- 29 Jan 2011 05:41
#13613551
This topic for me is very unrefined, but I still want to throw some things out there and see if anyone wants to help me a little. I am very much ignorant when it comes to philosophic writings on Fascism, but I wanted to try to compare what I have learned and heard (mostly through PoFo) and contrast it with my thoughts and feelings, and ask you all to offer some opinions on whether I am misinformed on fascist-related things or if there are certain things I could read to directly address my questions. I'll do it in a simple Pro/Con list, and feel free to correct and suggest anything that comes to mind! This is really an exploratory exercise.
"Pro-Fascism" aka "Things that harmonize with my thoughts," etc.
- In my thoughts and readings about the idea of 'rights' and the like, I am consistently more attracted to the arguments that provide reasoning that 'rights' as we know them do not exist. Rights are merely convenient names for power relations, and the language of rights is something that is used as a political tool. How can they be universal when they flex based on the time and technology (suddenly there is talk of a "right to internet" or "right to heating oil."
- I think that it is important for a community to be anchored around principles. This sometimes seems to align with the fascist idea of the state as a body to be revered; it acts as a unifying force in all citizen's lives.
- I don't like libertarianism very much (though I used to be one many moons ago, don't tell anyone). At the same time, I am not quite sure that utopian goals on the left are practical enough to devote time to them. The genie of trade, so to speak, is out of the bottle. Corporatist policy seems to mediate these two trends in a sort of third way that prevents capitalist excess while still allowing for trade. I also know theres something called (maybe) producerism (I think), not sure if that's similar or related. I'm also a big fan of autarky and self-sufficiency.
- I think that government should be a respectable profession, and should be scathing policed for corruption. I think it's disgusting that in the U.S. government is associated with sloth and incompetence.
- I really like a lot of what Nietzsche has to say. Not sure if any of you are fans, but just thought I'd throw that out there. This leads into the next point...
- "only as an aesthetic phenomenon that existence and the world are eternally justified" (Birth of Tragedy). My inner struggle with things like determinism and free will has led me to conclusions that would seem to embrace the aesthetic underpinnings of fascism (at least from my view of the tip of the iceberg, so to speak).
- I care a lot about the environment. I think government power is probably the only reasonable way to deal with problems like this.
- There are some goals that are worth sacrifice. One I've brought up recently is space exploration and colonization; I think that this imperative is more important than nearly anything else in many ways. It's somewhat consequentialist in thought, but when a meteor strikes it won't matter if we've liberated anyone or not, because life will be over for a very long time.
"Not so hot on Fascism" points
- I don't personally feel identified with my race/ethnicity. I can trace family history from some European countries, but I don't feel particularly connected with them. Ditto goes for the U.S., if anything I just get pissed off when I read about things like the trail of tears. So I don't know if I have much grounding to feel a 'nationalist sentiment' or what have you.
- In that line of thought, I tend to be fairly cosmopolitan. People don't choose to be born in a certain place, or in poverty or wealth. I don't see how claims of meritocracy can ignore this problem logically.
- Not as keen on militarism and the like. In the U.S. at least, we waste tons of money on military spending for imperialist idiocy.
- Concerned about the obvious potential for disintegration into totalitarianism (see: V for Vendetta, 1984, etc. etc.).
Thanks for reading all that, and I welcome any thoughts (from fascists, libertarians, anyone really).
"Pro-Fascism" aka "Things that harmonize with my thoughts," etc.
- In my thoughts and readings about the idea of 'rights' and the like, I am consistently more attracted to the arguments that provide reasoning that 'rights' as we know them do not exist. Rights are merely convenient names for power relations, and the language of rights is something that is used as a political tool. How can they be universal when they flex based on the time and technology (suddenly there is talk of a "right to internet" or "right to heating oil."
- I think that it is important for a community to be anchored around principles. This sometimes seems to align with the fascist idea of the state as a body to be revered; it acts as a unifying force in all citizen's lives.
- I don't like libertarianism very much (though I used to be one many moons ago, don't tell anyone). At the same time, I am not quite sure that utopian goals on the left are practical enough to devote time to them. The genie of trade, so to speak, is out of the bottle. Corporatist policy seems to mediate these two trends in a sort of third way that prevents capitalist excess while still allowing for trade. I also know theres something called (maybe) producerism (I think), not sure if that's similar or related. I'm also a big fan of autarky and self-sufficiency.
- I think that government should be a respectable profession, and should be scathing policed for corruption. I think it's disgusting that in the U.S. government is associated with sloth and incompetence.
- I really like a lot of what Nietzsche has to say. Not sure if any of you are fans, but just thought I'd throw that out there. This leads into the next point...
- "only as an aesthetic phenomenon that existence and the world are eternally justified" (Birth of Tragedy). My inner struggle with things like determinism and free will has led me to conclusions that would seem to embrace the aesthetic underpinnings of fascism (at least from my view of the tip of the iceberg, so to speak).
- I care a lot about the environment. I think government power is probably the only reasonable way to deal with problems like this.
- There are some goals that are worth sacrifice. One I've brought up recently is space exploration and colonization; I think that this imperative is more important than nearly anything else in many ways. It's somewhat consequentialist in thought, but when a meteor strikes it won't matter if we've liberated anyone or not, because life will be over for a very long time.
"Not so hot on Fascism" points
- I don't personally feel identified with my race/ethnicity. I can trace family history from some European countries, but I don't feel particularly connected with them. Ditto goes for the U.S., if anything I just get pissed off when I read about things like the trail of tears. So I don't know if I have much grounding to feel a 'nationalist sentiment' or what have you.
- In that line of thought, I tend to be fairly cosmopolitan. People don't choose to be born in a certain place, or in poverty or wealth. I don't see how claims of meritocracy can ignore this problem logically.
- Not as keen on militarism and the like. In the U.S. at least, we waste tons of money on military spending for imperialist idiocy.
- Concerned about the obvious potential for disintegration into totalitarianism (see: V for Vendetta, 1984, etc. etc.).
Thanks for reading all that, and I welcome any thoughts (from fascists, libertarians, anyone really).