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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
This feel more like “a very short introduction” to the History of Fascism than just the concept of Fascism, though I get how the two are intertwined and how the concept of ‘fascism’ is muddied due to its history.
I enjoyed the read and I enjoyed all the history (a lot of which I wasn’t directly familiar with), but I have even less of an idea about what ‘fascism’ is now than I did before reading it… but also maybe more of an idea of the many ways it can look?
I enjoyed the read and I enjoyed all the history (a lot of which I wasn’t directly familiar with), but I have even less of an idea about what ‘fascism’ is now than I did before reading it… but also maybe more of an idea of the many ways it can look?
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
fast-paced
The subtitle well captures the intention and scope of Passmore's book. It is a good overview of the definition and evolution of fascism. Passmore addresses the most common analyses of fascism from the Marxist and Weberian perspectives, as well as explaining its supposed antimodernist tendencies. However, he offers a more accurate definition and identification of fascist regimes treating the old adage of fascism that 'a is not a'. This is based on the idea of fascism as a scale with alleged fascist regimes often only exhibiting a few characteristics of the greater political philosophy and system. Passmore specifically defines differences between fascism and national populism, conservative authoritarianism, and Nazism. The latter is refreshing as it broadly labels Nazism as fascistic in character but much more centered on race politics and a unique political system. Nazism exists on the spectrum of fascism much as Stalinism exist on the trailing edge of the communist spectrum.
The books later chapters focusing on the descendants of inter-war and Second World War era fascist governments and parties could be updated. The book's last commentary finds Le Pen's electoral high water mark in 2002 as the return of national populist parties to the political mainstream in the West. While the overarching characteristics of the National Front remain the same, deviation from a doctrinal fascism have persisted in the more than 15 years since the book's publication. There is also only limited information on the role of other far right or populist sectional parties in Western and Central Europe, as well as the United States.
The books later chapters focusing on the descendants of inter-war and Second World War era fascist governments and parties could be updated. The book's last commentary finds Le Pen's electoral high water mark in 2002 as the return of national populist parties to the political mainstream in the West. While the overarching characteristics of the National Front remain the same, deviation from a doctrinal fascism have persisted in the more than 15 years since the book's publication. There is also only limited information on the role of other far right or populist sectional parties in Western and Central Europe, as well as the United States.
A timely read
This is obviously a timely read, and interesting. But be aware that it poses as many questions as it answers. If you're coming to it looking for an answer to "is Trumpism fascism" you'll get, roughly, "impossible to say, and it doesn't matter anyway". Overall, that was actually useful context for me, so five stars. But may not be what everyone is looking for right now.
This is obviously a timely read, and interesting. But be aware that it poses as many questions as it answers. If you're coming to it looking for an answer to "is Trumpism fascism" you'll get, roughly, "impossible to say, and it doesn't matter anyway". Overall, that was actually useful context for me, so five stars. But may not be what everyone is looking for right now.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced