|
25A007 The Fascist Next Door by Jim Davies, 2/18/2025
You have nice neighbors, I hope, as I do. How come they might be fascists? In the final ZGBlog for 2024 I mentioned I mean to make a second edition of a couple more of my books this year, as well as for A Vision of Liberty. Last month I was re-reading another of them, called To Freedom from Fascism, America! and found a mistake, so decided to include that one in the makeover. Mostly a tidy-up and a re-phrasing here and there, it's now ready, here. I hadn't read it for some years, and found it quite exhilarating. Perhaps you will, too. It's fairly short, with only three chapters, and the first establishes more clearly than I've seen elsewhere exactly what fascism is, and that America is fascist and always has been. The dictionaries are not much wrong, but nor are they complete; they confirm that fascism is about power, suppression of dissent, regimentation of industry, and strong nationalism. One holds that racism is "often" present, but I don't see that; and that at its head is a single dictator, which is only sometimes the case. Their big omission, though, is a failure to go to the root; to examine the origin of the word. 
To Freedom starts by repairing that, and explains that the term comes from ancient Rome. In both the republican and the autocratic phases of the Empire, its government pretended to derive authority from the people, and used the graphic symbol of fasces: a bundle of canes, with an ax. The message was plain: we rule, you obey; or else we punish. That's fascism. The same symbol is used today, in for example the US Congress, here wrapped around with a golden garland to soften the message and make it look pretty. But the underlying message is the same: here, we make the rules. Obey them, or we'll cane you. However, that's also precisely what governments do, everywhere; hence, fascism and government are interchangeable terms. They mean the same thing. There are harshly fascist régimes, mildly fascist ones, and ones in the middle, and one even boasted that it was Fascist, with a capital "F" (inter-war Italy) - but every one of them operates on that model so they are, every one, fascist. If there's a government, it's fascist, and if there are fascists, they are government (or wannabe government, or other kriminals holding victims in thrall.) In short, fascism = government. Anyone who works in government or supports the idea of government or who votes for government is a fascist. If he votes, you have a fascist next door. Best break the news to him gently, perhaps by recommending my book. Be polite, because everywhere, "fascist" is a rude word. Its first chapter amplifies the above derivation of the term, then the second and third explore details of the scope of the problem and its solution. I'll leave you to read for yourself. Diners at the gourmet Liberty Banquet on my Home Page will find it after clicking on the "Café" icon; it's a free download. 
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
