Reading notes

David posts his latest essay on pseudo-fascism in the United States, which I find extraordinarily well-written and eerily comforting.

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism
Part 3: The Pseudo-Fascist Campaign

Its whole purpose being the acquisition of raw power through any means necessary, the discrete “conservative movement” and its dealings can at times be extremely disorienting. The proliferation of Newspeak as a political propaganda strategy by the American right, in particular, has created a milieu in which up is down, wrong is right and ignorance is strength.

At times, is seems as if factuality has no real basis. Truth has no objective value; it is instead a mutable thing, readily manipulated through repetition of propaganda talking points. …

This fist-shaking style of response to normative political discourse, in fact, was one of the real hallmarks of fascism. It signaled, above all else, the rightness of power by virtue of its naked use to intimidate and silence dissent. To the fascist leader, diplomacy is a parlor game for the weak; what counts is the raw will of the man of action. …

Then came the first presidential debate, and Americans were hit upside the cognition with the dissonance transmitted over their television sets: It was Kerry who looked strong and resolute, while Bush was not only weak and vacillating, he was forced to fall back to his mantra of strength and resolve and “hard work,” all of which were plainly belied by the image the man himself presented. …

That is, perhaps, the important thing to remember about both the undercurrent with which we are faced: Fascism, at its core, is a fraud. It promises the triumphal resurrection of the nation, and delivers only devastation. Strength without wisdom is a chimera, resolve without competence a travesty.

I find comfort in the midst of this disturbing narrative, I think because David is addressing the monster head on, turning the floodlights on it. A well-lit monster is easier to understand and bring under control.

Thanks for this courageous writing, David. My take is it’s underwritten by the same Spirit as the Old Testament prophets. Then as now, abusers of power hate prophetic voices because they expose immorality and fraud. Speak on.

(Plus the phrase “hit upside the cognition” is a hoot!)

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism:

• Part 1. The Morphing of the Conservative Movement
• Part 2. The Architecture of Fascism
• Part 3. The Pseudo-Fascist Campaign
• Part 4. The Apocalyptic One-Party State
• Part 5. Warfare By Other Means
• Part 6. Breaking Down the Barriers
• <more to come>