Just watch this near ten-minute interview by Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4 News with Prof Timothy Snyder of Yale on the subject of fascism and note how accurately he describes what the Tories are doing.
And then reflect on the fact that he says there are still things we can do about fascism.
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Tim Snyder is THE man on Fascism.
No one has diligently set out our current path better than him and Hannah Arendt before him.
And it is a path to nothing.
And what is worse is that fascism is inculcated in our politics Left and Right in this country, and in our media.
Off topic:
Is it my design or accident that the number of comments to a blog is no longer shown alongside the title?
If the latter, please can it be corrected? If the former – that’s a pity.
I found it very useful to see when new comments have been added to a blog I already read. Now I can only know the number of comments by clicking on the title.
They do on my screen, right now
I will check if the counter goes up for this one
PS It did…..
OK. Seems it must be a browser problem. I use Firefox (on Mac) and still no there.
So I tried with Safari (also on Mac) – and it’s OK there.
But it always worked on Firefox (my preferred browser) before.
Weird……it seems plug ins conflict and we are trying to make sure they work for as many as possible
OK for me now! Merci beaucoup!
Recommend his ‘Road to Unfreedom, Russia, Europe and America.’
Also for those with time -his lectures at Yale University on the history of Ukraine and the present crisis.
Yes to the first
I have not done his lectures
there are 22 , at least three quarters of an hour long. I suspect you have other calls on your time!
I am afraid so
Sally Miller on Twitter has an interesting two-column table (simplified) :
Germany in the 1930’s Conservatives in the 2020’s
Criminalised peaceful protest Policing Bill
Criminalised gypsies and Roma Policing Bill
Fair elections ended Electoral Commission/Elections Bill
Mandatory voter ID Elections Bill
Control of ‘fair campaigning’
Easier to strip citizenship Nationality and Borders Bill
Government unaccountable Judicial Review Bill
Human Rights removed Brexit Freedoms Bill
Blame immigrants & minorities Blame immigrants & minorities
I used the Britt “Fascism” poster:
NATIONALISM – see Brexit ✅️
DISDAIN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – see Migrants ✅️
IDENTIFICATION OF ENEMIES/SCAPEGOATS – see Migrants, EU, benefit “scroungers”, judges as “enemies of the people” ✅️
SUPREMACY OF THE MILITARY – see the MOD budget, weapon support to Ukraine ✅️
RAMPANT SEXISM – see the Met, the Fire Brigade, incels ✅️
CONTROLLED MASS MEDIA – see BBC Question Time, BBC Chairman, Murdoch ✅️
OBSESSION WITH NATIONAL SECURITY – see Border Force, Prevent, Shamima Begum ✅️
RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT INTERWINED – see Coronation, Lord Bishops ✅️
CORPORATE POWER PROTECTED – see taxation policy, “revolving doors”, lobbying, NHS privatisation ✅️
LABOUR POWER IS SUPPRESSED – see strikes, right to protest ✅️
DISDAIN FOR INTELLECTUALS AND THE ARTS – see Gove’s “experts”, student tuition fees, Arts Council cuts, carnet and visa costs for touring performers, school curricula ✅️
OBSESSION WITH CRIME AND PUNISHMENT – see Assange, XR protesters, underfunding of Probation Service ✅️
RAMPANT CRONYISM AND CORRUPTION – see Covid contracts, resignation Honours ✅️
FRAUDULENT ELECTIONS – see Voter ID disenfranchisement (to combat just 6 cases at the last election) ✅️
Full house.
Thank you
I may adapt for a blog
The most telling point Tim Snyder makes is that in history and even recent hi story ‘normal’ is not democracy is not the rule of law – ‘even more important’.
There is no natural tendency to law and democracy and he argues that every day and in every way we all have to say or do whatever we can, to defend it and/or keep telling the truth- which the proto fascists are trying to replace with all the divide and rule rhetoric and three word slogans.
Whereas the Nazis were on the advance, aiming to revolutionise things , the latter day fascists portray themselves as purely defensive – trying to protect tradition – maybe more difficult to oppose.
I would also add as very good reading, “How to Stop Fascism “ by Paul Mason