alt Hacker NewsIt's a fair point that it's become one of those words that doesn't really _mean_ anything anymore in common discourse. Like Marxism. For all intents and purposes, Marxism is basically "anything I don't like that's left of center."
I mean, anyone who claims with any level of seriousness that Democrats are Marxist have _zero_ clue what that means.
I think the issue is more that there is so much loaded emotion in the image of a 'real fascist' that you're just adding another layer to the totalitarian-authoritarian personality, which is itself utterly fake.
Cut to the bone - point out that it's just a personality they're inventing. It's not really who they are. It's just a cowardly shield they're wearing because they are afraid.