The Fourteen Signs of Fascism
The Fourteen Signs of Fascism
adapted by M. Zohar from Umberto Eco’s “Ur-Fascism”
[for a PDF file of the text: read / download ]
[for an outline of the Fourteen Signs of Fascism]
שמונה-עשר קווים מנחים לחיים ערים
adapted by M. Zohar from Umberto Eco’s “Ur-Fascism”
[for a PDF file of the text: read / download ]
[for an outline of the Fourteen Signs of Fascism]
Umberto Eco’s 1995 article, “Ur-Fascism," sheds light on fascism’s main characteristics, its fourteen identifying marks. These fourteen marks are rephrased and slightly rearranged in their adaptation as "The Fourteen Signs of Fascism," and are subdivided into four parts; and still, they have a simple insight at their heart:
The first step in dealing with fascism, before being able to respond appropriately to its challenge, is to understand its nature and see it clearly for what it is – that is, detection and diagnosis prior to treatment; and if possible, to identify it as it is growing and still not fully grown, before it spreads and infects everything it comes in contact with – that is preventive care.
Moreover, by looking deeply we can realize that the many different varieties of fascism share in common a “fascism-ness” which hides in plain sight, as the tree-ness of all trees may be hidden by the particularity of each tree. And so, the essential attributes of fascism – the Fourteen Signs – are listed and described below, to help us develop a sense-for-fascism that cuts through its web of distractions, its pretense and deceit, and thus bring fascism to light.
And one further insight is that for this proto-fascism, ideology is not all that important; rather, it is only a façade covering fascism’s true face. There are some true believers, for sure, but beneath their convictions lie fear and violence, and the rhetoric of some of fascism’s advocates, with their eloquence and cleverness, barely disguises its raw brutality. Thus, fascism is not so much a philosophy as it is a state of mind, a stream of dark toxic urges, thoughts and feelings manifesting in social and political action, trying to assert dominance by whatever means.
Therefore, the first step in dealing with fascism is to learn its ways, considering not only its stated expression but also its implied message, its entire body of action and sphere of influence. This way, by recognizing and describing the signs of fascism and its elements, we can understand its nature and bring it to light; and this clarity may then serve as a foundation for responding to the challenge of fascism, allowing each one to find their way to do the best they can.
Nowadays, as fascism is on the rise all over the world, it is essential that we look deeply at ourselves and our society – this is our responsibility – to shed light on the signs and growth of fascism. And as fascists tend to misrepresent themselves, wishing to appear harmless and benign, let us learn to clearly recognize them for who and what they truly are; and thus, learn to fully understand the nature of fascism.
To this end, the Fourteen Signs of Fascism are offering us a mirror that reflects the way we are. They don’t define fascism but describe it and its signs, allowing us to reflect: Are we already afflicted? Is it malignant? And by recognizing fascism for what it is, we are set to find a way to respond to its challenge.
There are different kinds of fascism – in every culture, the national flavor and color; and yet, all forms of fascism share in common a taste for vile and base rhetoric, inciting hatred and fear, and they all bring about immense suffering and destruction, tyranny and brutal oppression, a reign of terror and war.
Fascism values nothing more than seizing and exploiting power, as it strives for absolute authority by any means necessary, such as using brutal force to realize its ideology; and to enable and legitimize its merciless drive for power, and to justify its pursuit of ethnic purity and its aggression and hostility – persecuting “the other” and glorifying violence – fascism flies the flag in support of a return to national greatness.
Thus, as it is inflicting harm and pain, fascism is trying to mask its ruthlessness with doublespeak, to render itself more palatable. (The language of fascism is Newspeak – that is one of its signs.) However, let us not be fooled: If we wait until fascism makes itself readily and openly known, then it may be too late.
And so, as fascism is on the rise all over the world, it is of vital importance to question and learn: What are the main signs, the characteristic features by which fascism is recognized? And wherever there are intolerance and discrimination, bigotry and racism, populism and militarism and toxic ultranationalism, and whenever any step is taken toward any kind of authoritarian and anti-liberal-democracy regime, fascism is nearby.
[Note: (*) not all forms of fascism display all of its signs; (*) the Fourteen Signs are somewhat overlapping;
and (*) within the Fourteen Signs there are even self-contradictions – that is another sign of fascism!]
[Advancing a Reactionary Rejection of Open-Minded Social Progress:]
1) A Cult of Tradition and Myth as the Truth: According to fascism, countless traditions of knowledge and faith are alluding to the same primeval truth. Therefore, as it has already been revealed once and for all, there’s no progress and nothing new to discover and learn but to reinterpret the truth and its obscure message; and thus, rather than engaging in open inquiry, fascism follows primordial authority. And as it is gathering relics, fragments of truth maintained by myth and tradition, so long as fascism has its way it tolerates and even thrives on contradictions.
2) Rejecting Modernism, Humanism and Liberalism: Fascism is a reactionary populist movement that is based on an ideology of Blood-and-Soil. And so, despite its fascination with industry and worship of technology, fascism sees the Enlightenment – the Age of Reason, the Spirit of 1776 and 1789 – as the beginning of the decline into modern decadence and depravity.
3) Distrusting the Intellect’s Activity and Rationality: According to fascism, the discerning mind is not to be trusted, as its rational thinking is deemed to be a form of emasculation. Therefore, action must be taken before or even without any reflection; and so, fascism shuns and denounces the liberal intelligentsia for its deliberate and considerate thoughtful manner.
4) Dismissing Unbiased Reasoning and Impartiality: To gain perspective and broaden its horizons, a clear and open mind welcomes different and even opposing views. Such a mind makes distinctions, and even praises disagreements, as a way of learning; but for fascism all opposition – however reasoned – is illegitimate, and any disagreement is an act of treason.
5) Repudiating Openness, Diversity and Pluralism: Fascism seeks consensus, a uniformity of One People, One Realm, One Leader. However, it thrives on division and discord, and so it incites hatred; and by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of “the other” – anyone who is different – and turning against “the intruders,” fascism is racist by its very nature.
[Resenting Feeling as Victims, and Compensating with Bravado and Bullying:]
6) Appealing to a Frustrated and Aggrieved Middle Class: Fascism is derived from social and individual frustration, and fueled and driven by resentment. Thus, it appeals to a middle class that is suffering from an economic crisis and political humiliation, feeling rejected, overlooked and underappreciated, and frightened by the pressure of competing social groups.
7) An Obsession with Conspiracy, Xenophobia and Nationalism: Fascism is rooted in an obsession with a plot, a global conspiracy against the common people. Thus, feeling besieged by enemies, international and domestic, and deprived of any social privilege but a national and ethnic identity, fascism leads to nationalism and xenophobia – demanding in-group purity, as racial and cultural uniformity, and exhibiting out-group aggression and hostility.
8) Overcoming Humiliation and Overwhelming Enemies with Rhetorics: By continuously shifting the rhetorical focus, fascism portrays its enemies as both too strong and too weak. Thus, the followers of fascism are feeling as powerless victims, humiliated by their enemies, and yet they are convinced they can overwhelm them; they bully, and still they blame and complain.
[Playing the Hero and Engaging in War-Games for Greatness, while Dying for Power:]
9) The Paradox of a Final Battle in a Life of Never-Ending War: For fascism, working for peace is colluding, collaborating with the enemy, as triumph is realized not through compromise but by defeating all enemies in one grand final battle. And yet, an enemy is always needed, and so war goes on without end – for fascism life is an eternal struggle, a state of perpetual warfare.
10) A Cult of Heroism and Death as a Glorious Reward: In fascist society and culture, heroism is the norm. Everyone is educated to become a hero and die, sacrifice themselves for the People and its Leader, as the ultimate reward for heroic life is seen to be the glory of heroic death. In this way, fascism brings death and subsequent sorrow to all, not sparing even its own people.
11) Machismo, Chauvinism, and Fascination with Weapons: Fascists express their will-to-power as machismo and toxic masculinity, chauvinism and disdain for women, and intolerance and condemnation of non-traditional sexuality; and they are obsessed with war-games and weapons as phallic representations. Utilizing that, fascism – despite its professed pro-Law-and-Order stance – employs paramilitary armed militias to impose extrajudicial “justice.”
12) A Power-Worshiping Populist Supremacism: Fascists are not only populists, but also elitists – they value hierarchy, and believe in the inherent supremacy and great destiny of their People. And yet, they despise the appearance of weakness among them – they have contempt for the masses who submit to their rule, and adoration for the strong; and thus fellow-fascists back each other against their common adversary – liberal democracy, with its human rights and civil liberties.
[Controlling the Narrative, Limiting the Discourse, Censoring Dissent and Silencing Dissidents:]
13) The One and Only Voice of the People: For fascism, as an authoritarian or even totalitarian autocracy, individuals as individuals have no rights. The People is a monolithic entity expressing the Common Will, and the Leader, pretending to be their interpreter, acts as the one and only Voice of the People. That is selective populism – the leader selects the people he speaks for – and thus fascism delegitimizes the parliament and all other democratic institutions.
14) Newspeak and Thought Police: To limit the capacity for complex and critical reasoning, fascism does its utmost to control thought and language and expression of views, distort the common meaning of words and concepts – thus obscuring a shared sense of reality, and obstructing any meaningful discourse – and deny the freedom of speech, of the press and of political association. Such censorship can be enforced by rules, regulated by society, or may even be self-imposed.
~~~
Contrary to common opinion, fascism has no special philosophy but only rhetoric. [...] Behind fascism and its ideology there is always a way of thinking and feeling, a group of cultural habits, of obscure instincts and unfathomable drives. [...] Fascism has no quintessence, but is a beehive of contradictions.
The word “fascism” could be used for different totalitarian movements. [...] Fascism became an all-purpose term because one can eliminate from a fascist regime one or more features, and it will still be recognizable as fascist. Take away imperialism, take away colonialism, add a radical anti-capitalism, add a cult of Celtic mythology and mysticism, and it is still fascism. [...] The fascist game can be played in many forms, and the name of the game does not change.
It is possible to outline a list of features that are typical of Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism. These features cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present, to allow fascism to coagulate around it.
We must keep alert, for Ur-Fascism is still around us and can come back under the most innocent of disguises. Our duty is to uncover it and to point our finger at any of its new instances – every day, in every part of the world. [...] Freedom and liberation are an unending task.
~~~
[Advancing a Reactionary Rejection of Open-Minded Social Progress:]
1) A Cult of Tradition and Myth as the Truth
2) Rejecting Modernism, Humanism and Liberalism
3) Distrusting the Intellect’s Activity and Rationality
4) Dismissing Unbiased Reasoning and Impartiality
5) Repudiating Openness, Diversity and Pluralism
[Resenting Feeling as Victims, and Compensating with Bravado and Bullying:]
6) Appealing to a Frustrated and Aggrieved Middle Class
7) An Obsession with Conspiracy, Xenophobia and Nationalism
8) Overcoming Humiliation and Overwhelming Enemies with Rhetorics
[Playing the Hero and Engaging in War-Games for Greatness, while Dying for Power:]
9) The Paradox of a Final Battle in a Life of Never-Ending War
10) A Cult of Heroism and Death as a Glorious Reward
11) Machismo, Chauvinism, and Fascination with Weapons
12) A Power-Worshiping Populist Supremacism
[Controlling the Narrative, Limiting the Discourse, Censoring Dissent and Silencing Dissidents:]
13) The One and Only Voice of the People
14) Newspeak and Thought Police
~~~