The F-Word
“You may mock and you may disagree, but fascism does not come in with intentional evil plans or the introduction of leather jackboots. It does not happen like that. It happens subtly. It happens when we see Governments making decisions based on self-preservation, based on cronyism, based on anything that will keep them in power, when we see the concentration of power while avoiding any of the scrutiny or responsibility that comes with that power. It arrives under the guise of respectability and pride, which will then be refused to anyone who is deemed different. It arrives through the othering of people and the normalisation of human cruelty. I do not know how far down that road we are. Time will tell, but the things we do in the name of economic growth—the warning signs are there for everyone else to see, whether they admit it or not.”
WE WILL BEAR WITNESS to this moment in history. Tell your story.
I was one of those who initially (in 2016) felt that fascism was not the appropriate term for, say, Donald Trump. A disheveled, self-aggrandizing, petulant man didn't fit my idea of what fascism was. But Mhairi calls us out for thinking that it always comes in the form of Mussolini or Hitler (the latter of whom could also be a disheveled, self-aggrandizing, petulant man). It doesn't these days come in jackboots or sinister uniforms. It's insidious, nebulous, and technology and disinformation are warping it way outside of its original form. Thanks Rachel for facilitating this.
I've heard and seen Mhairi speak before and I'm always impressed by the sincerity and clarity of her message.