• tibi@lemmy.world
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    30 days ago

    In the Romanian presidential elections we just had, we have a fascist extreme right-wing candidate who got 1st place (note that we have a 2 round election system and this was only the first round). He appeared out of nowhere with a TikTok campaign, he didn’t have a traditional ad campaign, he didn’t participate in any debates, a lot of people who don’t use TikTok haven’t even heard about him. We will know in 2 weeks if we become fascist or not.

    There are 2 problems. First is the hybrid war going on. The western world needs to do better. Ban TikTok and take drastic measures to limit the spread of misinformation and propaganda on social media.

    The second big problem is that western leaders are ignoring the real problems affecting average people. The out of control immigration (the problem isn’t with the people immigrating, but with a system unable to integrate them into the rest of the society), rising costs, unaffordable housing, huge tax burden are real problems that aren’t being addressed. People are rightfully angry with the current leaders and are looking for alternatives. But most people aren’t very smart or care enough about politics, so they are easy prey to propaganda and extremist groups that are calling out these problems.

    • absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz
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      29 days ago

      In my opinion, what stresses people is not rising costs etc…it is the eroding of quality of life that they are used to.

      • Rising costs are only a problem if wages are stagnant or as is often the case, falling in real terms.
      • Unaffordable housing is a major systemic issue, mainly being caused by inadequate supply. We have major issues in NZ with crazy house prices. The problem of high housing costs can’t be solved quickly.
      • Huge tax burden is again not a problem if the social contract is being upheld. But as is often the case, the social contract is being eroded. We are paying the same tax as we were last year, but suddenly the services we receive for that money are reduced or removed.

      For example in New Zealand, the previous government removed the co-payment on prescriptions from the pharmacy. The current government has brought it back, services have gotten worse over the time also…

    • humanspiral@lemmy.ca
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      29 days ago

      A hopeful/sustainable country can tolerate immigration. Higher birth rates requires affordability of having children, and immigration fills the lower ranks of the power/labour hierarchy while permitting more affordability to natives who might have better access to education.

      Societies that corruptly subjugate themselves to a hedgemon that inflicts war and climate destruction against people it teaches you to hate, but who also emigrate to your society, creates conflict that will deflect from the hate your hegemon wants your natives to internalize.

      When a society does not feel being on the verge of collapse, investing in education and immigration is worth it. Future benefits of growth and prosperity will result. Right, center, left governments everywhere are corruptly managing collapse. The only countries doing well economically are those who are not subjecting themselves to US hegemony, and pursuing independence. Most of these countries get labeled as fascist by the deeply subjugated and their hedgemon.

      The propaganda of hate is global, even if targeted domestically. The propaganda of hedgemonic subjugation is also global, but the collapsing corruption that is supported, helps hate win.

      When your society has chosen total subjugated marriage/alliance to the US, Trump comes along to tell you what a worthless undevoted parasite you are, and the likely response from your leaders will be to destroy your country further, and enable fascism to gain traction, even if the fascist wing can distract from the collapsing subjugation to continue the subjugation.

  • TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com
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    29 days ago

    The map is misleading. The other “non-West” countries are leading the pack. We humans, from space, must look like starlings.

  • nifty@lemmy.world
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    29 days ago

    People are collectively losing their minds if their think any western country is anywhere near fascism. Have you lived in Russia or North Korea?

    Western nations are losing the psyops war, which is what you see in a lot of countries.

    The main problem is that our representatives and elected officials are just as likely to believe emotional propaganda as any regular person.

    This is why we need better public education, so the general population has better critical thinking.

    • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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      29 days ago

      We’ve normalized mass surveillance. Local police have full, warrantless access to your travel habits from licence plate cameras. I can buy all of the data on you and find your political ideology. People are prosecuted for their political beliefs and actions every day.

      • nifty@lemmy.world
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        29 days ago

        Even if you, a private citizen, buys someone data to intimidate them, it just amounts to stalking and harassment. That’s not fascism.

        If you’re saying that the government is outsourcing stalking and harassment of private citizens via these means, then that’s an interesting take. Personally, I think a government body may not necessarily have anything to do with such a thing, but private entities with resources could do it. Like some crazed hedge fund dude targeting anti-genocide protesters. These private entities may even get government contracts, so who knows.

        In U.S. history civil rights activists were straight up assassinated, and so were U.S. presidents who got too uppity as far as someone else was concerned. Environmental or social justice activists were always targeted or tracked by govt. agencies. The regular person who holds spicy political takes on any ideology isn’t a concern unless they’re in the news or getting attention.

        I am not naive about the state of things, but I also don’t think they’re any worse than they’ve been before in terms of govt control over activism. The main problem now is psyops at scale. Countries like China and Russia safeguard themselves from it by having a homogenous culture, which is antithetical to democracies.

        Tbh it’s not mass surveillance that adds chilling effects to activist action, but the constant seizing of power and resources by oligarchs. I think in this instance people who want change should become a part of the system, ie the government or its agencies.

        If we fool ourselves into thinking the U.S. or any other western state is as bad as current fascists regimes, we’ve lost the psyops war. Can things be better, yes. There’s no way to get that without organizing for change, and creating strong local communities.

    • DeadWorldWalking@lemmy.world
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      29 days ago

      I’m pretty sure moving into a administration who plans on mass deportations requiring holding camps, literal work camps for the mentally ill, and the degradation of regulations/rights are all clear signs we are moving in that direction.

      I mean come on man, Trump couldn’t have his first pick for AG be approved because he said “We will drag the bodies of our political opponents through the streets” he said that, and that was Trump’s first choice for the most powerful prosecutor in the country.

      When the fascists show us who they are WE SHOULD BELIEVE THEM!

    • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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      29 days ago

      Without reference to other nations and countries, what elements of fascism do you believe are missing that makes the label inaccurate or inappropriate

      • nifty@lemmy.world
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        29 days ago

        I think the main difference is that people who hold different political opinions are not randomly falling out of windows

        The other difference is that you can have protests and still get what you want. Or you can vote and still have the change you voted for count.

        If voting didn’t matter at all in the US or other democracies, psyop campaigns wouldn’t be targeting the citizens, but only the leaders or officials, elected or otherwise

        • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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          29 days ago

          When you say “randomly falling out windows,” I think you mean that the state is not assassinating its own citizens to protect the electability of the (small-F) fascist ruling party. That’s a pretty specific line to draw. I’m not sure if that’s what you mean because you continue to cloak your meaning in euphemism and irony.

          You say that there are still elections where votes are counted fairly, and that public speech is still permitted. I would suggest that is not the minimum requirement for a fair election or political empowerment. It’s interesting that you suppose that psyops exist and are effective against voters, but that there are still free elections where people are able to enact the changes they have presumably been induced to want.

          It sounds very much like you are saying, “yes, while it resembles fascism in every way, real fascism would be the same thing but worse.” You can appreciate I am sure that other people have other standards, and that yours are not really universally accepted. John Kelly gave a very good off-the-cuff definition recently. Rather than presenting my own, I invite you to refute his.

  • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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    30 days ago

    Canada’s not fascist yet. We’re electing our own Vance in a few months, so save your sympathy for us then.

    Apparently the Corporation has been able to convince people - as they’ve tried from the start - that Hair Guy is somehow worse than them. They haven’t actually put forth a platform with any numbers or promises on it, but “hair guy bad” has finally found an audience so dumb to swallow it.

  • stevedice@sh.itjust.works
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    30 days ago

    Mexican here. Last month, a reporter known for being critical of the government was fired live in the middle of his segment. We’re definitely going fascist.

      • stevedice@sh.itjust.works
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        29 days ago

        Here. I’m afraid there isn’t much that’s interesting about it other than the fact that it happened in the first place — I only singled it out because it’s quite recent. If you want something interesting, though, how about the time our president straight up doxed a New York Times reporter on live TV?

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      30 days ago

      Yeah, this is a strangely euro-centric viewing. It needs to include so many more places. Russia is a big one that’s missing, for another example, and there are a ton more. We’re in bad economic times, which is where Fascists thrive. On the good side, leftists can also take advantage of it to actually help people if they succeed.

      • DrDickHandler@lemmy.world
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        30 days ago

        We’re only in bad economic time because the wealthy elites and corporation gobbled up everything away from the public, which makes it even more sad.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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          29 days ago

          Yes, but it’s bad for everyone but them. The reason doesn’t really matter. It’s the same as always. It’s mostly the same conditions that led to the last rise in fascism.

          • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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            29 days ago

            No, the reason absolutely does matter. If we were all suffering because of a global drought, that would be entirely different than all of us starving and going homeless at the peak of human production.

            • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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              29 days ago

              Sure, but the reason is always the same. It’s rich people taking everything. There’s way more than enough food and water for everyone, and that’ll be true for a very long time.

                • Zorque@lemmy.world
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                  29 days ago

                  The reason matters in that it affects how we solve the problems, but in terms of how fascism gets it’s foot in… it doesn’t really.

  • stupidcasey@lemmy.world
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    30 days ago

    Among the ones not going fascist north Korea, Russia, Eritrea, China, Syria, Iran…

    Among the ones going fascist New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark……

      • Zorque@lemmy.world
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        29 days ago

        That depends on how big your destination is. You haven’t experienced all of Disney just because you drive in the front gate.

        There’s tons more fascism to experience.

    • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
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      30 days ago

      You’re correct, it’s innaccurate to not portray the entire world as descending into fascism, as has always been predicted on any path that embraces capitalism.

    • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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      29 days ago

      Among the ones not going fascist north Korea, Russia, Eritrea, China, Syria, Iran…

      They’re not going, because they’re already there.

  • Zement@feddit.nl
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    30 days ago

    India and China are missing. Japan is pretty fascist too… at least when compared to European “fascist” countries marked in the map.

    Apart from that… the amount of fascism is too damn high!

    • BluesF@lemmy.world
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      30 days ago

      Is Japan “going” or just sitting roughly where it’s been for decades? I don’t know enough about Japanese politics but it doesn’t seem from my perspective like it moves fast.

      • Zement@feddit.nl
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        30 days ago

        In my experience polite, but roughly as racist as the “old white racist/sexist man” - trope.

        I think it’s still a lot like in the 80s. The golden era of Japan. Maybe this is related.

  • Fleur_@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    Ah yes. The west. Famously known for being the most authoritarian of geopolitical regions.

    In the memes defense you can’t be moving towards authoritarianism if you’re already there.

    • Lodespawn@aussie.zone
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      1 month ago

      They said fascist, you can be authoritarian without being fascist.

      How do you know Shrek isn’t portraying someone in the west asking the rest of the west to stop turning fascist?

      • Fleur_@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        If you want to play the fascism isn’t authoritarianism card then name a single state indicated in the meme that has taken up fascism as official policy.

        • Lodespawn@aussie.zone
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          30 days ago

          Fascism is most definitely authoritarian.

          Poo by any other name is still poo. Fascist principles can be seen to be taking root in many western countries. Do they label themselves fascist … well southern and eastern Europe seem to be starting to openly do that.

          Regardless, both Italy and Spain seem to be highlighted in the meme soo … there’s two?

              • Fleur_@lemm.ee
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                30 days ago

                I wouldn’t say they’ve adopted a fascistic internal political system. Like they still have elections and aren’t led by a dictator. You can only be so ethno-nationalistic while remaining in the EU lol.

                • Lodespawn@aussie.zone
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                  30 days ago

                  Yeah Giorgia Meloni and the Fratelli d’Italia sound pretty ethno-nationalistic to me …