10 tactics of fascism

[Distilled from a video short by Jason Stanley]

The mythic past. This tactic tries to convince the masses that we used to be great. Our military used to be great. The dominant race from the past and lived a wonderful life is no longer dominant. Your dominance has been taken away from you by leftists and communists. They want to weaken our greatness and our military.

Propaganda. Based around a friend versus enemy distinction. My political opponent is a merciless threat to our existence and traditions. When ‘they’ are in charge, it subverts the nation. 

Anti-intellectualism. The declaration that science is only useful in so far as it strengthens the nation. Expertise, reality are a challenge to the leader’s ability to dictate what is right and wrong. If science helps the leader’s cause, that’s ok, otherwise, it’s a threat. Institutions that teach multiple perspectives on history can’t be allowed. 

Unreality. You’re not free if you’re being lied to. Nobody thinks the people of North Korea are free. They vote for ‘dear leader’ because they’ve been deceived. Equality requires truth. Political equality means that each of our voices matters the same amount. It also means speaking truth to power. If you want to subvert democracy, you get people used to lies.

Hierarchy. Racism is basically a big lie, insisting that one group is better than another. This religion is superior. This gender is better. Once you have instilled hierarchy as a moral framework, you can then scare those at the top of the hierarchy that everyone else is a threat and must be dealt with.

Victimhood. You can tell the people that they are victims. Whites are the victims of black equality, Germans and Christians were the victims of the Jews. Men are victims of feminism.

Law & Order. The minority group, once they accept their subservient role, are ‘law abiding’. The members of the dominant group, by their very nature, are law abiding. Under fascism, law and order doesn’t mean justice or equality, it identifies who is legit or not.

Sexual anxiety. Your women and children are under threat. You must fear LGBTQ+, they are trying to corrupt your children. The fascist leader says, “You may not like my ways or my behaviour, but I can protect you. You need someone like me in charge.” 

Sodom and Gomorrah. Urban life is full of elites, decadence, immigrants, criminality. The rural people are the real people, who work hard with their hands. They are the only ones who work hard. Urban work isn’t real work. 

“Work shall make you free.” The minority are lazy and they need to be made to work. Leftists are lazy by their nature. Labour unions are communist run and are trying to make things easier, subverting the nation. Hard work is a virtue. Disabled people are no longer valued because they can’t do real work.

Do you recognize any of these tactics in modern politics?