Russians Protesting Fascism
(Photo by Klaus Wright on Unsplash)
If you want to know if someone is a fascist, call them one. Their response is usually the best indicator of their beliefs.
Fascism is more than authoritarian tendencies; it is the fusion of nationalism and a nostalgia for a mythical past—a time when the "right people" held power, and dissent was not merely inconvenient but intolerable. It is a form of fanaticism that seeks to impose order through violence, an alliance of state and corporate power, and the suppression of liberty under the guise of moral and cultural rejuvenation. In short, fascism is the politics of enforced homogeneity and the worship of power.
RLB Ident 2024
When accused of being a fascist, a reasonable person recoils in horror. They refute the charge with a defense of their principles. They have nothing to hide and willingly submit to scrutiny. They are eager to prove their dedication to the principles that fascists despise. A disciple of democracy welcomes transparency.
The fascist cannot respond in such a way. Call a fascist a fascist, and you will meet a variety of predictable reactions—each revealing the underlying instincts of the authoritarian.
The most common response is indignant denial. This is the fascist's attempt to disguise themselves as victims. Pay attention to the sleight of hand here: They turn the tables, making the very act of calling out their ideology an offense. It's not their behavior or policies that matter; it's the fact that you have dared to name them.
The second reaction is the intellectual feint. This is when the accused attempts to muddy the waters, insisting that the term "fascist" is overused and anachronistic. These are not the actions of someone honestly engaging with the issue; it's a rhetorical dodge designed to confuse. The goal is to gaslight you into debating a commonly held historical consensus.
Of course, fascists know what fascism means. They understand its essence: the cult of strength, the hatred of difference, the suppression of dissent. When they deflect, they do so because they recognize that the accusation is dangerously close to the truth.
Then there's the most telling reaction: the counterattack. When cornered, the fascist lashes out. They'll accuse you of being a fascist. "You're the one trying to silence me. You're the real authoritarian." It's a predictable tactic, and it reveals a fundamental truth: the fascist is a master of projection. They claim to be defenders of freedom while plotting its destruction. They call themselves the saviors of civilization while cultivating chaos. The counterattack wants to cause you to second-guess the clarity of your accusation. It's an attempt to blur the lines and convince you that resistance to tyranny is equivalent to tyranny itself.
The worst reaction is the calm embrace. Some fascists do not bother with denial, deflection, or counterattack. They may not use the word "fascist”—that's too politically charged, too reminiscent of dictators and atrocities they'd prefer not to endorse explicitly. But they'll say, in so many words, that if enforcing order, purging society of its so-called vermin, and silencing internal enemies makes them a fascist, then so be it. They wear the accusation as a badge of honor. This response shows that the would-be tyrant no longer needs to hide. They believe the time for pretense is over.
If you want to know if someone is a fascist, call them one. Watch how they respond. The defender of freedom will engage, debate, and defend. They will uphold the principles of democracy and pluralism. The fascist will bristle, deflect, counterattack, or, if feeling particularly bold, accept the label with pride.
George Orwell once said that the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious. Those who react violently to being called fascists are likely to be precisely that. They fear the label because it exposes the truth behind their words and actions. They fear the truth because they know, deep down, that it can still be a powerful weapon against them.
This post is republished with the author's permission from his Substack blog, Elevate the Discourse.