The best way to explain Trump's relationship to fascism is that he's not a fascist because he doesn't have a coherent political philosophy, but he often does fascism as a way to gain power.

@themorbidzoo

7 ай бұрын

💯

@Anna-xh6fk

6 ай бұрын

@@themorbidzoousing fascism “as a way to gain power” makes one fascistic tho

@slevinchannel7589

6 ай бұрын

Very well said: Perfeclty encapsulates how cllueelesss this youtuber and you are. Fascism was alwaayys a powergrab and didnt need a 'cohrent anyhting'. Hitler would literally clall himself Hippie-Socialist-Mister-Niceguy' if it gave him power. So you debunk fascism by not knowing s-it about basic defintions of fascism, ahhhh, i see

@isaacdalziel5772

6 ай бұрын

@@Anna-xh6fk Yeah, that is kind of the fundamental tenet of fascism.

@Daniel-Star

6 ай бұрын

@@Anna-xh6fk not exactly if he had his way Trump would run a fascist totalitarian government, because that's what the base wants, he doesn't care about the fascism if there was a huge group of communists backing him he would use their rhetoric to gain power. to him the power is the point, anyone who follows him as leader will be a true fascist though. It is a bit of a distinction without a difference. The only real difference is Trump with throw all the fascist rhetoric away if it protects him or gains him power.

while i dont disagree with anything you said, i also dont really see a functional difference between him believing in fascism, and him doing fascism because its what people will cheer for. in either case he will do a fascism, or someone will convince him to do a fascism, and it will be very bad.

@xthatghomiex2939

5 ай бұрын

I think you missed the point of the video

@blank4227

5 ай бұрын

true but we're all just monkeys on a rock at the end of the day. none of this matters.

@chazellison2855

5 ай бұрын

I think the real function in identifying the difference here is clarifying that trump is a symptom of a larger issue, rather than someone who brings about said larger issue. A lot of liberals, moderates, and even some conservatives have it in their heads that trump showed up, caused all the problems, and once he’s gone everything is back to normal and things will be fine. That’s not the case. Going back to “business as usual” won’t fix anything because “business as usual” IS the issue. “Business as usual” is how all of these problems were created, they’re a function of the system, not a bug or an unfortunate byproduct. “Business as usual” CREATED trump and the environment he used to come into power, and will more than likely continue to create more, worse trumps in the future. That’s the point of the video, he’s not a fascist in the sense that he’s this new, unique evil, he’s just the natural culmination of the current system we live in, and any fascist elements are already present in a system that rewards those elements and is laying the groundwork for more.

@riynu7774

5 ай бұрын

@@xthatghomiex2939 i don't think he did, he expanded on the idea. i think you missed the point of the comment.

@blank4227

5 ай бұрын

@@chazellison2855 cool! Hope our country gets stronger and better. Trump is just the beginning

Although I don't agree with everything you said, I appreciate a well thought out and articulate argument.

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the watch!

@anthonyrosique7965

Ай бұрын

We have to celebrate to art of discussion! I love to see people thinking for themselves!

Damn...Homelander from 'The Boys' was like that wasn't he? He was annoyed by Stormfront's fascism when it didn't suit him....

@Franiac32

2 ай бұрын

Actually yeah good point. Homelander isn't really a fascist either, because he also just cares about himself and nothing else.

@richardvlasek2445

2 ай бұрын

homelander is just a personification of the united states of america he is a selfish, arrogant, cruel, traumatized freak that'll do anything that allows him to keep his spot as the #1 unchecked top dog because the only thing he cares about is making himself feel better

@JordanJumpin

Ай бұрын

Good point I guess that makes the intentional parallels of him and trump are even clearer. He is a selfish egomaniac who uses fascism as a tool to give himself more influence

Donald Trump: too narcissistic to be fascist. Sounds about right.

@theodoresweger4948

3 ай бұрын

What makes them mutually exclusive.

@shindarene6900

3 ай бұрын

@@theodoresweger4948 Fascist leaders have to care about their people at least a minimal amount, like in the "you're my toy only, and I can and should do whatever I want to you" kinda way. But Trump couldn't give less than a minimal shit.

@flooterer

3 ай бұрын

@@shindarene6900 "your like Hitler, but even Hitler cared about Germany or something"

@Drennis

2 ай бұрын

@@shindarene6900bruh he has a clear base that he panders to nonstop

@thesneakymemedealer5071

2 ай бұрын

fascism is the glorification of the state above all else. trump would sell america out for 15 cents if he could

As I'm finding is typical of your work, this made some outstanding points I had never considered and really made me think. I'm looking forward to whatever you share with us next. Keep being awesome!

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!!

@Rushmanyyz

4 ай бұрын

@@Jonathan-yr3so There's literally nothing useful that anyone could garner from your comment. Useless.

Yeah, agreed Specially in the sense that he isn't in any way the root of the problem

@wyguy1212

7 ай бұрын

Yup donny t is a symptom capitalist neoliberalism is the virus

@devononair

6 ай бұрын

No, but he is a figurehead. The problem with not being worried about Trump is that behind him lurks a dark shadow of fascism. Taylor-Greene and DeSantis are two examples of absolute would-be fascists. DeSantis is rapidly becoming the dictator of Florida, banning books, stifling leftist discourse, trying to track transgender citizens, trying to take over private organisations etc. America should be working as if Trump were a fascist, because that his where the Republican party is heading.

This video REQUIRES an update.

@themorbidzoo

2 ай бұрын

This year 👍🏼

@huntybangz

2 ай бұрын

@@themorbidzoo AMAZING! Thank you. What you’re doing is important and a man like him needs to be properly characterized so viewers can understand his nature and the disaster he poses to our country. It is that serious. Please don’t go lightly on this guy. Honesty is never kind to evil. This isn’t me saying that you haven’t been honest and thorough. I’m just saying that an update is needed, as you clearly understand.

@themorbidzoo

2 ай бұрын

@@huntybangz thanks 🤙🏼 my basic thesis for this update is that properly characterizing trump’s fascism or lack thereof is the difference between having one trump right now or having a trump every 60 some-odd years forever and ever

@huntybangz

2 ай бұрын

@@themorbidzoo That’s a fascinating angle, I look forward to it. I don’t know how far you’re gonna go into the historical precendence (vis a vis European fascism) but with talk of “staging areas”, “vermin”, it’s very important to at least tacitly acknowledge this. But nevertheless, I’m thrilled to hear your take. I’m a journalist myself, so I have a deep appreciation for your voice. Again, with what’s going on, it’s so essential we speak on things.

@uhoh3258

Ай бұрын

I love ur content n ur personality but that thesis needs a little work

Preach! The desire to equate Trump with Fascism is suspiciously convenient for those who might wish to externalize the threat he poses. The truth, of course, is that Trump is the personification of American capitalism and its attendant cultural rot. Fantastic video. Sharp and nuanced reasoning as usual. (I especially enjoyed the hyena comparison.) Happy to see you continue to create videos and expand beyond film topics as well.

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Oof, exactly, couldn't have said it better myself (and I tried). Thank you thank you!

@bombomos

Жыл бұрын

But Trump made peace with North Korea. Something no one has been about to do for 70 years. And Biden has let 2 wars start under his watch. Where's the peace?

@dragons_red

8 ай бұрын

To be fair, ALL cultures have rot. It's a matter of wether the underlying morality of the culture can attend to it to keep it from undermining that which is good.

@hamwise881

8 ай бұрын

Yeah, how do you feel now?

@SeasideDetective2

7 ай бұрын

Democracy is perfectly capable of being xenophobic and militaristic, as we have seen many times in the past.

Describing why someone is a fascist gives us insight into their potential future actions, but it doesn’t remove the title. Trump is shiftless and ego-driven, but ultimately a fascist and the leader of a fascist movement. It’s the same with other ideologies. Let’s use democratic politicians. They may be ego driven, but their speech acts and behavior fits within a general democratic ideology. They’ll push and support general democratic policies. The way they achieve power is democratic. Their drive may be ego-centric and will determine future outcomes, but they are still democratic. It’s the same with Trump. As the saying goes “walks like a mallard, talks like a mallard, this duck is killing my democracy.”

@numbdigger9552

6 ай бұрын

The problem with your logic is that Trump by definition is not a fascist. He might talk and act exactly like a fascist, but he doesn't believe in those ideals, thus he isn't one, even if in practise it doesn't make a difference.

@Existential8Ball

6 ай бұрын

Nah he is. Ego, entitlement, and victimhood is at the core of fascism and its entry into it. You don't need to be a hard lined, ideologically consistent fascist to be a fascist. If you interrogate your average small d democratic citizen, you'll be pressed to find an epistemologically grounded lover of democracy. But we still call these people democrats. @@numbdigger9552

@rollinginthedeep6900

4 ай бұрын

But is protecting democracy all that important, when the democratic politicians are only protecting it in order to maintain the ways they benefit from the status quo? The democrats are in the pocket of corporations as much as the republicans are, they just use different public stances to justify their existence. Neither party actually cares about American people. Trump just capitalized on that apathy.

@mikewilliams6025

4 ай бұрын

This is a completely insane take.

@Existential8Ball

4 ай бұрын

Imagine a man that's seemingly a hardcore Green Bay Packers fan. He wears all the gear. He knows all the chants. He discourses about the team and its history. He goes to all the tailgates. He attends every game. He's embedded into the social structures of Football. You ask him why he's a super fan. "Oh I just love the atmosphere and the people are nice. My attachments are self-satisfaction" Is he a Packers fan? Short answer: Yes. Disagreeing would be an exercise of insanity. Long answer: It's ambiguous and ultimately arbitrary. Potentially, no if we are next to a perfectly spherical cow in a vacuum. He absolutely is when contextualized in the social structures around us. Especially if he's the CEO of the team!

I've just started binging your channel and I gotta say I'm instantly hooked. Your content is incredibly engaging and you provide very well researched and nuanced takes that I haven't really encountered before!

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much 😊

I'm glad KZread recommended me your "The Thing" video. Always nice to find a very diverse, high quality channel.

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

I came here after watching your vid about The Thing and based on the title of this video, I did not expect to agree with you. Well done.

"Should fascism come to power, it will ride over your skulls and spines like a terrific tank." - Leon Trotsky

@adamnicholes1002

3 жыл бұрын

How many times did Trump threaten martial law? Which would give the military the green light to forcibly lock us in our houses, let only one of us outside at a time (no more than your front porch) and kill anyone thought to be brandishing a weapon. On top of that it would kill any and all prisoners (from max security to county jails). While yes, America needs to be reigned in. Trump was the pivot point

@beyondz55

2 жыл бұрын

@@adamnicholes1002 so with afghanistan biden just armed and created a terrorist taliban state with 80 billion dollars of us taxpayer funded weapons and left behind americans and afghan allies to be slaughtered by the extremists. Oh he was phone with the afghan president telling him to downplay the threat right before it went down. Oh so much more. Turns out they love their Chinese communist allies and want a global dictatorship. Found the fascists.

@Krylatiy

Жыл бұрын

Funny hearing it from people who helped in building the system as scary as fascism, and then the said system first chased you from the country and then ensured that you got an ice axe lodged into your skull. Ironic even.

@RichardDuncan-ju1xk

6 ай бұрын

So, like communism then.

@jamiecameron4564

5 ай бұрын

​@@Krylatiycomments like this massively misrepresent the soviet union and effectively apologise for the horrors of fascism as a result. False equivalence BS

The endgame of Reaganomics. A man so incompatible with reality that it’s easier to just let him run the show into the ground than actually explain why it will fail.

@caim3465

4 күн бұрын

Ironically, Soviet command economy had similar problems. Horseshoe theory?

I really agree with your take. I've always seen Trump as self serving, and his more reasonable supporters (not hardcore insurrectionists) just project onto him ideas they want represented, but he really doesn't actually stand for (cuz he only stands for himself). He's charismatic and demands attention, which cannot be said for any president we've had in recent memory (charismatic maybe, but not so entertaining and attention grabbing). His presidency is like when influencers go viral and all of a sudden people expect them to take their same political stance and speak for them just cuz they have a platform. And much like influencers, Trump knew exactly what to say to garner and maintain influence. But the root of the problem seems to be there was a void in American politics for someone to represent beliefs that favor business, law and order, and prioritizing America's needs over its involvement in other countries. And there is decay in the democratic party/establishment where high powered people use their proximity to leadership to line their own pockets. And the republican party is weak and overly traditional. Trump put his finger right on this pulse, pointed at all the right problems, and offered no real solutions. It's just too bad. His presidency really showed the cracks in American society, but the corporations and greedy politicians had been cooking up the collapse for much longer.

"North Korea does that and their not fascist" Mmmmmmmmmm I don’t know man I don’t know

@sjwarhammer4039

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, that confused me, as well as the "Calling me a communist doesn't make North Korea less communist." North Korea isn't at all communist and saying something like that really calls into question your ability to define and identify ideologies at all.

@shindarene6900

3 ай бұрын

@@sjwarhammer4039 In which universe is North Korea not communist? Just because it doesn't work like theoretical communism(which benefits the commoner the most), doesn't mean the ideology they use isn't communism.

@junipre985

3 ай бұрын

@@shindarene6900 it doesn't really try to do anything that marx wrote about wanting or do any of the stuff that modern day communists tend to advocate for. many of the central tenets of communism like worker control of the means of production, the workers being in power over the government democratically are completely missing from it.

@squash8226

2 ай бұрын

@@shindarene6900North Korea removed all mentions of Communism from their Constitution after Kim Il Sung's death. Ideologically they follow Juche, which is an explicitly nationalist ideology. (Even back when they claimed to be Communist they were just espousing whatever Moscow told them to do, and the Soviet Union virtually stopped adhering to the Communist Program once the United Opposition was crushed by Stalin)

Trump has advocated for setting aside the constitution. That was also done in Germany in the 30s.

@xHiNoTorix

6 ай бұрын

Well banning guns is also against the constitution. Sometimes holding onto old constitutions does more bad than good.

@chipsdad5861

6 ай бұрын

@@xHiNoTorix There are more guns in America than people. There is more than one mass shooting a day. You are by far the most Trump supporter I have encountered. WTF.

@chipsdad5861

6 ай бұрын

@@xHiNoTorix I assume you are a Russian comrade trying to put some lipstick on the pig Donald Trump

@AlexanderLittlebears

Ай бұрын

Based

There's a brilliant video by Ryan Chapman which does a good job of defining Fascism. He does this by relying on primary sources instead of the typical "Hitler did X therefore X = fascism"

@TheForeignersNetwork

5 ай бұрын

Yeah but like Nazi ideology is fascism "par excellence," so like... If the Nazi party did it, then it was probably fascism, or contributed in some way to the development of fascist ideology

I think the important thing to focus on here is the over reliance on labels. Today, people are throwing labels at each other and not discussing actual issues/ideas/problems. With that they are often misusing these labels or making them mean whatever they want them to mean.

@MissTryALot

8 ай бұрын

I couldn't agree more.

I found your channel via an iceberg and what a video for the first I watch, really good one

The fact that this is a two year old video isn’t lost on me but I’m still going to post it in the case that someone else sees this, if not the creator. I appreciate the sincerity you clearly had in approaching this topic, however, I think you’re argument here is a little problematic. If all that separates a fascist leader from a non fascist leader is their commitment to the actual ideas behind their fascism then now suddenly all fascist leaders are in question. I think it would be ridiculous for us to say that if we found out tomorrow that Hitler and Mussolini didn’t actually believe what they believed but instead just pretended to as a way to achieve power that they could no longer truly be called fascists. It’s ridiculous because what’s in their head is not relevant to the actual consequences of their political actions, which based of off your own definition, Trump’s actions truly do appear to be fascist in nature. This video was even posted after Jan 6th which is just further proof of my point.

@ivrxr8693

2 ай бұрын

I think you are somewhat misconstruing what she is saying, which is fair because she doesn’t do the best job at articulating what she means exactly, which is why she is planning on remaking this vid. From what I can gather, she is trying to say that calling Trump a fascist implies that he is something seperate from the America we know and not the inevitable result of the intersection of neoliberal capitalism and our ideological mess of a government. To call Trump a fascist is like calling Watergate the cause of Presidential overreach. These two things are just symptoms of larger problems that need to be addressed as larger problems.

Holy shit I think you might be like the smartest person I’ve ever like encountered like ever and I’m not trying to be hyperbolic, I mean that sincerely this was so brilliant you’ve totally changed my mind, and it seemed almost effortless. I came into this video, expecting to like be grudgingly have to admit a few things, but still end the video with like my original mindset but no, you have completely convinced me with just the most like accessible and understandable arguments and examples it’s truly refreshing to come across your content and I wish I would’ve known about it long ago.

0:55 - In what universe do you live where North Korea isn't fascist LOL

@shindarene6900

3 ай бұрын

It isn't? It's authoritarian and, unlike Mainland China, communist through and through. But not fascist. There's no outsider threatening their glory, because nothing outside exists to them. They have nothing to reclaim or revolutionise, they just keep going. The current state has always been the same to them. So yeah, according to Morbid's definition, not fascist.

@cskelly3783

2 ай бұрын

Because she isn’t dumb like you and understands that bad countries don’t always equal facist… North Korea is arguably the most isolationist nation in the entire world, impossible to escape and hard to enter. A contradictory idea to Nazi Germany and Italy which were very expansionist. They don’t make claims that the Korean race have a superiority over others. Characterized by their hatred of South Korea and its people, which are Korean. The politcal ideology of North Korea is Juche… A weird, far removed ideology with some aspects of Marxism-Leninism. Meant to confuse and distract foreign observers for the purposes of disinformation and counterintelligence, and to brainwash kids into thinking Kim Il Sung was a great thinker. To compare Kim Jong Un would be like comparing Stalin or Chairman Mao to facism. Authoritarian? Yes… Horribly mistreats and kill citizens? Yes… Militaristic? Yeah… Still not facism.

@jinxed7915

2 ай бұрын

...this one, this universe right here

@efreetheawesome

2 ай бұрын

Went hunting for this comment. That INSTANTLY set me off.

@richardvlasek2445

2 ай бұрын

north korea isn't fascist unless your definition of fascism is just a personalistic nationalist dictatorship

Fascism's definition: “Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.”

@xHiNoTorix

6 ай бұрын

Funnily enough, that's also the definition of communism.

I think a lot of the issue with the Trump fascism debate is that the question people are asking isn't necessarily the question they're actually asking. "Is Trump a fascist" is something that beckons a political scienceish debate, whereas I think a lot of the time the question people are really trying to ask is more so "should we be 'worried' about ihm? is he gonna be repressive?" and the answer that one is probably going to be different from the fascism one because you don't really need to be a fascist to be repressive. Trump isn't really a fascist, he's a rightie populist type, but htat doesn't make him not dangerous. It's just that he isn't really "the worst", because the worst of the American spectrum are neo nazi terrorists who don't really have any prominent political figures besides maybe like Nick Fuentes? It's weird. Political science is weird.

@VulpineCortex

3 ай бұрын

There's DeSantis, who was relevant. His administration is still full of crypto-nazis and republicans tried to make him president. Trump while not ideologically fascist, does support the same policies though in a somewhat less reliable manner, hence he's a fascist in practice. The distinction is meaningless in the overwhelming majority of discussions.

So basically, he's not a fascist, but a simple narcissist. Wow, so informative. It's not like it was plain obvious before.

this was really eye-opening. great video and well researched!

I just found your channel today and I’m in love😭😭🙌this video especially was perfect at articulating and expanding upon something I’ve always felt about Trump. Specifically that his ‘movement’ has become something I don’t think he ever intended it to become nor really understands in its entirety; many of his supporters that have bolstered the MAGA movement are the real threat to the stability of the USA, not him.

@slevinchannel7589

6 ай бұрын

Very well said: Perfeclty encapsulates how cllueelesss this youtuber and you are. Fascism was alwaayys a powergrab and didnt need a 'cohrent anyhting'.

@br1na332

6 ай бұрын

@@slevinchannel7589 You seem to be copypastaing this around and trying to argue with people rather than discuss the point. Genuine question: Do you think anyone here, Mariana, or any of the comments are trying to either downplay the dangers of fascism or authoritarian egoists like Trump? Because that's the energy your approach is giving, and this is absolutely not the case. In many ways people like Trump and Putin, with the Conservatives in the UK being a conglomerated missing link since Thatcher, are more dangerous than you common house or garden fascist as they don't play by the fash rules and they don't have an ideological structure to formulate a defence against, they are pure ego and violent whimsy. They court classic fash for sure, as mentioned in rge video, but they are a new evolution, beyond the classic fash and alt-right, so approaching them as fash won't work. Noone is saying they are not awful and terrifying, and in a colloquial manner they absolutely are fashy fucks, but this video and the comments are talking more specifically about Trump and authoritarian egoists like him. (I get intense and hyperfixated. I'm not trying to fight or be rude to you. I'm just trying to encapsulate my impression of what's going on here)

Brilliant like all of your essays. Thank you for the inspiration. One question though: Don't you think that one integral part of fascism is also the hollow man at the top?

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the watch :) always a symbolic man at the top, but I don’t think he’s hollow. The classic fascist Mussolini Hitler Franco triad were all pretty serious guys. I think we’re inclined to assume fascists are empty figureheads because fascism itself is so dumb, but those movements do rely on decisive leadership. Trump’s position in that regard is pretty tenuous, and I’m disturbed by what looks like a lot of genuine fascist politicians now throwing in their hat for true leader in his place.

Okay. This makes WAAAAY more sense. Great Video. ❤

Gotta say I already love the non monster content, great work!

@diegogutierrez7247

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know, I think this is still pretty on brand.

@DimioFlamingo

3 жыл бұрын

@@diegogutierrez7247 haha yeah fair

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you thank you!

I just came across this in my quest to better understand fascism and the various perspectives people have about Trump and fascism. This was an interesting listen, thank you.

Like you said, fascism comes from the Italian word "group" or better translated "groupism". Nazi Germany was considered a fasicist by history, but it was actually more accurate to call them corporate fascists.... which, ironically, is often synonymous with corperations themselves. The working class people in Nazi Germany were duped by pandering to nationalist ideas. They thought they would see a favorable redistribution of wealth. Ironically, much like other corporate themes, the wealthy, elite, and high standing party members were the ones who would get these "benefits". So, much like ideas we see in the US (*cough* trickle down economics), "fascism" is alive and well in the US. Consider this, Hitler's "National Socialism" was said to be achieved when rich and poor Hitler Youth became comrades in a sense of military unity... but the rich would remain rich and the poor would remain poor. It was a scam... just like our socio-economic structure (for lack of a better word is). I'm not a communist by any means... but our social safety net system is a joke.

I’m not a huge Trump fan but looking back at this vid after the last few years living under the current regime, holy hell we didn’t know what we had with Trump compared to what we’re dealing with now. Fantastic essay, I’d love to see a follow up featuring the current administration.

"All exist within the State, nothing competes with the State, nothing exists beyond the State." Behold, a very simple set of pillars to know what evil looks like in government.

Holy balls, literally just the other day, I was explaining what I thought about Trump and why he's not a fascist, and I said something to the effect of blah blah blah, he's not a fascist, "He's a capitalist. He's American." It was spooky hearing you say almost those exact words back at me.

To be fair: the definition of "Communism" used by Americans (or "popularized by Americans") is nonsensical as well. There is no definition for "Communism" that could include the USSR, North Korea, Vietnam AND the ideological basis Marx put down in his books. In fact, all "communist" countries and their practices are antithetical to the ideas Mark was proposing.

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Also correct! :)

@TheCarrShow

8 ай бұрын

That's because the Communism you're referring to exists only as a fantasy on paper. When it's applied in real life, you get USSR, North Korea, Vietnam, etc. To be fair, however, the fantasy version is equally nonsensical.

@devononair

6 ай бұрын

Perhaps political systems are too large to be easily defined. China currently defines itself as "Chinese communism with capitalist elements." I don't think labelling those countries as communist is nonsensical. It's pretty useful. Those countries are fundamentally different to many other countries and similar enough to each other that the term "communist" is useful. Sweden, the UK and Belgium are all constituional monarchies but are not all the same, and each one changes from Government to Government.

Great video! Here’s one for the algorithm ♥️

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Mama algorithm appreciates your contribution

Nice job! We certainly need more of us that can put aside our personal biases in order to see things objectively.

You are my new favorite youtube channel. Eloquent and articulate, you have a great voice and your videos are well put together. Your analysis on women and monsters (my two absolute favorite topics for analysis) are amazing and this video has put into words something I have been thinking for YEARS. Bless you and your channel and I hope to see more quality content from you for years :)

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! I so appreciate the kindness and am so happy you're here!

Interesting take. I'll have to think about this some more.

TLDR "I mean say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, at least it's an _ethos._ "

In a nutshell, Hitler wouldn't have shilled for NFTs

We were all told that Donald Trump is what perfection looks like. We were told by society that we should strive to be like what he is, that he represents success. He did everything that society said was the right thing to do to get ahead. He followed it to its logical extreme. He was praised for every move he made -- up until he entered the political arena, at least. And people expect that everyone can just be told to hate him for being the very thing that's been glorified for so long up until now. There is no principle behind the push to hate him by most of the voices out there. He's inconvenient for those who built their empires because he's turned upon them, but they can't denounce what he symbolizes properly because it's the very same thing all of them built their empires upon, and to demolish that in principle would bring them down as well. That's why they can't identify the problem, because they know damn good and well that they're making bank off that problem. "Why are you afraid? Isn't this what you asked for?" It's like werewolves pointing towards someone that's been cast out of their pack, trying to convince the human world that he's a vampire and needs to be staked through the heart. They could end him, but they're scared to reveal the truth and hand out silver bullets, lest the people also find out that they're werewolves too, and take them all down.

omg love this. yes so true. as someone from outside america we can see that trumpism is the americanism.

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I get the feeling that non-Americans see us a little more completely. Like watching a teenager make a fool of himself and thinking "oh honey" to yourself. Thanks for the watch!

@sortof3337

3 жыл бұрын

@@themorbidzoo I think the abundance of gun is what makes it tragic tbh. i am literally never going to america.

@samueledison4676

Жыл бұрын

It's hilarious to watch people that have literal thousands of years of history of actual fascist, totalitarian, despotic goverments try and mock the United States lmao

@radschele1815

6 ай бұрын

​@@themorbidzooa teenager who has way too much power. Sorry, but it's not like watching a teenager, but the bully who sometimes helps a person, when they're down.

I'm a fan, but I think I have my first minor quibble. I hope can be forgiven because the nature of this video is mostly definitional and not functional. In my view, Trump is too empty to be anything, but he is buoyed up and animated by fascists in such a way that he functionally is one. In some counterfactual alternate timeline (if you go for that MWI stuff) where the populist agitators were far left agrarian anarco-syndicalists, he would ride them to the top and be every bit as hollow and self serving as he is now, but confessing a different faith.

@themorbidzoo

3 ай бұрын

💯

I bet he also lies awake at night thinking about mcdonalds 🤔! I'm really digging your channel so far! You deserve so many more followers!

appreciated the sober take on a talking point that is spiraling out of control came here after your excellent video on The Thing

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Thanks :)

This video earned you a subscriber. Keep it up. Great research btw.

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Hooray, I'm glad you're sticking around!

"Fascism is the open terroristic dictatorship of finance capital" is a good definition that applies to all cases well

"He just plays one on TV..." XD I love it. Man, what an interesting video. You make a good point missy 👍

@themorbidzoo

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 😊

@KittyHatProductions

Жыл бұрын

@@themorbidzoo Fo show 🤙

irregardless if he personally is a fascist or not, he still uses similar means to get into power and to shore up supporters

hope to see more of your videos they’re really nice

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!! ❤

My concern is the strategies that Trump used and is using to stay in power follows a very similar time line to Germany in the 30s. Violence, coup attempts, brown shirts, book burning, attacking the media, attacking OTHERS, Democrats, BLM protesters, Mexicans at the border. Even concentration camps. Trump has recently advocated for "Relocation of the homeless." If Trump is not facist it is very difficult to distinguish Trump's retoric from Facist Retoric.

@themorbidzoo

7 ай бұрын

It is very difficult to distinguish, but the difference is there, and is important to recognize in crafting a response. King cobras and Indian cobras are superficially similar but if you get bit by one and use the antivenin of the other you’ll still die

@chipsdad5861

7 ай бұрын

@@themorbidzoo Both snakes will kill you though. A cobra named Donald or Adolf is still a cobra that hates everyone am I correct?

@themorbidzoo

7 ай бұрын

@@chipsdad5861 absolutely, that’s just not really the point of this video

@chipsdad5861

7 ай бұрын

@@themorbidzoo I think Trump and Putin are using Hitler as a playbook. Not being quite as vicious but wanting to achieve the same goals. Set aside the constitution, create concentration camps and commit unspeakable crimes.

@Henrik_Holst

7 ай бұрын

I think the main difference lies in that Hitler, Mussolini and Kim Jong-un does those kinds of policies because they believe that they will make the world a better place while Trump simply talks about these policies because he have heard that people who like him likes those ideas and he wants those likes so bad, so bad.

You were at OU??? I was literally watching one of your videos in that building a week ago

Saying Trump isn’t a fascist because he doesn’t believe in fascism is like saying Tom isn’t a murderer because Tom didn’t believe he killed Mike, even thought Tom was found at the scene covered in Mike’s blood and holding the murder weapon, and Tom had been talking about how murder can benefit him personally for years.

I never subscribed so fast before

Freaking awesome! I like everything about your work. Being a kind of involuntary Facism expert by birth, I was puzzled by him until I figured it out (I think) - he has a massive personality disorder, he is not an idilogical zealot (at least not for Facism). Because as you say, he talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk. All he does he does to further his extremely narcicisstic goals. Greetings from Germany

@themorbidzoo

3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much 😁

Wow, another great video! Very underrated KZread channel here, even if you don’t have many videos up. I hope you keep making more

Yes, he plays one on TV, and more of them ran his cabinet. The question of personal motivation and sincerity may not be that relevant, and plenty of the tentpole fascists were also egomaniac salesmen.

It's actually debatable whether or not the ideology of North Korea is Communist, because North Korea subscribes to an ideology called Juche which is derived from the Marxist-Leninist tendency of Communism but deviates a lot from Marxist-Leninism. For starters the Kim family have utterly replaced Marx, Lenin, as the founding fathers of Communism; and national struggle has supplanted class struggle as the defining conflict. Much in the way National struggle supplanted class struggle in the National/Fascist-Syndalist movement in Italy that gave birth to modern day Nationalism. Additionally the Kim family themselves do not view the Juche movement as merely just another Communist or Marxist-Leninist tendency. They regarded Juche as distinct from the Communism of Russia and Marx and some critics have gone so far as to say that Juche is not communist at all; but is instead an Ultra-Nationalist if not Fascist Ideology with a Centrally Planned economy. And of course plenty of Anarchists and Communist reject the notion that a centrally planned economy can be considered a communist economy because the workers don't control the means of production the party controls the means of production through the state and that can only be considered Communist if you actually believe the party is controlled by the people.

He is the hardest working comedian in the game

Such a well done video!

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the watch!!

An amazing last line!

As a former writer for Wisecrack (who didn't write that 8-Bit video) I agree with this assessment.

Perhaps he isn't, but it doesn't really matter because he's willing to believe anything politically if he thinks it's necessary. And he'll act accordingly. It doesn't matter if his heart is really in it or not

This is so good, thanks for this perspective

@themorbidzoo

2 жыл бұрын

You're so sweet! Thanks for all the watches

Holy... holy fuck. I found this channel through the video on The Thing. This channel is amazing! Are there any other platforms or websites you write content on? Your shit is really good!

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, thanks!!! I was writing theatrical reviews for hidefninja last year, but then the world fell apart, whoops. Thanks for being here, I've got a new video up this week!

The fact that you say Trump only thinks about himself really rings true . I totally agree .

"We call him a fascist because we tend to identify new things by the names of things which we already know". That's... that's very insightful!

@slevinchannel7589

6 ай бұрын

No, its not. Some-More-News has covered Trump objectively being a Fascisttt

Great video. Great logic, editing, script, presentation, explanation. This video should gain a lot more views. I see people in the comments saying using fascism for gain is not much different than fascist. I don't know about that, so I asked a friend who has less media influence of his opinions. He said, politicians don't do what they say. Donald Trump's using fascism as a means is dangerous, but not as dangerous as him believing in it. So there is a significance in him not being a true fascist.

@incredibleblaan9983

2 ай бұрын

JJ think about the use of fascism by people like him, and others in the past, just as a business model to reach their goals/ power and wealth on other peoples costs and lifes. That is why the longer they "act like a fascist", the more likely they will turn themselves into one. And of course doesn´t stand being narcistic in contradiction to being fasicst. In fact the opposit is more likely the case. For people like you or me, it will make no difference in the end of the day, if Trump believes in it or not, because the results will be the same for society. Thats why the whole vid is pointless...

@incredibleblaan9983

2 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/a4yIrLCyj7LYmqg.html

@JJ-ds2get-her

2 ай бұрын

@@incredibleblaan9983 I had no intention of underestimating the danger. And I had no intention of precisely evaluating the difference in their impacts. I'm just saying that I used to equate them. But now I think they are not exactly the same, because there is a significant difference, which has no directly implication for the severity of the outcomes. That's the thought provoking process I got from the video. And I don't have to see Donald Trump as a real fascist even though sometimes he's worse.

@incredibleblaan9983

2 ай бұрын

@@JJ-ds2get-her "I'm just saying that I used to equate them."

@JJ-ds2get-her

2 ай бұрын

@@incredibleblaan9983 I think I've watched that video before. I'm a big fan of him. i think his team makes great videos (great presentation). But sometimes I can spot that they are trying to dumb down their content a little or sensationalize it a little or flaming it a little just to compete on KZread, which is a valid strategy to at least get the message to as many people as possible, as majority of the audience are emotion monsters. But I think his video is packaged too well. And I'm more into deeper analysis or thinking. But regardless, I'll probably watch that video again since I like him a lot. Thanks for sharing.

Where does this sit in the context of "guilt by association"? In some circles I frequent, the attitude held by many is that to not attack fascism is to accept it. To use your example, Donald Trump may no be a fascist, but the people around him are, so therefore he may as well be. I don't actually agree with the take I've just described, but it then becomes difficult to know what to do with it. When it comes to politics, I hold myself and those sharing my alignment to a high standard, because I believe that wild hyperbole, blanket statements, and the creation of an "other" (a caricature badguy, dehumanising those different to you) is not the way forward and does no good for our position. In other words, I don't like the playbook of the right, and especially don't like that playbook being used by the left. So I engage, but then find it to be an impossible conversation to have, because all it takes is someone to throw out a "giving ground", "sympathiser", or similar and there's no recovery from there. Or is the lesson here that the internet isn't real life, and that attempting to discuss complex, dynamic and volatile topics such as this with people you don't know is a fruitless endeavour? Great video btw. Found your channel this weekend, and everything I've seen has been brilliant. Thanks for your work!

Recent youtube subscriber, "North Korea is not fascist" is where you start to lose me.

@Kodaemon

2 ай бұрын

It absolutely, ABSOLUTELY is.

Amazing video, immediate subscribe.

Was Mussolini convinced of his ideology? I must admit, I didn't study him in close detail, and it's been a while, but from what I remember, he gives me a similar vibe to trump. How he was perceived, celebrated, seeing himself as another kind of Ceasar, by the way that he studied newspapers and stories, appeared in public and organised his daughter's wedding at saint joseph church in Rome. Self-importance was a significant part of Mussolini, similar to Trump. Not sure whether the belief is really relevant either.

name-dropping jason stanley as a source for anything other than amusement is just disqualifying here

Zoo, you're brilliant. Please keep making these

6:15 north korea is not even close to being communist

I just stumbled onto your channel randomly via the algorithm, but I'm glad that I did! I was skeptical of the video title, but you make a lot of very convincing points! I love that last line, "[He]'s not a fascist, he just plays one on TV" is brilliant and hit the nail right on the head. He has no real belief or convictions of a glorious time we must go back to, only to himself.

0:55 they are though 6:12 yea, here we disagree, I don't think of NK as communist as it doesn't uphold any tenants of communism. I'm quite worried how the label has been tainted by states pretending to uphold communism while actually propagating fascism. 8:00 I'd say he's a narcissist who ties his identity to wealth 9:40 liberals might think this way but most leftists don't - when he gets called fascist, it's a manifestation of the systemic issues within America, late stage capitalism being one of the most influential. He's not an outsider, he's a member of capitalist class who joined the ruling class, he's as much an outsider as a sibling in one's living room.

I've wondered a bit about the line between conservatism and fascism. people point at Karl Shmitt's friend/enemy distinction, and you look at Wilhoit's law, "Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.", and I wonder: what's the difference? I really like your content, but this video feels like a distinction without a difference - trump's not a fascist, but he is courting fascists, and bringing them into his inner circle, and "make america great again" is palingenetic ultranationalism distilled, and the things he does hit 10 of the Umberto Eco's 14 points easily - maybe more, but HE's not a fascist, he's just doing fascist shit. I think people are what they do. If he stops doing fascist shit, he'll stop being a fascist, but for now that's not the case.

“Fascist” is perhaps the most abused term in the political lexicon, and this isn’t a new phenomenon. (Read Orwell’s 1944 essay on the topic.) It’s mostly used as a blunt slur against one’s political opponents-left or right-rather than a description of any sensible meaning. Fascism is actually an amalgam of left and right, and this makes its modern misuse understandable, because if a particular faction defines it as only existing among its opponents, then that faction doesn’t have to acknowledge it in its own ranks. It's the laziest of slurs.

@Existential8Ball

7 ай бұрын

The reduction of political ideologies to floating signifiers inspires questions of the terms death. The cavalier dismissal of it to that and only that not only seals the coffin on our understanding of the world, but to our already frail democracies across the global. Orwell was a novelist in 1940, not a political philosopher in the 2020’s. We have a solid working definition of general fascism. Someone handwaving the overuse of an understood term without immediately elucidating is just a smug nail driver, guilty of killing the term alongside those they wave their finger at.

@cardinalRG

7 ай бұрын

@@Existential8Ball --You’ve missed the point. The terms fascism/fascist are disputed far more than they are understood, now more so than ever. To point that out, as I have, actually works against the death of those terms. In contrast, to stretch and dilute them to the point that, in their typical modern usage, they barely have meaning at all, is to cavalierly dismiss them as all but an empty harangue of convenience-and that’s my core point here. And it doesn’t take a “political philosopher in the 2020s” to make that observation, just someone literate and willing to consider the terms’ origin, impetus, and the traits that enabled fascism, over history, to propel dictators, drive entire societies, and fuel worldwide wars. That you apparently think such lineage is to be ignored in favor of a definition _du jour,_ suggests someone who believes word meanings are ephemeral, and that we’re free to re-define them as we please, so long as there’s a mob sizable enough to chant along with us. So have at it, friend, if it gives you peace of mind. Make into a “fascist” whoever and whatever you care to, history and precision be damned. While you’re at it, why not call a circle a “square” from now on, or call a turtle a “mule,” or swap “East” and “West” with each other? By the way, have you read Orwell’s essay, or have you just scorned it out of hand?

@Existential8Ball

7 ай бұрын

​@@cardinalRG Put your nose down, chill, and stop projecting. I understand your core point, you missed mine. I said political philosophers are defining it. It's the most studied political term/regime type in history. There's discourse on the margins, but we have a solid general definition after a century of work from historians and philosophers. Orwell didn't have this knowledge at his fingertips. Orwell, in his very short essay, was wrong and just as lazy as those who misuse the term. He waves at the complexity of political philosophy, besmirches those who overuse it and neglects to define it in the essay. Which is fine considering how fresh all of this was at the time, but smug and lazy. The term he should've used was authoritarian tendencies, not fascist. Fascism is an authoritarian ideology, but not all authoritarian ideologies or practices are fascist as he points out in the essay. Orwell was a critic of communist movements because they harbored authoritarian tendencies, and boy was he right there. But authoritarian communism isn't fascism. It has a distinct definition and ideological structure. I LITERALLY said it has a definition and you're pretending I said it has no definition, we shouldn't engage in reflective equilibrium, and the mob can define it? Stop boxing shadows, chill, and try again. Actually read what I said.

@cardinalRG

7 ай бұрын

@@Existential8Ball -- _”Put your nose down…”_ Sorry, your meaning escapes me. _”I said political philosophers are defining it.”_ I know that’s what you said. And I disagree, believing instead that (some) political philosophers are RE-defining it. _”It's the most studied political term/regime type in history.”_ I don’t share your opinion. _”…we have a solid general definition after a century of work from historians and philosophers.”_ We do not, in fact there are few major, political terms that are further from consensus than _fascism,_ even among supposed experts. Now, you can certainly find the appearance of consensus among specific groups you may select, such as conservatives and liberals, philosophers and political scientists, economists and diplomats, etc., but that only supports my argument that while _fascism_ is indeed definable, that definition eludes most people who use the term. And I believe that many of them don't want better understanding of fascism, because it's too handy as a crude slur. _”Orwell didn't have this knowledge at his fingertips.”_ I don’t know what you mean by “fingertips,” but at any rate, Orwell had eyes and ears, was literate, an astute observer, and lived during time of actual dominance by genuine fascist regimes. I’m struggling to understand why you seem to discount that. _”Fascism is an authoritarian ideology, but not all authoritarian ideologies or practices are fascist as he points out in the essay.”_ For my part, I agree. But the word “authoritarian” does not appear in Orwell’s essay. Have you actually read the essay? _”But authoritarian communism isn't fascism.”_ Who here said that it is? Still, that some would (incorrectly) label authoritarian communism as “fascism” only illustrates my point about the term’s misuse. _”It has a distinct definition and ideological structure. I LITERALLY said it has a definition and you're pretending I said it has no definition…”_ I said no such thing, and you’ve missed my point again. The core of my argument is that it does have a definition, and I recognize that you agree with that argument. I’m simply arguing that most of the term’s modern usage has departed from any genuine definition, in favor of lazy, rubbery RE-definitions that are motivated only by oppositional posturing. It’s no better than a pie fight.

@cardinalRG

7 ай бұрын

@@Existential8Ball --Perhaps I haven’t been expressing myself well, so I’ll try to re-phrase and clarify my argument. _Fascism_ is definable, and you and I may or may not agree on what that definition is-we haven’t addressed that. Well-informed people can always discuss _fascism_ sensibly, regardless of the level of agreement. Unfortunately, many-perhaps most--who use the term “fascism/fascist” nowadays do so without considering any substantial, reasoned definition, but just as a fast and handy insult of their opponents, usually political opponents. Even some supposed experts do this, when their partisan urges overcome their objectivity. As a result of all this, to call something or someone “fascist” in 2023 is typically close to meaningless, reflective only of the desire to slur something or someone a person don’t like. *_That’s_* what I’m arguing against, the too-common, substance-free misuse of the word. And that’s why I mentioned Orwell, because that’s the thrust of his 1944 essay. I haven’t argued with you about what the definition of _fascism_ is, only that many have re-defined it for their purposes. That’s demonstrable, since people in opposing camps obviously use the term on each other. Logically, they can’t all be right, and so some re-definition has taken place. That’s all I’m saying.

I am completely on board with the statement that Donald, personally, isn't a fascist. To be a fascist you have to ascribe to a number of fascist beliefs. (The exact list is something we could argue about.) But Donald doesn't have enough of these, whichever they may be. He isn't really a good authoritarian, because he doesn't believe that the state should ideally be led by a strongman with unlimited powers. Unless that person is he. He also generally wants the state to leave him alone, in principle; he can be very libertarian, again unless the state is him. Sure, he's some kind of racist, but not in any ideological way. He doesn't believe that any singular race is superior and should be in charge, he just looks down on a lot of people, and what he looks down on is mostly them being poor. I think that Donalds primary problem with african-american or latino people is that he is prejudiced against them, he will unthinkingly assume that they are poor. If you show him a colored person with a shit-ton of money, hey, he's ready to like and admire that person. Witness his relationship with the saudis. And so on. Donald doesn't have enough convictions to be described as any kind of #ist. (Although, if the beating heart of fascist ideology is disdain for weakness, as proposed by norwegian philosopher Harald Ofstad, then Donald surely gets a lot of fascist points on his scorecard, because that is something he truly does believe in.) However. I'm not sure that it matters. The MAGA movement is fascist as hell. They want Donald to be the strongman in charge, but if he dies they'll settle on somebody else. Maybe Vivek, maybe Ivanka, maybe Tucker. They want the state to wield total control and pursue dissenters with cruelty, they dream about a mythological past golden age, they are as fervently anti-intellectual and pro-violence as anybody who was cheering for Mussolini back in the 30s. And if that is what they want, Donald will gladly give it to them. He doesn't care.

How long are we going to wait for the mea culpa on this one

In the past year I've come to realize that he's an "accidental neofascist" because while he doesn't have any principles (other than his golden rule of "every statement/action must be made/performed to boost my ego"), he resembles historical fascists more and more with each passing year. We all know that he doesn't read books, so perhaps we can discount his ex-wife claiming that Donald had some of Hitler's musings on his bedside table for reading. But I wish we could all agree on what to call him that would resonate most. I vote for not calling him a "strongman" because so many Americans see the word "strong" and will take it as a backhanded compliment. "Authoritarian" seems accurate, but such a word goes over the heads of dullards. "Dictator" will be easily discredited by his supporters because technically there are two other branches of the government to keep him in check (in theory, lol). We need to come up with a cool new term for the 21st century that perfectly suits him. Maybe a word that combines "entertainer" with "fascist" ("fascistainer" won't work, I've already tried it hahaha).

This sure has aged well.

Yes. He's embodied Neoliberal Bourgeoisie - on Tee Vee. When he said "make America great again" he was talking about the 80s and 90s ffs.

Great summary

I'm not convinced by this. Fascism has evolved over time and been implemented slightly differently with each iteration, and Trump represents the most recent phase of fascism.

I agree with the conclusion, but we should all fear him as a fascist because he is willing to be one if it serves him, and that's basically the same thing in the end (at least as far as what might happen if he were given free reign to do what he wants).

I was going into this video a bit sceptical, but based on your other videos, I thought it would be worthwhile to hear your argument. And I think you make a convincing case. One thing though, to reflect on, is to what extent previous fascists of history were "actually fascist" in the way we imagine fascists, or whether they had strains of the same narcissistic opportunism that is a hallmark of Trump. But I'm reminded of Russia's media strategy regarding propaganda: Russia has (or at least had up until the invasion of Ukraine, I don't know exactly where they stand now) a propaganda strategy that could more properly be called postmodern than modern: the old modern propaganda strategies of the 20th century were about making you believe and do certain things - the content was important; "this is true - that is not true"; Russia's postmodern propaganda strategy is about negating truth and meaning as concepts; "everything is true and everything is false" so your search for truth and meaning will begin to feel meaningless and any activity aimed at organizing will feel like aesthetic posturing, just another utterance in a sea of utterances, where truth is nonexistant and meaning consequently vanishes - and actions don't matter. The alt-right and Trump's brand of right-wing griftery seems to have strains of the same postmodernism; language is a tool to confuse, truth is impossible and only your impression matters. Crucially, however, even Sartre wrote back in the day about the fascists distaste for language as a means to reason about something and by which to reach truth - that the fascist, even of the 20th century, would play in the language game, not because they felt bound by rules of logic, but only so long as it suited them - substituting it for violence the moment they looked like they were on a losing path. My open question at the end is, whether the postmodern nature of Trump means that he is something distinct from the fascism of the previous century, or whether fascism today has simply gone with the times and gone full postmodern; I think you have a good point where you point out how the fascists following Trump are a radically different branch of fascism than Trump; and I think maybe even the modern fascist and the more postmodern alt-right fascist might still share some true belief in some fascist worldview - that they just obscure by language since they know it will turn people away. In the end, while guessing what's in Trump's head might always be uncertain, I think you may be right - Trump is playing a different game than all the different brands of fascism; and that for Trump it is always and only about Trump - no ideology matters.

That of course isn’t to say he’s not far-right. The movement vs the man.

@themorbidzoo

2 жыл бұрын

Certainly

@JS-wp4gs

Жыл бұрын

@@themorbidzoo If you think trump is 'far right' you need your head examined. He spent his entire life as a new york democrat and has done nothing that even remotely implies being 'far right'

@amberhide04

6 ай бұрын

@@JS-wp4gs democrats are already right wing so it isn't much of a jump

for anyone interested in what she is driving at with this not being fascism but rather a new american authoritarian ideology i would suggest reading inverted totalitarianism by sheldon wolin.

@themorbidzoo

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome, awesome, awesome rec

Interesting perspective, I didn't think you were going to pull it off. I'm curious if your perspective has changed. I liked your closing point about how America is the root problem, but I have to disagree that it is helpful to differentiate Trump from facism, or at least to spend much effort doing so. I think there is a lot of really good reason to believe that regardless of Trump's personal beliefs he wants to set up a facist regime. The mistake isnt that by believing Trump is facist we think we can separate him from the American system. The mistake is believing that facism can be separated from the American system

@themorbidzoo

4 ай бұрын

Your last sentence is exactly it 💯 my perspective has not changed. To this day I think trump’s appeal to fascism for a second term is largely so he can keep himself out of prison, and is only sincerely held in his mind to the extent that the tenets of American fascism include “Donald Trump Should Not Go To Prison.” While I don’t think “we” should spend much time parsing the differences in public discourse, I do think *someone* should parse the difference. To my mind, that task should be the job of academia, but it only can be if academics properly make their case to the public and if the public respects their opinion. In any case, the left needs to cooperate with each other and share knowledge if we want to get anything done.

I never really liked Trump before. I saw him as the loudmouthed WWE personality, mail-order steak magnate, verbal diarrhea man. Pretty dubious background for a president, imo. But gradually I started noticing the most curious phenomenon; Orange Man's mere existence began making loony extremists (some being my friends and family) froth-at-the-mouth levels of angry. One of my fractured personality alters is something akin to the benign internet troll archetype, so naturally it made me laugh inwardly like a giddy schoolboy. I started stoking the metaphorical fire by saying I really like Trump, siting erroneous and outright fabricated reasons, only to make them even more furious and exasperated. It's fun. And I like fun.

1. HUGE props (as one iconic man might say) for seemingly somewhat recognizing Fascism as a Revolutionary ideology. Still though, despite being better than legions of others, it’s still not quite there. Here’s a more precise altered version: Fascism (n): A modernist revolutionary statist-ultra-nationalism, of corporatist and syndicalist nature, which seeks to reclaim and manifest the people of a nation to a rebirth of an imagined past and then to previously hidden utopian glory by any means necessary, the percieved loss of which glory is understood to have been caused and is continually threatened by degrading outside and internal forces in which the previous dominant societal orders were too susceptible or weak to handle. Then there’s Gnosticism, but that was all over the 19th and 20th century underpinnings of new ideologies in general. 2. Being against illegal immigration and advocating for a moratorium on immigration for a period of time is not fascist or even racist. National sovereignty only disappears if it is discarded. 3. None of the Trump supporters shown in the video are fascist. Nearly all fringe self-proclaimed fascists aren’t even fascist beyond being racist and liking aesthetics due to a liberal education system that can’t even defined fascism accurately. 4. Trump is indeed … not a fascist. Truly, an astonishing fact that I’m sure you had to wrestle with deeply and one that took you many years to finally come to, (and not even fully). Good job getting that far at least! I really mean that! Perhaps one day you’ll look back and realize the populist flux Trump’s surprisingly multifaceted movement is chiefly involved in (which indeed is bigger than him, despite being inseparable from him) also was and remains, not fascist. Here’s till that possible day! 🎉 God bless ya!

I have to disagree about fascism needing a supposedly glorious past or the idea of one, it can instead have an imagined Glorious future as long as people can be made to believe in the forming national identity.

From the excerpt from the current Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary: Fascism is defined as a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

"Two weeks, two weeks! You sounded like a parrot there."