An optimistic take on fascism?

[GliderGuider]

These excerpts are from a Canadian blog. The author quotes French historian Roger Bourderon on the nature of fascist beliefs. Bourderon's premise is that in order to appeal to as broad a spectrum as possible, modern fascist movements (at least the Spanish, Italian and German versions he examined) steal their platforms from across the political spectrum.

From traditional right and extreme right parties they adopt appeals to "traditional values", authority, nationalism, militarism and appeals to church centered "compassionate conservatism". From the center of the spectrum they take the defense of private property. special appeals to small and business, and the importance of education for upward social mobility. From the progressive end of the spectrum they take the exaltation of work and workers, the denunciation of monopolies and profiteers, and populist appeals to the "little people".

Fascism and optimism

Things get really interesting when you start to dig below the surface of the "harlequin's suit" motley of fascist movement party platforms. What positive program do fascists propose, for example? That is what are they trying to DO, what are their GOALS, what is their AGENDA (real or feigned)?

Bourderon's convincing but surprising conclusion: nothing! There is at the heart, the core, of fascism and reactionary thinking a deep void, a vacuum, a nullity but this nullity is filled with hate and paranoid fear. (One can't help but be reminded of Neitzsche's puzzling but - apparently! - prophetic insight that the core of modernity was nihilistic "life-slander" combined with a toxic "psychology of resentment". It appears that reactionary / fascist thinking is not directed toward any positive goal but only against something.

But what? "Marxism" (AKA "socialism", "social democracy", "liberal democracy", "liberalism") and "internationalism" (AKA "One-Worldism"). The goal of fascist populism ideology is to find - or fabricate, if need be - hot button connections between "instinctive" mob behaviors and trigger words indicating targetted ethnic or social groups, political orientations, etc. Logical thought and serious critical analysis are to be avoided to the degree this is possible. Thus rabid anti-intellectualism is cultivated as a public - if not "patriotic" - virtue: liberal college professors were denounced as "pinkos" (half-Reds) and "pinheads" (intellectually defective) by the extremist John Birch Society in the US during the infamous McCarthyite "anti-communist witchunts" of the 1950s and early 60s.

Now, it is this very nullity of purpose at the heart of reactionary / fascist thinking that gives me room for a bit of hope.

1- the fact that they can propose nothing positive to the "Left agenda" is itself heartening. (It suggests there might not be any other serious game in town.)
2- the very intensity of their paranoia and vitriolic attacks tends to suggest that, down deep, they too intuitively understand that their horse is dead, that the race is likely over.