We See Fascism Only On The Other Side
Fascism is coming. Your can hear the sound of its marching
jackboots as they strike the pavement. Left, Right, Left Right…
You can see it too, but only in the eyes of your enemy. You’ll
never see it in the mirror, or in the eyes of those in your tribe. Only in the
enemy. An enemy so fascistic they must be brought to heel. An enemy so devious
that their voices must be silenced. An enemy actively engaged in treason, willing
to work with foreign agents in order to destroy our country and the values on
which it was built. There are foreign thoughts being disseminated by enemies of
the fatherland— Oops. I didn’t mean to say that. What I meant to say was that
the people in the other party are actual, real-life fascists. It’s not my fault
that their fascism has me thinking illogically and calling for censorship and
violence.
That is the attitude I often encounter from both liberals
and conservatives. It truly is easier to see the speck in the other’s eye than
the plank in your own. But if you allowed yourself to be honest with yourself,
I’m willing to bet you’d feel it. It feels like fear and hatred and justification
for just about any sort of behavior that you swear you’re against.
There are those who will tell you the battle between
Democrats and Republicans is a battle between freedom and fascism, but in truth
it is a battle between the Brown Shirts and the SS. We are working at fascism
from two directions. The Republicans through overt contempt for law, decency,
and the pursuit of objective truth, as well as a love of the image of the
strong man. The Democrats for their promotion of war, censorship, and
unaccountable intelligence agencies. And whenever they punch at one another,
they seldom punch towards the other’s fascistic tendencies. No matter who’s
party is in power, the other will always support increases in military
spending, police protection, and increased spying.
The corporate media does nothing to quiet hatred, fear, and fascistic
tendencies. The media only fuels such behavior. Whether they are actively
pushing conflict or just willing to go along with it for the sake of ratings is
a debate to be had, but I’m certain there’s a degree of both involved. And whatever
their motivation, they will never, ever, question war. And as bad as all the other
aspects of fascism are, war is the worst.
Sometimes I engage in or simply follow a debate on social media and I will see an argument that is nowhere near approaching reality. Then, a day later, I will see the very same, cognitively dissonant thought-vomit spewed nearly verbatim elsewhere by someone else. When you see such stupid ideas expressed practically verbatim by total strangers, there is only one explanation: effective propaganda.
And I see such nonsensical arguments from liberals and conservatives alike, see ideas shit out by those who have consumed them without having bothered to digest them. Though both sides may be subjected to different streams of propaganda, both streams are ultimately supporting the same power structure. And what is shat out by those who consume it smells noxious regardless of whether they ate from the conservative or the liberal trough.
It has gotten to the point where when I hear someone expressing original thoughts, or at least thoughts that have been well-reflected upon, it is hard to tell from which side of the ideological argument they belong. But when they reflexively spout the talking points of the mass media, I instantly can detect the source of their brainwashing.
It is more than a little disturbing to witness the media make its pronouncements and a thousand mouths move in unison to echo them, as if each individual was merely a hollow vessel used to amplify a message. It is difficult to admit to myself what a herd creature we humans truly are and how our opinions and convictions are shaped for the most part not by our own reflection and interpretation but rather by forces of which we are not aware.
Don’t get defensive. The science of propaganda is well-funded and researched. We’re all subjected to it nearly from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, from the moment we were born to the moment we die. It’s why we drink water out of plastic bottles. Allow yourself to think for a few minutes and you will discover lots of things you do that make no sense but have been sold to you by the media. There is no shame in realizing you’ve been propagandized, but it is time to do something about it. For the moment, though, back to fascism.
Sometimes I engage in or simply follow a debate on social media and I will see an argument that is nowhere near approaching reality. Then, a day later, I will see the very same, cognitively dissonant thought-vomit spewed nearly verbatim elsewhere by someone else. When you see such stupid ideas expressed practically verbatim by total strangers, there is only one explanation: effective propaganda.
And I see such nonsensical arguments from liberals and conservatives alike, see ideas shit out by those who have consumed them without having bothered to digest them. Though both sides may be subjected to different streams of propaganda, both streams are ultimately supporting the same power structure. And what is shat out by those who consume it smells noxious regardless of whether they ate from the conservative or the liberal trough.
It has gotten to the point where when I hear someone expressing original thoughts, or at least thoughts that have been well-reflected upon, it is hard to tell from which side of the ideological argument they belong. But when they reflexively spout the talking points of the mass media, I instantly can detect the source of their brainwashing.
It is more than a little disturbing to witness the media make its pronouncements and a thousand mouths move in unison to echo them, as if each individual was merely a hollow vessel used to amplify a message. It is difficult to admit to myself what a herd creature we humans truly are and how our opinions and convictions are shaped for the most part not by our own reflection and interpretation but rather by forces of which we are not aware.
Don’t get defensive. The science of propaganda is well-funded and researched. We’re all subjected to it nearly from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, from the moment we were born to the moment we die. It’s why we drink water out of plastic bottles. Allow yourself to think for a few minutes and you will discover lots of things you do that make no sense but have been sold to you by the media. There is no shame in realizing you’ve been propagandized, but it is time to do something about it. For the moment, though, back to fascism.
The challenge as I see it is not so much to call people out
on their fascistic beliefs but to try our best to keep people communicating and
acting civilly towards each other. The only way to teach people respect is by
example. This is not always easy, especially dealing with ideas and behaviors
that are dangerously approaching the sort of thing that led to Hitler and
Mussolini. But anyone with a degree of knowledge of history realizes that
fascists are looking for an excuse to shut down communication. Hence
censorship. Keep talking.
I was banned from Facebook for a month for posting an image
of Nazi-era Christmas ornaments, one of which had a Swastika on it. I wasn’t
supporting fascism, I was warning against it. I’m worried they are banning
images of Swastikas not because they fear a resurrection of fascism but because
through understanding history we might recognize fascism when it arrives. Make
no mistake, any new fascism will not use the old symbols but will create appealing
new ones.
Once again, I suggest to you that there is currently a war between corporate media and social media. Corporate media, and those it serves, feel threatened by social media and are doing everything in their power to limit its outreach. We must do all we can to stop that from happening. Rejecting the authority of the corporate media is not merely a good idea, it is a necessary step if we are to avert the very real and impending threat of fascism. We must weave our own narrative of compassion, cooperation and self-empowerment rather than accept the message of fear, hatred, and blind obedience.
Once again, I suggest to you that there is currently a war between corporate media and social media. Corporate media, and those it serves, feel threatened by social media and are doing everything in their power to limit its outreach. We must do all we can to stop that from happening. Rejecting the authority of the corporate media is not merely a good idea, it is a necessary step if we are to avert the very real and impending threat of fascism. We must weave our own narrative of compassion, cooperation and self-empowerment rather than accept the message of fear, hatred, and blind obedience.
The media won’t defuse the situation. It has proven itself
to be an instigator, not a mediator. This leaves social media. We, using social
media to speak with others in order to break out of the either/or proposition
as framed by the bifurcated media, must elevate the conversation above the one
of unending hatred between two groups. We must tear down the walls that separate
us from them until there is only us. No small feat, but a necessary and worthy
goal.
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