alt Hacker News> Anybody standing on a narrow view of "but this is just the law"
It's a pity Americans must learn empirically rather than from history books how fascism operates.
Replies
Hey now, you can't just go casually dropping F-bombs like that in polite conversation. "Fascism" is something terrible from history, highly specific to that time, and can never happen again unless the people involved loudly proclaim themselves Fascists. And even then it's questionable if they would have the right to use the trademark! In fact I'm not even sure if I believe that the events that happened in Italy during the early 20th century should be called fascism. The word means something really really bad (though I'm not sure what), and we shouldn't speak ill of the dead.
What's happening in the US is something completely new, different, and totally worth seeing what it can accomplish this time. Think of all those sci-fi "dystopias" with a privileged ruling class living lives of comfort and luxury, and not having to think about the filthy underclass. Good vibes are what I'm here for.
I want to engage with this comment in good faith, but I'm confused on what is trying to be said.
Per American Heritage Dictionary 5th Edition:
> A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
Looking at this case so far; - we have not observed any dictatorial behavior, - this is unrelated to economics, - we have not observed any violent suppression, - we have not observed any actions based on nationalism/race,
given these facts, at least by this definition of fascism, there appears to be none yet present in this case.
What history books or definition should Americans learn from that would lead them to view what transpired as fascism, and how should that inform their beliefs/decisions differently than how they are currently informed about the situation?