Fascism doesn't arrive in fancy dress...

[Batmanisaplaceinturkey]

"I sometimes fear that
people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress
worn by grotesques and monsters
as played out in endless re-runs of the Nazis.

Fascism arrives as your friend.
It will restore your honour,
make you feel proud,
protect your house,
give you a job,
clean up the neighbourhood,
remind you of how great you once were,
clear out the venal and the corrupt,
remove anything you feel is unlike you...

It doesn't walk in saying,
"Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution."

By Michael Rosen

michaelrosenblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/fascism-i-sometimes-fear.html?m=1

@JoyousGreyOrca that's a pretty big assumption and I don't think it stands, I can think of a fair few posters on here who talk about campaigning and followed by women's rights

Then they would have understood all activists in any campaign challenging the government get attacked and threatened.

What is it you are actually defining as fascism? And as far as Tony Bliar is concerned, both him and his self serving parasitic wife can get in the sea.

@ARealitycheck what are you defining as lefty?

S9ome dictionary definitions of fascism.

a political system based on a very powerful leader, state control, and being extremely proud of country and race, and in which political opposition is not allowed

Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/ FASH-iz-əm) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement,[1][2][3] characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.

Using that description I cannot see where the term fascist can be used towards either the UK or US political parties.

Nationalism and pride for ones Country isn't a bad thing, and we should quite rightly be doing what is right for our own population.

As for calling anyone a lefty, I have never made that statement. I have spoke of left or right leaning politics as well as centric.

@ARealitycheck You can't see how Trump and Musk are fascists?

Given they are in a Country with a parliament system semi similar to us, which requires fellow politicians voting, and approval from an upper and lower house. No they are not fascists, just flipping idiots.

Do you understand that fascists work to undermine democracy and destroy these structures?
Trump is issuing a massive amount of Executive Orders to bypass both Houses. A new agency was created by Trump without the Houses approval headed by Musk, and is going into government agencies and seizing data and firing many employees. All of this is being done with no more than the agreement of Trump and Musk.

And the nutty executive orders won't stand up to scruitny and be thrown out by congress.

@JoyousGreyOrca I disagree the sheer violence and strength of anti women rhetoric is plain to see. Perhaps you'd don't see it as it's not something you engage in, but @GrandpaFlump is right

The people who are really worried, listen to a range of podcasts on this.
I'm listening to about 4 at the moment and they address all sorts of issues like the power of the executive orders.
Also I'm finding radio debates useful when they have different speakers on as well as different news channels and the odd on line paper.

There are systems in place and checks and balances in the USA and at the moment I believe in them.
At the moment

So it’s acceptable?
Women being threatened is ok?
None of it’s ok. None of it was solely campaigning against government, and many women put themselves in harms way to stand up for women’s rights. The left didn’t want them and pushed them away.

I don’t want the left or the right. I want someone who cares about humans instead of all the divisive nonsense we currently have because certain subjects are verboten. It’s ridiculous, childish behaviour. No one should be putting up with any of it.

It’s disappointing to see that some replies assume that if you’re not with the left you’re with the far right.

True Farage and Trump have managed to turn the heads of those possibly worn down by the increasingly poor decisions made by our government - tories and Labour, for the last 20 years, but the very fact that enough people are worried enough about where our current situation will lead us from both sides is proof enough that not everyone is the same. We all have different opinions, fears, hopes, and this stance of Left or fascist is driving us to the right. This has been seen in US, here, and Europe.

Too many humans are living their lives reacting to each other, and as long as we do this the pendulum will keep swinging. Maybe I’m naive but I think we can do better. We are adults who must surely be able to communicate and learn to work together, instead of this polarised mess we’ve been manipulated into.

Of course it is not okay. I have put myself in harms way for woman's rights too.
But you claim this experience has meant you no longer support the left. You have zero understanding of activism or labour history to say that.

@GrandpaFlump You have simply being criticising the left. If you want6 to stand with the left against fascism you need to say that. It is not our job to coax it out of you. Be an adult here.

Or maybe I’ve become worn down and demoralised and have chosen to opt out of respecting and supporting the political parties that are available.

@GrandpaFlump We are all worn down and demoralised. That is not an excuse not to fight fascism.

Of course, but sometimes recognising why it’s raising its ugly head again is a vital part of that.

What good has the doubling down of fighting it done? Calling people fascists, racists and bigots instead of having actual discussions and expecting our government (whoever it is) to act like adults instead of leading us to a place where too many think that Farage is the better option?

This is not a one sided situation. We have got there because many people have issues with government and authority decisions, and instead of them discussing and acting like adults they (current government) prefer to call people racist. Depending on where you live, immigration is an issue, made to feel more important because our health system, education, infrastructure is crumbling whilst we watch it. So where are the MPs helping their constituents, understanding and talking about their frustrations, actually doing their jobs and listening?

My Tory MP doesn’t give a shiny shit about any of us. He’ll be there for photo opportunities and drags himself to events and things for good optics for the run up to voting.
My friend’s Labour MP, police and local authority doesn’t care about her or her daughters who have been subject to daily abuse from the many pakistani men on her estate, and have gone so far as to openly to call them racist - no one would listen to what she’s been going through, even with video evidence, medical evidence.

The system is broken. And all this fighting does is pushes ordinary bog standard people, who may have voted Labour and may have voted Tory, to think “well they’re a bunch of shit, might as well see what this Farage bloke can do” without the research and depth of knowledge that many of us here might have, and all because our esteemed politicians of the last 20 years have slowly pushed us into realising that they’re all a bunch of corrupt twats who cannot and will not discuss and action the issues that many people are worrying about.

Currently the left is struggling on women's rights and immigration

To varying degrees depending on which country. But you can see this pretty comprehensive trend in western countries rn

Having those issues as blind spots is losing some of them power, economic reality is also difficult

@EasternStandard it's not as if our right wing government of the last 14 years did amazingly well on either topic.

These responses back up my original post Labour would never contemplate joining with Conservatives

There's too much tribalism

Wrong thread 😂

Editing is kaput these days

@Crikeyalmighty the centre right struggles as some will want to conserve laws

Hence the rise of Reform and similar

Wondering how you know the men are pakistani? Do they have it printed on their foreheads or something?