Is fascism back with us?

[Grassland Blue]

Curiously - and astonishing to me - the average Chinese citizen seems to be very much in favor of their Communist, totalitarian regime. Not - of course the residents of Hong Kong - or brutally suppressed populations such as the Uyghurs - but the average citizen. This observation is based largely on a PBS Frontline episode exploring the corona virus as experienced by the Chinese and a few scant articles following this Frontline episode...

And perhaps the speakers in the Frontline episode were too scared to speak out against the Chinese government on live camera - but they seemed genuine.

China has a largely functional society and it seems to enjoy majority popularity.
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Just to be clear, I'm pro-Democracy. There's no way on earth I'd want to live under Chinese rule.

The above post - as already stated - simply reflects my astonishment that the average Chinese citizen seems to prefer Communism/Totalitarianism over Democracy.
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Edit - The Chinese economy has numerous semi-capitalistic elements; i's more than air to claim that it's not purely Communist.

China has roughly 1.4 billion population. Some areas are very crowded as a result.
The people have grown up with communism and for them it works.
If you are a person who stays within the rigid boundaries and lives decently then you have nothing to worry about and will live a happy life.
However, if you act the way some people do in the UK you will be swiftly dealt with.
I read once that China has a population 30 times greater than the UK, yet crime is 30 times less.
So in that regard their system works.

 

[Octavian]

Are anti abortionists, fascists..?

No

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

No

Is this one of those games where
no means yes?

What about the folk who harass women at clinics?

 

[Octavian]

Is this one of those games where
no means yes?

What about the folk who harass women at clinics?

I don’t agree with people harassing women at clinics at all but being anti abortion doesn’t make you a fascist.

I realise you’re one of those who likes to pigeon hole everything you disagree with into a select group so you don’t have to think about it but it doesn’t make your definitions of fascism true.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Abortion needs to stop being a political/moral football.

They should be available to any woman that wants one.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Whilst gender has so many varieties nowadaysl find its disturbing that themiddle ground is disappearing and opinions are binary in a 'l am right and you are wrong' split. Funnily enough those assert they are right are often completely delusional.

You actually think that you are in the middle ground when you just linked Whoopi's weird and ignorant mumblings and Justin Trudeau together?

Strange.

Is Whoopi a politician or activist or just an over-the-hill actor who was working as a talking head on a show with a similar format to loose women?

 

[PinkFinal]

Hungary PM Viktor Orban adviser Hegedus resigns over 'pure Nazi' speech

A long-time adviser to the Hungarian prime minister resigns over his speech criticising "race mixing".

www.bbc.com

 

[BrianW]

Fascism is merely a tool that capitalists use at times of extreme crisis.
Its methodology is to divert your attention from real issues to abstracts.
Flag waving does not pay the bills.
Nor does hating foreigners.
Nor does racism.
Nor does 'protecting our history and culture'.
But these things occupy the mind and divert hostility away from the proper targets.
Fascism is an indication that capitalism is failing and may be close to collapse. If everything was going well, these pathetic tactics would not be necessary.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Fascism is merely a tool that capitalists use at times of extreme crisis.
Its methodology is to divert your attention from real issues to abstracts.
Flag waving does not pay the bills.
Nor does hating foreigners.
Nor does racism.
Nor does 'protecting our history and culture'.
But these things occupy the mind and divert hostility away from the proper targets.
Fascism is an indication that capitalism is failing and may be close to collapse. If everything was going well, these pathetic tactics would not be necessary.

Fascism and capitalism are mostly orthogonal - largely unrelated. The former is characterized by strict control over society and suppression of rights for the supposed "good of the nation" - whereas capitalism is about competition in a market society largely free of regulation.

Fascism = regulation
Capitalism = free market

Moreover, fascism pertains to societal governance; capitalism pertains to the structure of the economy. There's overlap in that fascism may or may not promote free trade. But fascism = capitalism as your post suggests is simply wrong.

 

[BrianW]

Fascism and capitalism are orthogonal - completely unrelated. The former is characterized by strict control over society and suppression of rights for the supposed "good of the nation" - whereas capitalism is about competition in a market society largely free of regulation.

Nonetheless, capitalists use fascism as a tool.

Working example - how the Krupps and similar huge industrialists in Germany financed and supported Adolf. Consider the advantages from their POV. Free trade unions were crushed. Left-wingers, particularly Communists, were thrown into concentration camps or terrified into silent compliance. Strong 'law and order' was established. In other words, no one was allowed to protest, let alone strike. With a nice sideline in increased orders for armaments. Wow, it's a catalogue to send any capitalist into rapture.

If they are completely unrelated, how is that fascism rears its vile head at times when capitalism is under extreme stress? Why not in the 1950s and 60s when everything was hunky-dory and most people were contented with what was a rising standard of living and unprecedented prosperity?

As I said the whole purpose of fascism is to direct people's minds to abstracts, not reality. In whose interest is that? These abstracts have a powerful emotional appeal for many people. Not for me, I think they are irrelevant shite. But for many people. That emotion, even hatred, is diverted away from the concrete issues and from the ruling classes. It's a perfect way of persuading me that I have more in common with the Duke of Westminster than with (say) a German worker.

Capitalism is not some neutral, benign, abstract thing that exists outwith humanity. It is directed by greedy humans, many of who will do anything - anything! - to expand their profits. Because, at the level of capitalism I am talking about, (not the local shop or market stall) greed is unlimited. That's why they interfere in politics! That's why they give vast sums to crooked political parties to advance their interests. It's not for the good of humanity.