19 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Martin Blank's avatar

That is definitely what some people were taught, not really true though.

Government ordering around private businesses happens under all sorts of political systems, and is actually not really a big feature of the actual two exemplar fascist countries we had (Italy and Germany in the interwar period). The west liked to claim that (probably as a way to lump them in closer to the USSR), but the Germans and Italians actually did not meddle particularly extensively in their economies even during the early war, and were not on total war footing for quite along time given the circumstances.

Fascism I think much more has as its core ultra-nationalism (and accompanying racism), which this article is not at all about. And the dictatorial and violent oppression of political opposition, which this also isn't about. It was also predominantly a violent reaction against communism and liberalism, which only the latter applies in the current moment.

Fascists certainly wanted a fully mobilized state and economy, but they weren't very effective in making that happen in Italy or Germany.

Expand full comment
SimulationCommander's avatar

Fascists are socialists who are smart enough to understand that if THEY tried running private industry, they would destroy it. (See Venezuela)

Expand full comment
Barry Fay's avatar

Using Venezuela as an example of a failure of socialism is to pretend that it wasn´t sabotaged by the good ole USA, the most powerful country in the world. exactly for the reason that they would become an argument against socialism! Shame on you.

Expand full comment
Trollificus's avatar

That sounds pretty knee-jerk. Maduro as a crude caudillo, incapable of top-down management of a 20th century economy? I don't think there's much sabotage required to believe that, buddy. But I think we see you can be persuaded to believe things by mere assertion, if it agrees with your preconceptions.

Expand full comment
Barry Fay's avatar

Wow - really amazing all the things you miraculously know as you sit and reply: Maduro`s inherent capabilities (do I smell a little subtle racism?); the effectiveness or lack thereof of financial sabotage (see: Russia!); and last but not least, what my "preconceptions" are (as though "a priori") and that it was just those assumptions that led to my believing "things." In short, you have added NOTHING to the discussion except your own mental wanderings - which is ironic because it is your preconceptions that are revealed.

Expand full comment
Trollificus's avatar

Thanks for the compliments. It really is kind of amazing, isn't it? Though I guess I was wrong about Maduro,. No South American strongman would ever blame the US for their problems without strong evidence, so it must be true.

Speaking of evidence, got a link for the actions of the US gov in this? I mean, those TLA guys are pretty vile, and have done plenty of evil across the globe, but I'm not sure Venezuela required much in the way of spook subervsion.

Expand full comment
Barry Fay's avatar

There is nothing amazing (or interesting) about solipcism. From here on out you are just talking to yourself - which is of course ideal.

Expand full comment
SimulationCommander's avatar

Yes, yes, yes, it's all our fault they nationalized their industries and put people in charge who didn't know what they were doing. We're very sneaky that way.

Expand full comment
Sevender's avatar

Actually they’re republicans clever enough to cede all control to democrats.

Expand full comment
David Burse's avatar

Team Stupid cedes control to Team Evil. Film at 11.

Expand full comment
GadflyBytes's avatar

Using prison labor, imprisoned by the state based upon certain ethnic groups claimed to be undesirable, to make a profit, is not a defining factor of ww2 era German and Italian governments? Do please illuminate us on how they differed from that scenario.

Expand full comment
Bill Owen's avatar

Prisoners in America, most of them black, are literally enslaved and forced to labour. Some of them in the very same cotton fields that their ancestors worked. (Angola) Many others labour in UNICOR where they make war materiel.

Someone got enraged with me one day for saying this, but it is literally true.

See: 13th Amendment

Expand full comment
Rick Merlotti's avatar

What we have is Fascism with American characteristics. They won't go to the jackboot unless their Narrative Matrix unravels before too many eyes.

Expand full comment
lucrezia's avatar

What is a "narrative matrix?"

Expand full comment
Rick Merlotti's avatar

Simplest answer is "What the powers that be want you to think is reality." They do this primarily thru the media - TeeVee, commercials, the internet, movies, magazines, etc. They set up a construct, especially I think, thru TeeVee commercials that teach us what the good life is, or should be. For instance I noticed that almost immediately following the George Floyd tragedy, is if they had them all cued up, there rapidly appeared ads with lots of interracial couples, lots of rich or middle class black folk or indeterminate people of color. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but the ratios are way skewed. Like suddenly blacks make up 40% of the US population. It's probably just virtue-signaling on the part of "Madison Avenue" but I can't help but notice it whenever I watch. It is subtle until you notice it. Then, it's like they are hitting you over the head with propaganda on the "reality of America".

Expand full comment
lucrezia's avatar

It's called capitalism and there's nothing subtle about capitalism.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment removed
May 7, 2022
Comment removed
Expand full comment
lucrezia's avatar

Ouch. Sounds worse than leprosy (Hansen’s Disease), the bacterial scourge of yore that’s still with us yet quite manageable with timely and proper medical interventions. No need, in other words, to wander about the streets chumming for stale bagels and spare change, all the while exposing oneself to taunts of “unclean...unclean.”

In any event, that’s my opinion. First thing we do, let’s kill all the middle managers?

Expand full comment
Trollificus's avatar

"Racism" and "violent oppression of political opposition" are in no way exclusively associated with Fascism. Matter of fact, a LOT of societies throughout history have exhibited those traits.

Of course, back in the day "political opposition" was synonymous with violence anyway.

Expand full comment
ErrorError