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[Name removed]

[Walleye]

1. We are prone to magical thinking, you know clap your hands and wish real hard and it'll happen

[NCIndie]

2. If you watch Jordan Klepper's pieces at Trump rallies, you know that...

... Trump's supporters believe anything that is consistent with their preconceived notions. Even after getting ripped off, they are convinced the fault belongs elsewhere.

[ITAL]

3. Or just this

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” ― H.L. Mencken

[Voltaire2]

4. The resurgence of fascism is a global phenomena.

Trump is just riding the wave. A better question is why is fascism resurgent?

[redqueen]

7. I liked this guy's take

Emphasis mine

(snip)

William Reich was among the first to consider the inherent conditions in society as the basis for the growth of fascism. His central insight was that widespread support for fascist movements arose from the “mass psychology of fascism.” This innate tendency which inclines people towards an authoritarian ideology came from the authoritarian and patriarchal roots of a society, he argued.

Reich’s pioneering study was first published in 1933, when the Nazi regime had just acquired state power in Germany. The revised edition, published in 1942, amplified his point with a greater understanding of the Nazi regime.

“Fascist mentality is the mentality of the subjugated “little man” who craves authority and rebels against it at the same time. It is not an accident that all fascist dictators stem from the milieu of the little reactionary man.” (Reich 1942: 11)

[Honour and duty] while important to their moral compass were not necessarily required in actual practice.
The social milieu he described was that of a class of petty traders, independent craftsmen, and the petty bourgeoisie in Germany in the aftermath of the First World War. This class had come of age in an authoritarian monarchy which was conservative and intensely patriarchal.

(More at link)

https://www.theindiaforum.in/society/why-fascism-rise-world-over

[Voltaire2]

9. Reich was part of the intellectual circle around the frankfurt institute for social research

They are a remarkable group of people, Theodore Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse, Max Horkheimer, Eric Fromm, the list goes on and the institute continues to this day. Their focus was on the problem of fascism and the failures of classical marxist theory to predict the evolution of 'late stage capitalism' or whatever one wants to call the global system that emerged after WW1 and WW2.

Two years ago I asked myself 'what is critical theory and why are the fascists so upset about it?'. Two years, and about 10 very difficult books later I am just beginning my attempt to answer that question. Reich is on the list.

[harumph]

15. Yes and no.

Many of the petty bourgeoisie post WWI were Jewish as well with no authoritarian tendencies.

[Voltaire2]

21. 'Many' is an overstatement.

Jews in Germany were a very small minority. Also the German Jewish middle class was not opposed to authoritarian regimes- they were fine with the Kaiser, and until the Nazis rose to power thought they were Germans first and Jewish second.

[leftstreet]

18. Fascism is filling a void n/t

[Voltaire2]

19. And Lacan enters the dialogue.

[leftstreet]

20. LOL

That made me laugh!

But seriously if Free Market Fantasy had its own Bible, it'd be used at every swear-in ceremony

[Celerity]

30. Fascism, a new perfume

https://www.thelacanianreviews.com/fascism-a-new-perfume/

April 3rd, 2019

Election Ad: Fascism By Ayelet Shaked

We are close to the new parliamentary elections in Israel. Among the new political parties there is the NEW RIGHT party, led by Ayelet Shaked, the current minister of Justice, and Nafthaly Benet, currently the minister of education.', It was very surprising to see this new party’s “fantastic” propaganda clip, which presents a new type of connection between politics and capitalism.

Link to tweet

At a conference in Milan in 1972, Lacan spoked about a “fifth discourse” based on that of the master, in fact substituting for the master discourse. This change is produced by a small inversion between the element situated in the master discourse in the position of agent and the other element situated at the place of the truth. In other words, an inversion between the master signifier and the divided subject. Lacan said about this discourse that it is “follement astucieux” [‘madly’ or ‘devilishly’ astute]. He says : « Ça marche comme sur des roulettes, ça ne peut pas marcher mieux, mais justement ça marche trop vite, ça se consomme, ça se consomme si bien que ça se consume. [“It runs like clockwork, it couldn’t go better, but it just goes too fast, it is consumed, it is consumed so well that it consumes itself”].

The propaganda clip that takes the form of an ad responds to this description, it offers something to consume – the perfume, the fragrance. Ayelet Shaked appears as a model or an actress advertising a new perfume called “Fascism”. Interesting and alarming. The little video, only 44 seconds long, shot in black and white to reinforce the visual impact, presents the characteristics of this perfume. While Shaked is grooming herself and moving through an esthetic space, a woman-narrator’s whispering voice in the background recites one by one the phrases: “judicial revolution”, “reduction of activism”, “appointment of judges”, governance, “separating of authorities”, and “restraint of the Supreme Court of Justice”.

Finally, as Shaked spritzes herself with the perfume, she says in her irritating and uncolored voice, “To me, it smells like democracy”. Fascism as Democracy, which leads to an inversion – what the so called “left-wing” regards as signs of fascism, is presented here as real democracy. This ad imposes subliminally a master discourse which tries to hypnotize by the esthetic image and cover the atrocity under the pretense of freedom of speech. Politics here uses ideas from capitalistic discourse, especially in order to encourage consumption, thereby reinforcing the addictive power at the place of a symbolic identification with an Ideal. Lacan teaches us about the ascension of the little object a to the social zenith. Indeed, it is the object which determines the subject and his will: the magnificent perfume “Fascism” as the supreme social value. This clip introduces a powerful way of resisting the other, creating a new product in the market of ideas, a fragrance, smelling only of segregation. It is a condensate of explosive Hate, which can lead to the worst.

[John Shaft]

5. Because racism is the bedrock foundation of the United States

I reckon. Same as it ever was.

[Funtatlaguy]

6. Most People aren't smart. I'm sorry. They're just not.

[inthewind21]

25. And/Or

Just to lazy to think for themselves and look to the media to tell them what to do and think. When I'm having a political discussion and the person I am talking to says "do they think we're stupid" my response is ALWAYS YES, they don't think it, they KNOW it. And their counting on it!

[CanonRay]

8. I cannot name a more gullible group of people than Evangelical Christians

and they are most of his base. They've spent their whole lives being bullshitted.

[redqueen]

10. This is not a uniquely American phenomenon

Fascism and authoritarianism is comforting for ignorant, patriarchal, powerless people.

[Beatlelvr]

11. And, by the way

We aren't teaching basic Civics in school anymore! Like cursive writing, it has been removed from the curriculum across the country.
Ridiculous.

[Cosmocat]

24. Civics are taught in the vast majority of schools

even more so than what I was in school many decades ago.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

27. This is a lie, and one that's long been debunked

40 States require at least a semester of civics to graduate.

Of those that don't, many of them have a requirement to teach civics as part of a social-studies curriculum.

https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/state-laws-standards-and-requirements-k-12-civics

It's always best to check the veracity of all claims, no matter where you got them from.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. I Sub In 20 Schools

Of course they're all in one state, but EVERY one of them has 8th graders learning civics, government, the Constitution, and so on.
There's a test the kids have to take.
Obviously, we're one of the 40 states you mentioned.
The "we don't teach civics anymore" is the myth that won't die.

[inthewind21]

37. Classic

example of people taking as fact based merely on what they heard.

[Happy Hoosier]

12. Read Rachel Maddow's "Prequel"

Americans have long been vulnerable to conmen pedaling hate.

[Simeon Salus]

13. Never underestimate the number of stupid people who surround you

Way more than most would be willing to admit. Most are mere consumers of culture.

[Yavin4]

14. People are not self aware of their own biases and prejudices.

Look at Vivek Ramaswamy. Look at how he made his fortune. He became what wealthy people think of when they think of a smart person. Well educated at the most expensive, exclusive schools. Speaks well, etc. He played on their biases. Even though the data didn't support his claim of a miracle drug, that didn't matter.

[harumph]

17. fixed it

"He became what wealthy stupid people think of when they think of a smart person."

[617Blue]

16. Economic Anxiety silly!!! LOL.

[leftstreet]

22. It didn't take many people to put Trump in office

Almost half the eligible voters in the US don't vote

Of those who did, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote

But a bizarre electoral system meant a handful of people in a handful of states gave us Trump

Doesn't say much about how most Americans think

[uponit7771]

23. Source isolation, just like in Russia

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

26. Because they're stupid

This has been another edition of Simple Answers to Simple Questions.

[underpants]

28. Don't discount consumerism here

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements to get money out of our pockets or, specific to the MAGA crowd, adopt a lifestyle even an identity. That’s the key with MAGA, they are so far in that any reversal would be an acknowledgment of their stupidity.

[MOMFUDSKI]

29. He had them at

brown-skinned people were bad to the bone. That is their religion. He said it out loud to give them the freedom to say it out loud. He hit my previous friend’s racism right in the sweet spot.

[Dulcinea]

31. This quote says it all:

“Yeah,” I said, “I heard the speech. But they don’t give a damn about that. Hell, make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em think you’re their weak erring pal, or make ‘em think you’re God-Almighty. Or make ‘em mad. Even mad at you. Just stir ‘em up, it doesn’t matter how or why, and they’ll love you and come back for more. Pinch ‘em in the soft place. They aren’t alive, most of ‘em, and haven’t been alive in twenty years. Hell, their wives have lost their teeth and their shape, and likker won’t set on their stomachs, and they don’t believe in god, so it’s up to you to give ‘em something to stir ‘em up and make ‘em feel alive again. Just for half an hour. That’s what they come for. Tell ‘em anything. But for Sweet Jesus’ sake don’t try to improve their minds.”

--Robert Penn Warren, "All the King's Men"

[Marcuse]

32. The American culture warmonger scam defies parody.

?si=aKgInjHoE75bRKji

[Cuthbert Allgood]

33. George Carlin said it best

[yonder]

34. For the same reasons they consider a velvet Elvis as art, McDonalds as food, The Bachelor as entertainment and

an F350 4x4 necessary for routine errands or the occasional camping/fishing trip.

We are all victims of mass media manipulation and not enough of us have the critical thinking skills to suss out the differences between leading, following, wants, needs or actually realizing that because of coordinated media suggestion, those differences even exist.

[BannonsLiver]

36. Because we're a nation of morons

Go back and watch man on the street interviews from the 80s vs now. Easy to find on YouTube. I watched an old clip of the premiere of Return of the Jedi from 1982 or 1983. I was blown away at how differently people spoke. Today people can barely speak in complete sentences. It was jarring to watch.

[dickthegrouch]

38. Rupert Murdoch

And the press aided and abetted him.

The entire absence of personal integrity of anyone in the current GOP, and majority of SCROTUS, added fuel to the flames.