was doing whatever he needed to stay in power, he had the idea of being destined to rescue the German people, but he was a coward, nonetheless. Fourth: I very much agree with your analysis of to his government and its policies but while there are fascist aspects to it (the imperialism, American exceptionalism, the obsession with the founding fathers) they're still lacking destructiveness it does not rely on outside enemy and for me that is a core characteristic of fascism it always needs an enemy that it needs to combat and while the American government has been given multiple candidates to choose from I do not see a desire to destroy them to the extent that the US would take self-destructive actions just so they could destroy the other side. They’re close to fascism but not quite there. I hope you will never reach it.

[@timsmith559]

Eh, not sure I agree about the lack of an enemy or self-destructive actions. The current anti-immigration rhetoric is right there and Trump is proposing to deport so many people it will cause a hit to the economy comparable to the great depression. I do agree with the rest of your points though, this is missing some vital context from outside the US.

[@anonymousyoutuber1405]

She is specifically talking about American politics and how American politics use the term fascist. She is not talking about European politics. It is useful to read about the history of the term fascism in Europe, however, she is talking about the degradation of the term from the specific 20th century political system from Italy into an insult, again, specifically in American politics, not European politics. Hence the picture of Trump and discussion of Trump.

[@timsmith559]

​@@anonymousyoutuber1405 Thank you, but I did somehow manage to glean that subtle point. However, the fact that (some) Americans might use the term in an imprecise fashion does not mean that they are incorrect. A more complete understanding of the meaning of fascism, and how it adapts and adjusts to fit its cultural milieux, would surely only help in understanding the threat of Trump and his movement. As much as the US likes to think of itself as exceptional, it really isn't, and learning from how other countries have dealt - or not - with fascism could surely be only helpful, no?

[@anonymousyoutuber1405]

@timsmith559 well, yes, I'd hoped you picked up on it, considering the fact that the entirety of the video was focusing on how specifically Donald Trump is different from classical definitions of fascism. Once again, the European perspective on fascism is useful, but the point was made (repeatedly) that Donald Trump does not fit the definition of a desire to return to a glorious past, such as the Roman Empire with Mussolini, or the Aryan race with Hitler. The fact that this ideology is missing was the point.

[@timsmith559]

@anonymousyoutuber1405 "Make America Great Again" is not a desire to return to a prelapsarian past? Edit: I'm sorry, but this is precisely my point. Trump is not a unique phenomenon, he exists within the context of previous fascist leaders. To argue that he isn't is to risk (unintentionally here) engendering the idea that America is somehow immune to fascism, that it "can't happen here". The lesson from Europe is it absolutely can.

[@ClockwerkMan]

Just gotta hard disagree with you about the definition of fascism. I'll start by saying that I *do* agree that the definition of fascism is kind of weak. It was mostly made as a way to encapsulate the political movements of Germany and Italy around WWII, and as such is at times overly specific about what it requires, and at other times, too broad. However, the definition Kelly gave was pretty good. There's more to it though, involving changes in how the capitalist class relates to the state, the combative relation to classical liberalism, how friend-enemy distinctions are made to scapegoat social woes. So while the US has ticked many boxes, it hasn't ticked all of them, and some have improved over time. Most noteably, the US is a by and large pluralist society. Fascism demands homogeneity, and this is something that you can see most noteably in trumpism. It's no mistake that trumpism demands a white christian ethnostate- it's because it's a fundamentally fascist ideology.

[@00PlPu00]

The issue here is that how one defines homogeneity and pluralism is very fluid. It can be on the basis of anything... ethnicity, "race", religion, political inclination, "values", etc. The US has not been "pluralist" with black people for most of its history (understatement), has not been "pluralist" with communists, etc, etc. Again, it is a loose criterion... Is Trump demanding a white christian ethnostate or is he just pandering to those who are because that gives him support and clout? He doesn't seem invested in Christianity at all... he doesn't know the first thing about it, for example. He has the support of fascists, that is for sure...but whether he fits any definition of it is precisely what this video is challenging.

[@BeautyAnarchist]

​@@00PlPu00bar

[@00PlPu00]

@@BeautyAnarchist ?

[@BeautyAnarchist]

@@00PlPu00 No I was saying that was a bar ifyk what I mean

[@LSeanHubbard]

Thank you so much for making this video. The last several days since Tuesday have been a rough ride. Of all the commentary and analysis I've seen pundits offer in the wake of the election results, your video is the only one that provided me with any solace.

[@Neuvost]

This age milked like video.

[@phalanxbeats8402]

video milked age like

[@heatherlee2047]

Brilliant video essay as always. Really blew my mind

[@user-uq4gr5nl5o]

You should vote against him for all of those reasons... and also because he's a fascist. I don't care about what he believes in his heart of hearts, just like I wouldn't have cared about funny mustache man's inner life in WW2. I care about his actions, which are fascist. And no matter how much some people might despise America for being proud of their military, or for having some sense of nationalism, or god forbid, for not admitting to mistakes of the past (all things that could apply to almost all countries in the history of the world), there is a difference when a guy comes and takes a dump all over the rule of law, the constitution and the agreed upon values that in the past even the people you hated that belonged to that same political party respected. Just because he's not doing every single thing that the fascists of the XX century were doing in what was a very different world at the time, it doesn't mean he's not doing enough to be a fascist.

[@jerometurner9642]

You're referring to Bill Clinton, right? Or the president who employed more drone strikes than GWBush (Obama)? Fascism is what the US has held dear for some time ... is the point of this video, to me. Today it's vote for a massive increase in Police State or vote for a guy being used by Evangelicals to usher in their prophecies.

[@tophtopherson8920]

This is super helpful for real thank you for helping me to understand more clearly; you are an excellent communicator

[@S...O___S...]

People are always just looking for the sickest burn. I'm not any better. Anytime I call someone "a regressive discriminatory intolerant nematode", it's really just "I don't like you" with extra herbs and spices.

[@Arum638]

I'm a fan of the term "homunculus" myself.

[@Ladylubber]

This was fascinating, thank you for the food for thought.

[@AB25a1]

Here's another thing I'd add. Augusto Pinochet, while probably on the same AuthoritarianVsLibertarian axis as Mussolini, would likely be further right on economics. That's what we're dealing with, here. While the constitution might prevent contemporary Neoliberalism from being as authoritarian as classical Fascism and Nazism, it can easily be further right on economics.

[@jaybone305]

Watching this after the election is surreal af and heartbreaking cause you hit the nail on the head and not enough people see this

[@monolithiccelestial9636]

He used fascist rhetoric to garner support. He promises fascistic changes.

[@RasserMeyer]

Very well formulated set of arguments. A breath of fresh air to have things said so plainly.

[@FinestSkydiver]

In the introduction to his book A History of Fascism Stanley Payne argues that there is a common link between the fascist regimes of the twentieth century; and seeks to find a comprehensive definition of fascism as a political ideology. Payne starts by analyzing the previous work of historians, the likes of Ernst Nolte, Roger Griffin, and Emilio Gentile, toward crafting a working definition, and breaking down the ineffectiveness of each one. He goes on to extract relevant pieces from other definitions, such as the descriptor of fascist movements being ‘palingenetic’ from Griffin, and lists these recurrent ideological points witnessed in fascist movements of the period for his own use. Following this Payne condenses the list of ideological points into a concise definition, distinct from other right-authoritarian and conservative movements of the period: "a form of revolutionary ultra-nationalism for national rebirth that is based on a primarily vitalist philosophy, is structured on extreme elitism, mass mobilization, and the Führerprinzip, positively values violence as end as well as means and tends to normalize war and/or the military virtues" (Payne 14). I think this definition hits the nail right on the head, if not for Trump himself then with the MAGA movement as a whole. A fundamental aspect of fascism, that is not included in this definition, is hypocrisy. Trump being who he is as an individual, while spouting off lies about American Exceptionalism, is no different than the Nazi belief that jews are at the same time inferior in every sense AND so powerful that they run a global conspiracy capable of manipulating The outcome of wars. Even if Trump himself does not personally believe in a national community, certainly uses the rhetoric and MAGA supporters believe it, which is all that matters in the end.

[@jjknight5627]

Fire, pure and simple. Thankyou for your hard work of attenpting to actually understand, and then passing that on without compromise, you have hepled me alot 💕

[@steelersguy74]

“Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it’s an ethos.”

[@kingardenair]

"...that doesn't serve him personally." 'become a patron' pops up in the corner if that was intentional, kudos. chuckled heartily

[@themorbidzoo]

@@kingardenair it wasn’t but I’ve never been more proud of me lol

[@kingardenair]

@@themorbidzoo love your videos and your precise and thoughtful dissection of the right AND the left. seemed like the only place I could find something of the sort was a now defunct channel called 1791 (and it wasn't at all unbiased). currently salivating over a Legacy of Kain video in the style of the Tolkien analysis ones (but that's me being presumptuous) either way, I rarely comment, but wish you all the best, and good luck with your work

[@Lambda_Ovine]

I think I finally understand Senator Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising

[@Rietto]

Kojima is a mad genius, sometimes he can appear absurdist on the surface level of his writing but the kernel of what he's trying to say is often very profound. He's no dummy.

[@BayaRae]

Rising wasn't written by Kojima.

[@Rietto]

@@BayaRae The philosophy behind Metal Gear is still his.

[@Rietto]

Also, he did write the original plot for Revengeance, which to my knowledge wasn't changed from the initial ideas. The studio changed but they didn't toss out the original concept.

[@agreedboarart3188]

22:02 We didn't. We're officially cooked. Great video, btw. It's a breath of fresh air to finally hear someone speak about this logically.

[@Jachra]

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it might be a duck - same comment I made last video. He's still a fascist

[@OfficialSuede]

I mean sure, that's a valid pov... but the point she brought up is that if you use that argument, it also applies to the US govt as a whole, not just Trump. So is he... more fascist? Neo fascist? So you're kind of downplaying how dangerous he is by calling him something that, by your definition, is just par for the course in America. I'd rather call him a cult leader than a fascist, myself.

[@TychoKingdom]

​@OfficialSuede What the fuck are yall actually talking about? The biggest difference between Trump being a fascist and the regular American government is: the American government is divided into 3 supposedly equal in power branches while Trump's orbiters want to increase the power of the executive branch over the other two. Then install him as a ruler with not total control but majority control. As for Trump himself he want everyone around him to do as he says no questions he wants total control. And him and the moons have no problem using the military the police or the national guard. Obviously Trump+ isn't 100% match for fascism but if successful his administration would definitely swing America in that direction more than it already Is. Tl:Dr America isn't fascist because we don't have a dictator we have a 3 branch gov. Trump and friends kinda want him to be a dictator lite. If fascism is 3.5/5 currently it would be 4.5/5 with him.

[@thehumanity3324]

@@OfficialSuede The return to a glorified past through the cleansing application of political violence is a new element imported by Trump. But I have no issue in saying that yes, Trump is a product of American fscist tendencies, not the cause. American politics is fcistic, trying to seperate Trump from fcism becsuse you think the former isnt true is falling for american exceptionalism

[@jakefromstatefarm6969]

​@@OfficialSuedeI think a main argument is that the US has had elements of a fascist government for a long time, but has never had all of the elements at once, which they have now.

[@therealxz7434]

Speaking as a Marxist myself, I understand well your arguments. The modern dilemma of the left is calling everything oppositional to our own worldview “fascist”. The “Idealized Collectivism” of actual fascist ideology is premised in the simple fact that all fascism is, is a utopian socialist ideology. Italian national syndicalism was built to emphasize the importance of the nation as the central figure of governance for the individual and the ideal collective grounded in national uniformity

My problem with this video is mostly, that you don't give us a definition of fascism. Of course, you could argue that only Mussolini's OG fascism was really fascism and not sparkling authoritarianism. But that's not how the term is understood in academia. We have +80 years of research about fascism and it would have been helpful to bring up at least some of the modern definitions and compare Trumps "Ideology" to them. This would have strengthened your argument indefinitely. Anyway still a good video, I think what you have discovered is the American form of fascism. The asshole-billionaire flavor.

[@FangsFirst]

I think the point is that _outside_ academia there's not a generally understood one. Or there is, but it's understood to be insanely broad.

[@thehumanity3324]

Exactly, she is arguing against the popular appropriation of the term while ignoring actual good scholarship that has examined this phenomena for decades. Like, if the rant is about "people commonly use word wrong", than thats fine, but that says nothing about whether Trump meets the standard or not

[@LizbetNene]

It was genuinely maddening listening to General Kelly read out a dictionary definition of fascism as if he'd never given it much thought before now, and then watching the media flock around this grade-school level insight as if it were... y'know, some important and revelatory analysis rather than a dude literally reading the first thing he'd googled and noticing the description kind of fit his old boss.

[@Mr_Case_Time]

It’s pretty easy to understand: quibbling about whether or not Trump is a fascist is like worrying about the symptoms when the infection needs attention. The American form of politics and business is the substrate from which fascist-leaning people can become empowered. Whatever happens, I think the next 24 hours are going to wild.

[@mortimerBerlin]

This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you. For at least a decade now I struggled to summarize what "Americanism" is and why it is the way it is, simply because it's so contradicting. "Freedom without responsibility" is so on point!

[@CatHasOpinions734]

"The word fascism, implicitly, is always oppositional to American values and behavior." I'm not trying to start an argument, but with an acknowledgement that language is prescriptive not descriptive and words are what we use them for: that is very much not the meaning of this word as I and most people in my circles use it. Growing up I certainly didn't have a solid understanding of fascism, in my mind it was more or less just synonymous with Nazis, but it's not like it was a secret that there were people over here who agreed with Hitler, and it was fairly common knowledge that Hitler took inspiration from Jim Crow laws and racial injustice here, mostly in the south, but not exclusively. Now this was still the American educational system so the rest of the lesson usually went "but then the Civil Rights movement happened and everything's fine now!", I'm not saying I had an abnormally progressive education, but if you asked me or most of my peers if America had always been opposed to fascism, the answer is obviously no. I'm not saying no one uses it as just a synonym for evil, but you seem to be suggesting that people use it as a synonym for un-American, and I just don't think that's true most of the time.

[@occupationallystrong1606]

This is a hell of a lot better than i thought it would be. Great job.

[@Yeti_Boop]

Thank you for this. Trump is just the king rat on the garbage pile.

[@MetalKingStudio]

You're a smart lady. I am grateful I got to hear this. I watched this twice.

[@Epic_Epochs123]

I love you and your videos and i devour every one of them with a blissful glee. But i think your definition of fascism is flawed. In my opinion, fascism is a i-know-it-when-i-see-it category and Umberto Ecos definition is the best i have seen so far. Donald Trumps positions fulfill every 14 properties to a tee.

[@Gill280]

Her definition of fascism can’t be flawed because she didn’t give one. Her whole point is that 1) there is no consistent, universally agreed upon definition of fascism, and 2) fascism by any definition is an ideology, and Trump doesn’t believe in anything so he can’t be a fascist. He’s an empty vessel surrounded by fascistic sycophants hoping to leverage his populist appeal to further their political goals, but Trump himself is not a fascist. An accurate diagnosis of the problem is critical to solving it.

[@Gpeps22]

Love it. You're still one of my favorite KZbinrs

[@herrschneider5310]

man I wish you had uploaded this before the elec...oh. oh damn.

[@cumulus1869]

We should call it Selfishism. It rolls off the tongue more than Assholeism.

[@mastersquinch]

Counterpoint: I'm sure this is how a lot of people use fascist, but I don't think it's a good way to use it. Americans just are fascists, and our government has redefined the word. We had a strong fascist party before the Nazi's existed- ours inspired them. Then we had a strong Nazi party that was only dissolved when they dodged the draft. American fascism has always been an extremely strong tool in capital's toolbox. But fuck, if we even compare it to Mussolini and Weimar, it's wildly similar in a lot of ways, rhetorical and otherwise. He's not an Italian Fascist, because that died with Mussolini. He's not a Nazi because that died with hitler. As far as Trump, the collectivist nationalism is like the driving force behind the movement and the rhetoric. Trump is a grifter riding a wave of it to enrich himself, and grab power and retribution. But that's not new. The reactionary right did the same thing in Italy and Germany. They just wound up against the wall when the hitler's actually got power. Trump may not be a fascist, but this country, and his larger movement, absolutely are. I agree that trump is the logical endpoint of American culture, and that is because fascism is a core part of American culture. Find me a scholarly definition that doesn't just describe American foreign policy. Like, yeah, we use the word wrong. We also say "freedom" and everyone cheers like clapping seals, but people aren't free, it's a fucking police state. The only freedom is "economic freedom" or, as you put it, the freedom from responsibility. Or I guess, accountability. I don't think "trump is fascist" and "trump is arch American" are mutually exclusive, and I don't think most people on the left use the word the same way that liberal politicians do. The big thing is that fascism is more of a cosmology, an aesthetic, and a reaction than it is a cogent political or economic philosophy. To the snake analogy- i would argue it's more like two closely related snakes with similar lethality calling each other brown, and saying that you should hold them and kill the other because that shade of brown indicates it's venomous, and each brushing off all of its own kills as justifiable self defense.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@mastersquinch killer explication 💯 my overall point here is that we need to come up with language to describe what’s happening that isn’t co-opted and claimed by the establishment, either liberal or conservative. “Fascist,” I think, certainly is. So is “freedom,” as you point out

[@Fant]

Your explanation of the lack of accountability when dealing with rules, reminds me a lot of what happened recently between Musk and Brazil. We, brazilians, believe that freedom of speech means you can say whatever you want without fear of censorship or government persecution HOWEVER that does NOT mean you're excuse of accountability or consequences. For instance, you're freely allowed to say the n-word as part of lyrics or discussions around the word or, hell, even in memes or jokes. But the moment you use it as an insult, when you use it to invade someone else's (which can include communities, groups, minorities, etc) it becomes a hate crime. And hate crimes are federal crimes in Brazil. Serious ones. The type where you'll be refused in most jobs because you were a racist asshole, online or not. And the whole concept of accountability and consequences extends itself to fake news and incitement to violence. People were being investigated for inciting an act (as well as funding) to invade the brazilian equivalent to the Capitol demanding a military coup. Something that Brazil went through during the 60s and killed THOUSANDS of brazilians. Musk didn't like that our investigation includes locking people off their social media accounts so evidence can't be deleted and so decided to go against our government, only to get his platform banned from the country until he followed orders. As a result, the platforms were only unbanned after mayoral elections in Brazil which reduced political fake news DRASTICALLY.

[@skyrimn00b98]

We're cooked. What now?

[@RobertWScott523]

I got you the first time, but thank you. always enjoy hearing your thoughts.

[@johanneslarsson5599]

I agree with basically everything, but I think that the use of the word has more to do with a hope of more people recognizing the seriousness of the problem Trump poses. Doesn't matter if it's the perfect descriotion if the magnitude of severity is comparable. When the ones in power use it it really just means that their control is slipping.

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

Apathy is about to go Super Saiyan especially among Black People. No sympathy for Trump supporters. Y'all stay safe and strong out there

[@palmereldritch_6669]

Well. As it turns out. We ARE a nation of assholes. Seriously though, we already knew this. Didn't we?

[@Deafulttressady]

Extremely well argued and relevant point. Hope more will grow to embrace this understanding of the world in the future.

[@arzosahsothy]

I agree with the point your making but can't it also be true that calling trump a fascist and a caricature of American values is kinda the point? Isin't it fair to use the term as it is broadly understood but acknowledge that it might apply more to America at large then we would like to admit?

[@LordMogatron]

I can't wait for this to age like a fine wine

[@NO-CASH478]

Regardless of the inevitable outcome, we'll be fighting fascists for the rest of our lives. Best get used to it. love & hope. x

[@blackaua]

From every shadow and under every child's bed!

[@NO-CASH478]

@@blackaua you're thinking of the boogeyman.... nah, mate, he's cool. (no shade.)

[@genathing903]

I mean I think you’re right in linking US foreign policy to fascism and US imperialism. In fact fascism can be considered as the product of colonialism with colonial policies turned against the various minority populations of the metropole. If Trump is not a fascist, he is certainly a product of and a vehicle for fascism.

[@mystwerks]

I disagree, mostly in that Trump doesnt have to personally want to return to an imagined past to be invoking it and trying to utilize that idea in maga to his own ends

[@evanrutledge-sz4yo]

Most politicians use “the greatness of America” as a talking point. Things like tradition are easily exploitable for political gain because of their very nature. People regardless of age tend to look at the past fondly regardless of how good those times actually were. We seen this type of sensationalism for the 60s, 40s, and even as far back as the Wild West or even medieval and Roman times. To say that one aspect makes him a fascist would cast an extremely wide net across the entire political spectrum. That being said I do believe he’s a fascist as a general term but I think he’s something worse, something that is systemically created from our culture.

[@michaelbird9148]

Appreciate the sharpness of this video! Worth watching over again.

[@anteyehero]

I think this is one of (paired with your last video) the best classifications of trump I’ve seen. There’s a version of me, if the person I was 20 years ago had been left under the sink to grow my own mold Iike some juvenile science experiment, that I can see being a trump supporter. In all of my misdirected early adulthood anger I would proudly declare that “i was a dick, not an asshole; i wasn’t trying to hurt anyone’s feelings but I absolutely didn’t care if your feelings were hurt.” I still have all that cynicism, anger and hatred, they are just better directed now. (Mostly thanks to John Rawls making me question what kind of world was ‘good and just’.) Other than an uninformed reason for calling a trump a fascist I think one of the most pervasive reasons it happens is: we have tools to fight fascism. We know what fighting fascism looks like (to tag on to your point at 16:30). So it’s seen as ‘easier’ to organize people to fight against trump as a fascist, because you can hand them a rake, some gloves, and a trash bag so to speak, than it is coordinate the deconstruction of American exceptionalism, imperialism, and capitalism. We can fight fascism with information, and weapons, but it’s a little harder to do that with the core values of the American experiment. I think it is testament to trump not being a fascist that most of these methods for fighting trump as a fascist haven’t worked, or at least not with any degree of finality. Anyway. I’ve had to choose who I hate the least for the last 16 years when I punched a ballot. Doesn’t look like that’s gonna change anytime soon. America needs therapy, but it our healthcare system is shit.

[@sadhydra]

I've gotta get a copy of Aaron James' book because the concept of "asshole solidarity" has been the main perspective in which I've viewed the world and history for years now. Asshole will disregard any other their principles to defened their right to be an asshole.

[@ryansvideos100]

Out of curiosity, does calling Trump authoritarian run into any similar problems? Is it a meaningful term to use? I’m curious was elements of his disregard for rule of law can be described as any conventionally autocratic terms

[@themorbidzoo]

Much more meaningful to call him authoritarian imo

[@Squalidarity]

I agree on the whole with the main argument here: that Trump represents and is a result of a current of right wing authoritarianism endemic to American politics and culture, and that definitions of “fascist” as inherently non-American ignore and make the problem worse. The continuity of this current from Liberalism, and the colonialism that sustains it, must be recognized to make any kind of coherent critique. I disagree though with the idea that “freedom from responsibility” is at odds with the/a fascist project. Fascism is a nationalist ideology, and this necessarily entails hierarchy, the advancement of the in-group community (however that is constructed) at the expense of an out-group; there are those who the law protects and does not bind, and those who it binds but does not protect. And, as Altemeyer points out, freedom from having to exercise one’s own discretion and take responsibility for it is one of the defining aspects of right wing authoritarianism in practice, fascism included. This is an aspect that is shared with liberalism, but that does not make it any less of an essential part of fascism.

[@danielleighton4472]

Your original video aged like fine wine. Keep cooking

[@Itcouldbebunnies]

It sounded like John Kelly looked up the definition during the interview and only realized it was pretty accurate while reading it out loud. It is *astounding* that a general who attended no less than 3 (three!) colleges would never have learned about that before.

[@moondog548]

Your overall point of the lack of thought put into our speech is not just valid but goddamn CRUCIAL. Now I do gotta say I'm puzzled by your arguments specifically about the definition of the term fascism. Kelly's definition applying to many aspects of our nation, doesn't undermine it as a good definition. It's a great definition. The nation adhering to it to any degree is a bad thing. And saying that we don't want to be MORE like that is perfectly appropriate. And you are dead nuts on that fascism is not Trump's principles (you nailed his principles) but it's undeniably the framework/toolset he's working with! The distinction matters, I agree! But again I get confused when you seem to go beyond that distinction and again downplaying the (seemingly to me) perfectly appropriate (if indeed as you point out over/mis-used) term of fascism...... god you are SO fucking sniper shot on with describing that shithead's mind and soul and his appeal. And yeah.... bottom line... don't miss the asshole forest for the fascist trees. SOOTH. Thank you.

[@armour2002]

you could even go further and make an argument about the point of a system being the outcome it produces, and even if trump doesn't know what fascism means and therefore can't consciously identify with it, if he's going to enact fascist policies and govern in a way comparable to 20th century dictators in their early years, that is just fascism.

[@Simonds007]

I'm going to send a wellness check for you around Wednesday morning cause it sounds like you're going to stroke out.

[@maxwellpayne7552]

@@armour2002I think the distinction matters when we’re talking about whether he has fascist principles/ideology or not, because that would imply we could accurately predict his behavior and policies as adhering to that ideology. But we can’t, because he has no principles, he just wants to be the king of the playground. He is motivated purely by narcissistic self-interest. If for some reason horrific anti-immigrant racism starts becoming unpopular with his base, he’ll switch his rhetoric in a heartbeat. A fascist wouldn’t drastically mold their ideology to appeal to the whims of a specific voter base merely because he wants to be worshipped as some sort of petty demigod-but Trump would. Being motivated by pure spite and narcissism has him making weird choices that an ideological fascist wouldn’t. I think that’s why it matters.

[@LuciferLuckless]

@@maxwellpayne7552 I don't know, the Nazi Party called themselves the National *Socialists* and had socialist policies like expanding old age welfare, creating a healthy middle class by prioritising small businesses, ending land rent and speculation and nationalising all corporations. They did this to appeal to the disenfranchised working class, but almost as soon as the Nazis came to power and dismantled the electoral system so they didn't have to rely on their base they turned around on such policies. Hitler despised capitalism and the economic systems of the world because he thought it was all the work of the Jews but allied with big business to secure his own power. As historian Martin Broszat wrote: "...National Socialism was not primarily an ideological and programmatic, but a charismatic movement, whose ideology was incorporated in the Führer, Hitler, and which would have lost all its power to integrate without him."

[@matthewlinus4691]

​@@LuciferLuckless "nationalising all corporations"? They nationalised Luftwaffe, that's it. They collaborated aggressively with German megacorporations and even utilized holocaust slave labor to empower wealthy capitalists. The Nazi regime 100% collaborated with corporate power. Hell, the word "privatization" was first used in English to describe "whatever it is Hitler is doing" because Nazi Germany was the first country to ever perform mass privatization. The Nazi commitment to socialism wasn't some populist thing before transitioning, it was almost exclusively lip service, other than "redistributing" the properties of jews to aryans.

[@sconzilius]

Well articulated insight delivered with passion 💥

[@NXPhoenix3]

To pimp a book because I have the opportunity The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins was really good at discussing how US foreign policy during the Cold War was fascist under Millie's definition. Horrifying (as it should be), but good.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@NXPhoenix3 I encountered The Jakarta Method when I was doing research for the Civil War video. I watched The Act of Killing and it sent me through a crazy rabbit hole. If our foreign policy history were publicized the same way we publicize “fascism” this country would be considered beyond redemption, we’ve done absolutely unconscionable and unforgivable things in every single decade of our existence.

[@heavenly2k]

Your videos are really, really, thoughtful. You always seem to cut through the bullshit.