The Fascist Buzzword

[EmperorBatman999]

In recent media depictions of politics, I have increasingly seen the term "Fascist" applied liberally to politicians, political parties, or political platforms in both the European and American contexts. It seems that the word has become almost ubiquitous with right-wing political thought. Whether it is Austria's Norbert Hofer (who lost the election just today) or America's Donald Trump, men such as these always seem to be stamped with the giant label "Fascist" by leftists in order to sway people away. Nobody in this day and age in the Western World would ever want to be associated with "fascism." It seems to be the popular go-to term for modern liberals on the street (and on the web) that want to label things this way without possessing any considerable knowledge or expertise in history or politics.

Often the term "fascist" is applied now to a wide variety of long-seated conservative philosophies, such as protectionist stances on immigration. It seems that opposing immigration or "multiculturalism" must equate to having a racial or religious dislike of foreigners and a notion of superiority over immigrant peoples, or at least that is what the modern leftist might say.

But are these views of calling right-wingers "fascists" justified? Does it even make sense? Or is it used as a vague label to discredit somebody because you disagree with them but don't quite know how to argue with them?

I think this new fashion of calling conservative politicians "Fascist" has gone completely out of control. I fear that it will corrupt the true historic meaning of Fascist and make us unaware of what true fascism is. I fear also that calling people fascists every day will make the term habitual, comfortable, common, and so we will forget about the true evils of fascism.

[Dromikaites]

The irony is most people who use the term have no clue what the Fascists actually stood for. Most of the time they imagine the Fascists = Nazis - racial supremacy.

[BatGoat]

It's the party trick of Liberals whenever they are engaged in a "debate" and are being met with logic. They bring out the -isms in accordance to the topic they are waxing lyrical about. Sexism, racism, Fascism. Then there's the old stand by of being a bigot. Then there are the phobias: Islamophobia, homophobia, transgenderphobia.

A little collection of keywords to throw at people. Labels. Not for the sake of anything but to denigrate whoever they are "debating."

[Caligula's_Horse]

This isn't exactly new. Fascist has been a stand-in for "that right wing leaning thing I don't like" since around WWII, just as communist has been a stand-in for "that left wing leaning thing I don't like" since the cold war (though in recent years its been replaced by "social justice warrior" apparently; I think there was something of a confused limbo on left-wing derogatory terms between the fall of the Berlin wall and the internet coming along).

Unreasonable comparative labels have always been a staple of political "debate", though actually calling it a debate is usually giving it too much credit once enough people or the wrong people get involved. There just aren't that many people with the right combination of information, intelligence, and the good nature to actually go about political debates like civilized men; labels shouted with great confidence and minimal relevance help get around this barrier to entry, thus making political debate more inclusive... to the types of people you'd rather not include.

[bigdaddy1204]

That's exactly it. It seems a lot of people find it much easier to just slap a dehumanising label on someone rather than attempt to understand a different point of view. I remember a few months ago, one poster responded to me by calling me an "ist".

This was funny, because in the context, the debate was mainly between two other posters. I had hardly said anything, and it was far too early to deduce what my stance even was on the issue. This guy just basically threw a label at me without even knowing what I actually thought.

Generally doesn't happen to me much, but I thought it deserved an honourable mention.

As for fascism, I think anything that is perceived as authoritarian, heavy-handed, and generally "dickish" is described as "fascist". I think it does have some meaning still - it refers to the kind of narrow-minded, unpleasant, selfish, ignorant and belligerent people that agree with newspapers like the Daily Mail. It also refers to government ministers that apply policies that show no respect for human rights, or environmental issues.

The whole question of terminology is interesting, because it raises a point about the language we choose to describe things, and how that influences what we think about them.

[snuggans]

Often the term "fascist" is applied now to a wide variety of long-seated conservative philosophies, such as protectionist stances on immigration.

now wait just a minute, Donald Trump did not get on a podium and shyly mutter "we're going to be having a protectionist stance on immigration", he quite literally wants to ban a religion (at least until we "figure out what the hell is going on", but he apparently already knows that the problem is "ISLAMIC TERRORISM" but he still needs to figure out "what the hell is going on" wink wink), he quite literally wants to kill suspects's families, and you think we're not going to be seeing convoys of DHS and ICE vehicles everywhere trying to find, arrest and deport 12 million people across the country? religious tests for immigrants?

these aren't simply "conservative philosophies", this is bonafide fascism, if not this, then what's true fascism? he has to take it to Hitler's level to be considered true fascism?

But are these views of calling right-wingers "fascists" justified? Does it even make sense? Or is it used as a vague label to discredit somebody because you disagree with them but don't quite know how to argue with them?

you set a very beneficial assumption for your thread, that people think calling right-winger fascists is justified. no, no.. Donald Trump (or at least the persona he's running as at the moment) is a fascist, not all right wingers. National Front is fascist, British National Party is fascist. the Republican's Tea Party section can be very very fascist

It seems that opposing immigration or "multiculturalism" must equate to having a racial or religious dislike of foreigners and a notion of superiority over immigrant peoples, or at least that is what the modern leftist might say.

doesn't apply to every single person, border control is very sensible to have for any nation, but people do have to come to terms with there being an underlying racial superiority aspect that comes with opposing things like immigration, multiculturalism, race-mixing, multilingualism. the term 'silent majority' is interesting to note here, because while Trump's followers use it to indicate that they are merely inactive voters becoming active again, i view the term 'silent majority' as the silent, latent racism that hides behind media-friendly neutral phrases like "he says what im thinking, he says it like it is"

[Sir Adrian]

Snuggans, no offense but you have no clue what fascism is and what trump is gonna do. This is all just speculation and soviet-talk.

[justicar5]

In recent media depictions of politics, I have increasingly seen the term "Fascist" applied liberally to politicians, political parties, or political platforms in both the European and American contexts. It seems that the word has become almost ubiquitous with right-wing political thought. Whether it is Austria's Norbert Hofer (who lost the election just today) or America's Donald Trump, men such as these always seem to be stamped with the giant label "Fascist" by leftists in order to sway people away. Nobody in this day and age in the Western World would ever want to be associated with "fascism." It seems to be the popular go-to term for modern liberals on the street (and on the web) that want to label things this way without possessing any considerable knowledge or expertise in history or politics.

Often the term "fascist" is applied now to a wide variety of long-seated conservative philosophies, such as protectionist stances on immigration. It seems that opposing immigration or "multiculturalism" must equate to having a racial or religious dislike of foreigners and a notion of superiority over immigrant peoples, or at least that is what the modern leftist might say.

But are these views of calling right-wingers "fascists" justified? Does it even make sense? Or is it used as a vague label to discredit somebody because you disagree with them but don't quite know how to argue with them?

I think this new fashion of calling conservative politicians "Fascist" has gone completely out of control. I fear that it will corrupt the true historic meaning of Fascist and make us unaware of what true fascism is. I fear also that calling people fascists every day will make the term habitual, comfortable, common, and so we will forget about the true evils of fascism.

When you hit the same authoritarian, european supremacist free market for approved businesses stance as Mussolini, yes. yes it is fair. Trump has for instance.

[Mangalore]

The funny bit is that it is probably closer to the truth than the past 70 years when socialdemocrats and conservatives threw "Nazi" and "Socialist" at each other as an "I win" move because those new movements and parties lack a lot of basic democratic comprehension and show clear authoritarian trends. Sure, that's still not what a fascist is but it is closer to what a fascist is than what an actual conservative of the post ww2 era ever was (actual ex Nazis / fascists hiding among them after ww2 went sour being the exception, of course).

That's not to say that namecalling isn't a worthless behavior in any debate. Calling someone "Nazi", "Fascist", "SJW" or "Communist" just proves you have no actual point to make because if you could point to anything fascist/communist of someone's agenda you would not to call them that because it would be clear to see.

I however see it people of any political coleur using that tactic so I don't see people being called "fascist" have a point to whine about it since they call everyone disagreeing with them with similar labels: "do gooders", "traitors", "liars", "vermin".

Stay classy everyone

[Garbarsardar]

I have increasingly seen the term "Fascist" applied liberally to politicians

by leftists

It's the party trick of Liberals

This is all just [...] soviet-talk.

Or is it used as a vague label to discredit somebody because you disagree with them but don't quite know how to argue with them?

Good question.

[Earl Dibbles Jr]

The left using fascist to describe anyone they disagree with is as absurd as the right using communist to describe anyone they disagree with.

[fkizz]

Well just see my signature. It's decades old tactic of the left.

[Knight of Heaven]

Well just see my signature. It's decades old tactic of the left.

It goes both ways my friend.

It is not uncomon historicaly for the right to do the exact same, about the left. To named it Comunist, or just soviet talk for things they dont agree, or nor even care to understand.
In fact there is a good fraction of american electorate, that would name European social democracy, socialist marxist, or Comunist like...

Not to mention if we take the study of anthropology into account, you will find, There is a tendency of Comportamental behavior in people to generalise, and oversimplify things. Not just on politics, but socialy too.

Things such as this, intelectualy speaking, are not worth much, meaning, we should take these general views, or brands into the proper contexts, specialy on the rethoric. Very rarely in life generalizations actualy relate to reality, or individual experience.

Its not like this things are ever black and white ever.

But that is just my opinion.

[sumskilz]

Well just see my signature. It's decades old tactic of the left.

This is my favorite part of that Orwell essay (for context it was written in 1944):

War resisters usually base their case on the claim that British imperialism is worse than Nazism, and tend to apply the term ‘Fascist’ to anyone who wishes for a military victory. The supporters of the People's Convention came near to claiming that willingness to resist a Nazi invasion was a sign of Fascist sympathies. The Home Guard was denounced as a Fascist organization as soon as it appeared.

There have been a few threads here recently that have proceeded from the same premise.

[Garbarsardar]

The topic of the thread is the use of the term "fascist" by certain people as a means to besmirch their opponents. Please stay on topic.

[fkizz]

This is my favorite part of that Orwell essay (for context it was written in 1944):

There have been a few threads here recently that have proceeded from the same premise.

Lack of creativity on the part of the left to criticize its opponents. Overton wing has been in left favour for very long, they got used to reaping fruits without labour.
Anyone who disagrees with this is a Fascist of course.

But most people don't know what Fascism is from an architectural point of view. They just think it's a simple formula of fascism = state+badthing. Others just badthing=fascism.
But to explain or learn further on "fascism" blueprints makes one a Fascist or neo-reactionary.

The insult value has been suffering from very high inflation for a long time now. Soon it will mean very little or be ambiguous.

[Dromikaites]

Interestingly almost all those ideas from the Fascist program are currently practiced by most of the EU countries.

The only thing left out, which the Fascists themselves left out, is corporatism. (Note: those who think corporatism is something about big corporations need to look the term up ).

I wonder how a corporatist party would fare today in the Western world.

[Diocle]

Now, let's see if I succeed in writing just a single post on this thread.

Norbert Hofer (who lost the election just today) or America's Donald Trump, men such as these always seem to be stamped with the giant label "Fascist" by leftists in order to sway people away.

So, we have established that the OP of this thread identifies the "leftist" scum as the main "abusers" of the adjective "Fascist", using it like some sort of improper weapon against their political adversaries.

It seems to be the popular go-to term for modern liberals on the street (and on the web) that want to label things this way without possessing any considerable knowledge or expertise in history or politics.

It looks like EmperorBatman999 is trying to suggest us the causes behind such behavior, he in fact identifies them as: lack of "any considerable knowledge or expertise in history or politics", that is, EmperorBatman999 seems suggesting us that the "leftist" scum, using the adjective "Fascist" against people not sharing their opinions about world and society, do this because of their "lack of knowledge or expertise in history or politics", I agree with him of course, I don't know you, but even in the case you disagree with him, this is his own personal opinion and we must respect it.
At this point I add my own opinion about who are these "leftist" scum using the adjective "Fascist" against ..

a wide variety of long-seated conservative philosophies, such as protectionist stances on immigration. It seems that opposing immigration or "multiculturalism" must equate to having a racial or religious dislike of foreigners and a notion of superiority over immigrant peoples, or at least that is what the modern leftist might say.

In my opinion the "abusers" of the adjective "Fascist" belong to the infamous family of Socialism (which is the same political family from which the Fascism itself came in 1919, of course), that is, the "leftists" in the OP can be easily identified with the European Socialists, Social Democrats and their allies, or minions, I say this because actually, at least in Europe, there isn't anything else on that political side and because I can quote tons statements by Socialist and Social democratic affiliates, using the adjective "Fascist" to identify those who they consider not just their political opponents, but their absolute political and human enemies, or better, the true enemies of mankind.
Now, I think it should be worth deepening the political analysis of the OP, asking ourselves why the international Left, and in particular the Socialists, are accustomed to use the adjective "Fascist" against their adversaries. I think it's for the reasons suggested in the OP, by EmperorBatman:

the lack of any considerable knowledge or expertise in history or politics.

.. and for another reason, more strictly connected with the Leftist cultural mindset, grown on the platform of values of the modern Socialism, as developed after the First and Second Internationale, that is, the Stalinist conception of the class enemy identified with the Nazi-Fascism, Stalin in fact used the Patrioctic War, as he called WW2, to exploit the weakness of the Western Democracies which needed his help to defeat the Axis powers, so, he decided to replace the calss enemy, identified by Marx with the national bourgeoisies, with the useful and encompassing concept of "Fascism" or "Fascists", so, the USA became Fascists, Israeli was a Fascist state, the British Monarchy was a Fascist Regime, all the Western political parties, not sharing the Stalinist ideology, were just "Fascists", or "Fascist creations". Sadly this political origin of the international left is the primary cause of such mis-use and such ab-use of the adjective "Fascist". EmperorBatman999 closes the OP leaving us a disturbing forecasting and fear about the future (and I fully agree with him) and let me say, about the Left and actually about the modern Socialist political culture:

I think this new fashion of calling conservative politicians "Fascist" has gone completely out of control. I fear that it will corrupt the true historic meaning of Fascist and make us unaware of what true fascism is. I fear also that calling people fascists every day will make the term habitual, comfortable, common, and so we will forget about the true evils of fascism.

How can we fight against this dangerous tendency of the modern Left? I find the answer again in the words of EmperorBatman, yes because if it's the "lack of knowledge or expertise in history or politics" causing the abuse, wouldn't it be useful quoting and studying the real political program of the Fascism, to avoid the abuse of its name by an international Left, without, ideas, programs and values?
At least, knowing what actually was written in the Program of The Fascist Party of 1919, could meet the lack of "any considerable knowledge or expertise in history", to quote once again the beautiful definition by EmperorBatman999, of so many leftist abusers of the adjective "Fascist", am I wrong?