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Okay, I'll bite. Give me your definition of "Fascist".
There is no set definition of Fascist. It's never been rigorously defined (that I know of) by its self described proponents. And yes, it's overused as a snarl/witch accusation. But I think Umberto Eco's Ur Fascism is a good start. Nevertheless I think it's occasionally worth saying, and sometimes points at a real thing. It's a word for a very real phenomenon that happened in the 1920-1950s among certain world leaders. Mussolini just might have been a fascist.
So one definition I'm using here is a fascist is not a standard conservative. Literally Hitler is not von Hindenburg or Helmut Kohl. George Bush II, as much as I hate him, is (probably) not a fascist. Same for most basic bitch Republicans. Trump? I'm not so sure now. Stephen Miller or Steve Bannon? Probably. Peter Thiel, I don't know but I heard yes. Curtis Yarvin? Yes.
Outside of the somewhat vague checklist from Eco, I'd say some of features of fascism are an intense proclivity and desire for fratricide as well as mass massacre of the outgroup. This which fantasizing about mass industrial killing tons of Americans is cosigned by JD Vance. I'm def one of the ones that will end up in neo-Auschwitz for being one of the ill defined "cultural Marxists" by the way, excuse me if I don't have tons of patience for this cute routine (wHaT is FAsCism huh?!) like I should be too stupid to know who my enemies are. Jack Posobiec is one of those actual fascists not just conservatives. Love of plainclothes, secret, and or facially covered police and sham judiciaries are a seeming best hits for the fascist. Andor was a good art depiction of fictional fascism, as a real and distinct thing and if you can't see any parallels by certain real people and their yearnings, well that's on you. You know, the types that are at best nonplussed about sending people to black site torture prisons on spurious charges because they are identified as outgroup, who cares about their suffering, and surely the fact they've been targeted at all means they deserve something, and more.
Fascists are also weird. I don't know how else to say it, they really are and you know it when you see it. Does this look normal to you?. Absorbing scifi and mystics into your supposedly serious political ideology is weird. Himmler, Evola, Mussolini, these are weird or unique dudes, who share a psych profile in one way or another. Thiel, Trump, Moldbug, weird people. Speaking of that last one that wants to mass mulch people that are not him into biodiesel from the all powerful comfort of his blogging and coding chair, doesn't he also want a all powerful corporate neo-"feudalism?"
Maybe that's a little fascist.
But per my original post, fascism is also notably bold, and innovative, in a way. Annexing the sudetenland, the March on Rome, wanting all slavs to be a future slave race for your 1,000 empire, neo-paganism in a very Christian society, industrial death camps for you international race war. They're doing things - out there things. Normal high functioning sociopaths of basic conservatism leaders don't do these kind of things, because they're not normal, even if they wouldn't feel bad about it. Fascists change their society and tradition. So on the question of "why would Trump do this?" "Why would anyone just kidnap a head of state like a common robber, and seemingly not care about the consequence or even comprehend it's not normal?" Well.....
Okay, you did give your definition. Thank you, that's useful.
It's still a little broad: "one definition I'm using here is a fascist is not a standard conservative". What's a standard conservative, by this measure? There's a lot of disagreement on here about 'is that just a liberal, what is a conservative' and so on. But you do at least have a starting point there, so again, you did well there.
The link says he did a cover blurb, but unlike the rest of the article doesn't provide any link to it. Dude, do you not know how the publishing industry generates cover blurbs? They can take a generally negative, critical review of anything and extract two words from it, then slap those (with a copious garnishing of ellipses) on the back as a positive recommendation. Let me see if I can find said blurb and see what it says.
By the bye, I see that book is also described as "NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY NATIONAL BESTSELLER". Wow, the NYT is a fascist publication now? 😁
Okay, here's the Vance blurb:
Honey sweetie boy, I am one of the ones who take badly to that cutesy-poo inconsistent capitalisation trick. If I didn't write it that way, don't attribute it to me. I like your belief in your incipient martyrdom, who says you are going to be important enough to even be noticed by the big bad wolves?
"Oh no they're weird". Well I am shocked to hear a nice, normal, wholesome, down-home family values Mom and Apple Pie cultural Marxist tell me that! Weird, you say? Guess that means I am indeed a fascist, because I am weird too.
Funny you should instance vril, I suppose that makes the entire nation of Britain fascists, seeing as how they drink Bo-Vril 🤣
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