"Scholars disagree over how to define the basic elements of fascism. Marxist historians and political scientists (that is, those who base their approach on the writings of German political theorist Karl Marx) view fascism as a form of politics that is cynically adopted by governments to support capitalism and to prevent a socialist revolution. These scholars have applied the label of fascism to many authoritarian regimes that came to power between World War I and World War II, such as those in Portugal, Austria, Poland, and Japan. Marxist scholars also label as fascist some authoritarian governments that emerged after World War II, including regimes in Argentina, Chile, Greece, and South Africa.
Some non-Marxist scholars have dismissed fascism as a form of authoritarianism that is reactionary, responding to political and social developments but without any objective beyond the exercise of power. Some of these scholars view fascism as a crude, barbaric form of nihilism, asserting that it lacks any coherent ideals or ideology. Many other historians and political scientists agree that fascism has a set of basic traits—a fascist minimum—but tend to disagree over what to include in the definition. Scholars disagree, for example, over issues such as whether the concept of fascism includes Nazi Germany and the Vichy regime (the French government set up in southern France in 1940 after the Nazis had occupied the rest of the
country)" (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002).
"Fascism, modern political ideology that seeks to regenerate the social, economic, and cultural life of a country by basing it on a heightened sense of national belonging or ethnic identity. Fascism rejects liberal ideas such as freedom and individual rights, and often presses for the destruction of elections, legislatures, and other elements of democracy. Despite the idealistic goals of fascism, attempts to build fascist societies have led to wars and persecutions that caused millions of deaths. As a result, fascism is strongly associated with right-wing fanaticism, racism, totalitarianism, and
violence" (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002).
Some selected features of fascism:
"[1] A fascist movement almost always asserts that the nation faces a profound crisis...
[2] The ultranationalism and ethnocentrism of fascist ideologies makes all of them racist. Some forms of fascism are also anti-Semitic (hostile to Jews) or xenophobic (fearful of foreign people)...
[3] Some movements blend elite paramilitary organizations (military groups staffed by civilians)...
[4] Another feature of fascism is the use of quasi-religious rituals, spectacular rallies, and the mass media to generate mass support".
(Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002)
Question: Do we encounter these features in contemporary North America?
Authoritative
versus Authoritarian
“If coercion cannot be backed up by
legitimating rules, the role is seen as authoritarian. The distinction between
authoritarian and authoritative authority concepts can be located in Weber
(1946) and Adorno et al (1950). However, Adorno misconstrued the construct
because he located authoritarianism in a fascistic population, rather than
understanding that authoritarianism is something that emerges from the
evaluation of powerful social operatives. Indeed, Adorno partly was responsible
for the fact that "perhaps the most widely disseminated and accepted
description of national character among both social scientists and laymen was
the "authoritarian personality" of the German people..."(House,
1981: 532), yet Adorno's empirical construction of the F-scale is not based on
empirical data from Germans. We have to understand that role identities that
receive legitimation in one culture do not necessarily get legitimized in
another culture or in the same culture at a different point in time. Nazi
leaders might have been seen as legitimized and, therefore authoritative in the
time of their rule (Mosse, 1966). After the breakdown of the Third Reich, they
were devaluated and appeared as authoritarian identities. If devaluation is
carried still further, to the point of stigma, then a powerful role turns
threatening, as with "gangsters" and "mafiosi" (Schneider
forthcoming).
The
Authoritarian Personality
(Adorno et al.,1950)
·
submissive
to superiors
·
dismissive
to inferiors
·
conform
rigidly
·
intolerant
in their religious and sexual attitudes
·
disciplinarian
parents
·
anxieties
that are controlled by using a rigid outlook
·
inability
to cope with ambiguous situations
·
ignoring inconsistencies
and use of stereotypes
Disclaimer: The documents linked to other sources on the WWW, others than http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/Schneider2/ and its subdirectories, do not necessarily express the views of Texas Tech University or Dr. Andreas Schneider. @Copyright 2003 Andreas Schneider