that's a good piont, i agree & self-concously try to avoid dehumanising language like that, but it's just so ubiquitous it gets in your head & you end up saying it without thinking
note to self for the future
I could listen to @nicholasemitchell.bsky.social all day. This is such an affirming take. Thank you Toby Buckle for another fab pod. 💕 @polphilpod.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...
In February, I got to sit down with Toby Buckle for a conversation about bigotry and why any compromise with bigots is a step towards bigotry.
Check it out!
male insecurity is why noticing very obvious facts was dismissed as hysterical
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
if you try to appease bigots, they'll think you're weak & push you further
new interview with @nicholasemitchell.bsky.social
www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/bigotry
For real this is the best thing I’ve read on differentiating conservatism from fascism, why that difference matters & why “conservatives” by and large had no trouble becoming fascists.
"Conservatism is not merely dead, fascism has paraded the body around, peeled off its face, and is wearing it as a mask for its own amusement as it does a demented little dance." www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
Highly recommend, this is great, necessary conversation
lots of new content out today
if you try to appease bigots, they'll think you're weak & push you further
new interview with @nicholasemitchell.bsky.social
www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/bigotry
"Crying about the loss of the middle ground is already becoming cliche, dated, and frankly a little embarrassing"
my latest for @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
with all that said, where you place the exact dividing lines between ideologies is tricky &, ultimately, always a judgement call
this is what makes sense to me - these are my reasons, hopefully they make sense to you too
there's not some scientific answer here, though
like, the trump movement is fascist, reform are fascist, elon musk is a fascist
i'm not a shrinking violet on this one
www.theunpopulist.net/p/even-by-a-...
& i say this as someone often criticised by centrists for using the f-word too aggressively
i mean, you *can* have a bifurcated worldview in which everything other than your specific brand of socialism is fascism, that's a schema
i just don't know what analytic work that does, or where it gets you
people who think 'it was always fascism' will point to hard-right conservatives (& fair enough)
but your definition should also be able to cover genuine moderates
like, i do not think john major is a fascist
This is a thought-provoking definition of conservatism
"This, in a nutshell, is conservatism: The ideology does care about upholding the social order, but only those parts of it that are considered extra-human in origin, man-made deviations from that are to be disdained, rejected, or even purged."
"It is the ‘reasons why’ that best define an ideology."
This is very good and thought-provoking #longread by @polphilpod.bsky.social in @liberalcurrents.com
I don't agree with all but the core arguments are sound and important. Well worth your time, if you are interested in political ideologies.
As someone who once described himself as a "conservative" (many, many years ago), I think this article describes it well and gives voice to many of my feelings about political parties and conservatism in particular.
This article by @polphilpod.bsky.social is 🔥, esp this:
"Fascists just don’t care about economics. To them, it’s entirely secondary to the project of racial domination. They can sound vaguely ‘populist’ and anti-corporate at times, ruthlessly capitalist/
www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
Important and correct by @polphilpod.bsky.social Toby Buckle at @liberalcurrents.com Liberal Currents.
The "all conservatism was always already Trumpist and fascist" line is ultimately a way to normalize Trump, and should be resisted.
www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
"Our goal should be to recruit people to liberalism, not to resurrect the center right. There are a lot of people on the periphery of the Trump movement who can be talked out of it, or who are apathetic who can be activated." www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
trump's fascism is categorically different to previous conservatism
my latest
www.liberalcurrents.com/it-wasnt-fas...
starmer is attempting to find a position in between - the problem is absolutely no one wants that, you just have to pick a side
This is great read. I’ve participated in conservative-thought fellowships largely BECAUSE I found Corey Robin’s “The Reactionary Mind” so limited. This piece is necessary for understanding how conservatism and capital-L liberalism fit together and where they diverge.
Damn. The whole essay is worth a read for how it discusses the motivating factors of various social and political ideologies in historical and present contexts. And then this quote. 🔥🔥🔥
Man, this one is good. I've been trying to wrap my head around traditional small-c conservatism, and ways of thinking about the current moment, and it really helps. Will be rereading when I can let the concepts and reasoning sink in.
ok yeah this article is peak
This is a hearty and nourishing meal. I wish an essay like this was available when I was writing my dissertation on the Popular Front era years ago.
"My view is that conservatism is meaningfully distinct from fascism. They have some similarities (both are regressive ideologies), and can sometimes pursue similar policies (both Trump and Bush started new wars in the middle east), but are ultimately different families of political beliefs."
