Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
A Brief Note about Fascism, Antifa, and President Trump
There’s a little checklist making the rounds on social media and purporting to list “characteristics of fascists.” As lists go it isn’t a very good one, in that it oddly omits the sine qua non, the single essential aspect, of fascism, which is the blunt use of government authority to completely control the economy and the people.
That, after all, is what fascism is, so it seems worth mentioning.
“‘Let the jury consider their verdict,’ the King said, for about the twentieth time that day. ‘No, no!’ said the Queen. ‘Sentence first–verdict afterward.’ ‘Stuff and nonsense!’ said Alice loudly.” — Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Talking American sends me thinking now and again. All the questions about the left and the right came up again the other day, questions that come up more often than I think they should, and which I fear can never be articulated in a way that contains partisan passions. That’s how it is: The terms of political art are almost unique in how contentious and disputable they really are. But this sent me thinking, as I said, so I have some questions and remarks below, and a sketch for a crash course on the politics of left and right — I hope you’ll be interested in this enough to make it possible to have more conversations and, possibly, more clarity.