[lbo-talk] Thoughts on the Tea Party

SA s11131978 at gmail.com
Tue Apr 20 09:04:22 PDT 2010


Chip Berlet wrote:


> There is a growing consensus that fascism is the most militant form of right-wing populism built around a nationalist call for the heroic purification and rebirth of the society after a period of decline or humiliation (palingenesis); and using demonization of the corrupt and elite parasitic regime along with scapegoating of target groups (lazy, sinful, and subversive parasites) to build a core group of people portrayed as the productive and proper citizens who with charismatic leaders will enforce rigid ideological beliefs as fulfilling the nation's destiny (sacralization of politics).
>

When you say "fascism," your listener almost always thinks you mean "a movement that wants to disband parliamentary government and create a dictatorship." But then it turns out you're actually referring to a type of right-wing politics that's probably existed at virtually all times in every industrial country in the world over the past 100 years. Don't you think that's a bit - let's say, confusing?


> Right-wing populist movements seldom become full-blown fascist movements, and fascist movements seldom seize state power; but the named scapegoats are real people who are harmed or hurt or murdered when right-wing populist movements become large and also embrace certain demonizing and totalitarian elements of fascism.
>

So far does the Tea Party have a body count? How many have they killed?

SA



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list