From: Brian Manning Delaney (bdelaney@infinitefaculty.org)
Date: Fri Jun 09 2000 - 21:52:15 MDT
KPJ wrote:
> It appears as if Brian Manning Delaney <bdelaney@infinitefaculty.org> wrote:
> |But it's quite difficult to know how to predict fascism. A lot
> |of studies were done after WWII, though, which shed some light
> |on the matter. There are certainly some disturbing signs among
> |members of Extropians (but, of course, it's not clear how less
> |present such signs would be on any other list): a VERY strong
> |"us vs. them" mentality, strong resentment towards groups
> |thought to have more power than they deserve (environmentalists,
> |Jews, feminists, etc., etc., etc. -- the circumcision
> |discussions are always good for a laugh: no, no, seriously,
> |these ZOG minions -- or would that be "minion"?... -- can
> |certainly be annoying; but the point about the danger manifest
> |in the reaction is _attitude_, not _content_).
> The fascism meme requires that the infected person(s)
>
> o feel superior to some other group(s),
>
> o feel the(se) other group(s) must be repressed for some reason, and
>
> o feel obliged to use force against the(se) group(s).
>
> I see anti-fascists fighting fascists, using exactly the same methods.
>
> The danger in fighting fascism is that fascism is contagious:
> fascists and anti-fascists become two sides of the same coin.
Often, yes. Key is not so much to fight it, as to be aware of
the risk of its development within oneself, seems to me.
Self-criticism is the safest kind of criticism. (But
other-criticism is unavoidable.)
By the way, the first of your three criteria is present among
pretty much anyone who has an opinion, and the second also (to a
slightly lesser degree, though; also, depends on what
"repressed" means). The question is really about the third, I'd
argue (and about what constitutes "force").
And, in turn, the question about the third is for the most part
a question about whether the current absence of such a feeling
among a particular group sheds more than minimal light on its
continued absence. Circumstances change, feelings change.
As I said, I certainly ssee the seeds of your third criterion in
the anti-, para-, and un-Extropian lists as well as on
Extropians.
Best,
Brian.
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