How is the term Fascism used in current U.S. political context?

Question

Recent Italian political election brought to power three political parties which are generally referred to as “the Right”. The bigger party (headed by current PM Giorgia Meloni) is actually the one that stands to the right of the other two allied parties, and it is often referred to as “fascisti” by current opponent parties. Now the term “Fascismo” has deep and dramatic implications in Italian history and it is often used as a term of “offense” to refer to the far right parties, including the Giorgia Meloni’s one.

My question is:

Are the term, fascism, fascist and the like used in contemporary American political debate? If so with what sort of connotations are these term used?

Answer 1

The term is used both politically and descriptively. When it is used politically, it is done to stigmatize someone. Effectively, it's an insult that people believe to be appropriate.

A good comparison would be the word "pedophile." It is also a word which can be used descriptively and which can be used as an insult towards those who don't fit the precise definition of the word.

The stigmatizing sense of the word, of course, works because the people who do fit the description tend to be remembered with disgust. So the words are effective at expressing the notion of disgust.

The logical question is what is the "descriptive" use of the word "fascist"?

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Well, it was coined by Mussolini, so describing what Mussolini meant by it is a good start. It's main components are

• nationalism
• irredentism (desire to restore, usually by military mean, territory lost in conflicts which have since been settled) and expansionism
• corporotism that goes beyond merely a state protecting corporate interests, but goes as far merging of corporate and public functions
• racism as state policy, not necessarily of suppression, but as a social pecking order; not necessarily outright antisemitism (by many accounts Mussolini was not antisemitic and was generally reluctant to oblige Hitler's demands for participation in the Holocaust activities)
• totalitarianism
• opposition to classical liberalism with the view on it as a hyper-individualism which must be suppressed for the benefit of the abstract state

Also while it hasn't been described as an essential part of the Fascist doctrine, another element which is traditionally present in Fascist states is multiple competing security forces which ensure loyalty through extra-legal repressions.

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For example, I've argued in a different answer on this site that the social order in the modern Russian Federation is best described as "Classical Fascism."

I was recently surprised to see that Timothy Snyder, a Yale history professor, who researches Eastern Europe, has written the following:

if Russia today is not a fascist regime, it is really difficult to know what regime would be fascist. It is more clearly fascist than Mussolini's Italy, which invented the term.

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And while you can mis-attribute my opinion to the ease with which anonymous internet accounts use foul language, the same cavalier attitude is generally not observed among the Ivy League professors.

Answer 2

soviet-union

In Soviet literature, 'fascism' was the word to name the fighter of Nazi Germany, regardless of the rank. It has been used this way in breadth and width, from school textbooks till patriotic songs. It seldom appeared in other contexts over that time.

I recall seeing 'Nazism' much less often, even it was mostly seen as a synonym without obvious differences.

Answer 3

In American politics "Fascist" is a term of abuse usually directed against parties of the right when they adopt "illiberal" or "authoritarian" positions, by supporters of the left. Occasionally used by right wing libertarians against parties of the left.

Consider this article in the New Yorker. Note that it uses the term "f-word", suggesting that the word "fascist" is an insult (compare "n-word" or "c-word")

Answer 4

The term Fascism has transformed over the years.

Originally it was used when referring to extreme left totalitarins:

• Stalin (Social-Democratic party)
• Mussolini (Socialist)
• Mao Zedong (Communist)

Now it is used by people on the left to refer to the far-right. Also the far-right uses it to refer to the far-left.

Over the years the term has changed its definition to match Hitler/Nazi's. For example, Hitler exterminated homosexuals so 'fascism' definition broadened to include hate crimes.

Today people not only use it to describe people who are homophobic they extend it's usage to include people who don't support same sex marriage and a range of other social progressive issues. More recently this adaption of the term fascist has been used by some progressives to refer to anyone on far-right of politics.

Strictly speaking "left/progressive" fascist are referred to as Red fascism however I do not hear that term used colloquially.

Generally speaking, the original meaning of the term has been lost and people use it to refer to anyone that strongly disagrees with their political/social views.

This video shows 10 traits of fascism

As mentioned in the video

• 2:38 Propaganda
• 3:15 Anti-intellectuals
• 4:42 Hierarchy
• 5:23 Victimhood

According to the above definition the term could be applied to a range of people / political ideologies.

Post-WW2 Anti-Fascist Educational Film' also shows a good definition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K6-cEAJZlE

Finally the below video shows extreme left also meet this definition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgFyP_EGrUw

Answer 5

George Orwell, in an article "What is Facism?" suggested that the term, because of its wide use as an insult, has become "almost entirely meaningless".

I expect that is true today.

This is because the term was historically used for two pathological regimes - Nazi Italy and Mussolini's Italy. In this sense the term is very particular. However, because of everyone knows that these two regimes, without question, were evil, it's easy to turn the term into an insult for any other party or regime who bears only the faintest resemblence to them. And this is what has happened.

US fascism, as the philosopher Bertrand Russell termed it, was not directed towards their own people, but to Vietnam. After the second world war, with the European based colonial order crumbling, the USA saw itself as the power to step into the boots once worn by Europe and kick down any brown natives who dared to think that they could take advantage of the in-fighting between the European powers, and make a bid for freedom. This they did in Vietnam with great ferocity and as Bertrand Russell said, with nothing to distinguish them from the Nazi's.