Are fascists stupid or just ignorant?

[Aspiring Humanist]

http://www.nsm88.org/faqs/frequently%20asked%20questions%20about%20national% 20socialism.pdf
National Socialism is a Nature and reason based political philosophy that
Adolf Hitler created. It was first applied in Germany; however, it can be
applied by anyone who believes in doing what is best for their own people.
There are currently Japanese National Socialists and during WW II there
were Arabs who joined the ranks of the SS to do battle against the two
headed Jewish monster of Communism/Capitalism.

Do they realize communism and capitalism are two fundamentally opposed ideologies? Or are they just too stupid to realize communism and capitalism could never be the endgame of some "two headed Jewish monster."

Can't make this shit up...

[miltonwasfried...man]

Fascism is a great way for the Bourgeois to control the masses, while still reaping the benefits of capitalism. Or in other words, the most disgustingly vile ideology ever thought of.

[Diello]

I can't help but imagine the two-headed monster of communism/capitalism as being an end boss in some Nazi-worldview video game where you have to fend off the ice breath from the left head and the fire breath from the right head and then you have to hit the glowing red plate on its chest which becomes vulnerable while both heads are recharging a la Megaman.

[Ocean Seal]

They're stupid, and ignorant.
+ Agitation by right-wing fear-mongers
+ Material conditions
+ Culture of Prejudice
+ Racism is the easy way out

[28350]

fascism is a very emotional philosophy
there are plenty of smart people who believe stupid shit

[Bronco]

This is a problem with their anti-Semitism: on the one hand they present them as thieving beggars & Communists and on the other they're greedy Capitalists controlling all the worlds money and banks etc.

Their various stereotypical portrayals of Jews basically contradict each other which makes me more inclined to believe they are indeed stupid

[Tommy4ever]

http://rationalrevolution.net/articles/understanding_fascism.htm

An invaluable article for understanding fascism and especially good for examining anti-semitism in the fascist movement.

Essentially, Fascism was an ideology that had two key enemies - a collapsing and failed liberal capitalism and Bolshevism. Jewish people at the time had strong links to both liberal capitalism (there were many intellectuals and wealthy Jewish capitalists) as well as an immovable place in the consciousness of the time as greedy capitalist types. There was also a strong Jewish link to Communism - just look at the Bolshevik Party of 1917, coming from an oppressed minority that enjoyed a higher degree of education than many other ethnic groups in Europe, it is perhaps unsuprising that there were so many Jewish socialist intellectuals at the time. With some real links to these ideologies, but mostly imaginary links, the Nazis were able to turn the Jews into the embodiement of everything they were fighting against - liberalism and socialism. So that's the 1930s logic behind it, flawed as it is, in the modern day there isn't really any logic at all.

[Tim Cornelis]

They see communism as a Jewish invention to control the world ("judeo-bolshevism"), it's an antisemtic conspiracy theory. As arguments they pose that Marx (they always call him Mordogai something, his Jewish name--not sure if correct) was a Jew, and so was Lenin, Trotsky, Kamenev, and other members of the central committee as well as Stalin--they wrongly believe his Georgian last name means "son of a Jew". (Lenin was only half Jewish and Jews made up 14% of the central committee, Stalin was not Jewish).

Nazis are usually unaware that Marx shared their view on Jewry at least partially:

"What is the Jew's foundation in this world? Usury. What is his worldly god? Money...Money is the zealous one God of Israel, beside which no other God may stand...The bill of exchange is the Jew's real God...Only then could Jewry become universally dominant...The social emancipation of Jewry is the emancipation of society from Jewry."

--Marx, On the Jewish Question

You should not forget National Socialists believe the USSR embodied genuine communism. They think communism is just a means, for Jews, to gain power and so is capitalism. Another reason for that Nazis see communism as a conspiracy is because of its internationalism. Internationalism will destroy "white culture" in favour of Judaism--for some reason.

They aren't sophisticated political philosophers more like crazy conspiracy theorists so they basically see capitalism and communism as a Jewish conspiracy supporting both sides so they will inevitably win. They don't comprehend genuine communism is stateless and classless.

TL;DR: Nazis are ignorant.

[Belleraphone]

Fascism is a great way for the Bourgeois to control the masses, while still reaping the benefits of capitalism. Or in other words, the most disgustingly vile ideology ever thought of.

Learn what the word "bourgeois" means. Fascism is a total dictatorship, wealth will eventually gravitate towards the top and there the bourgeois will quickly become impoverished.

[Zav]

They aren't necessarily stupid, though they are ignorant of social science. They are more insecure than anything else though. They attach themselves to images of "toughness" or "badassery" to compensate for this, hence there are Neo-Nazi bikers, punks, metalheads, bar patrons, etc. and there are no South-West Neo-Nazi Gardening Conventions. It's quite sad really.

[Rafiq]

Neo Nazis are largely stupid, however, "classical Fascists", that is to say, original Mussolini theory Fascists aren't stupid people.

It's about time the Left realizes that there is a Bourgeois academic thought that exists that is Fascist, yet has no ties to racism or sexism or antisemtism. Fascists recognize class struggle exists. They want to stop it by using the government to create agencys to work out differences between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

This, has obviously proven a failure, since the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat can never coexist in peace.

Fascism is a failure because it aims at abolishing class struggle, something that cannot be done unless the proletariat class overthrows the bourgeois class as a whole and achieves class dictatorship. There is more about it to criticize than a moral one, is all I'm saying.

[Fawkes]

No, and condescending attitudes like this only serve to further drive people away from the left. There are a lot of right-wingers that are very intelligent people, it's just a question of engaging them in constructive and convincing arguments. Of course, if you see 10 nazis kicking the shit out of a Honduran man, sensible debate is not the most prudent course. But proclaiming all of them as stupid only serves to solidify the insecurity that drives their ideological affiliations.

[AmericanCommie421]

Some are stupid others are ignorant others are both.

[SocialistAction]

Do they realize communism and capitalism are two fundamentally opposed ideologies? Or are they just too stupid to realize communism and capitalism could never be the endgame of some "two headed Jewish monster."

Can't make this shit up...

It certainly is a stupid (conspiracy) theory that many fascists hold to be true. Of course, if one were to actually engage them on this belief they would not know how respond, other than evoking the same old antisemitic talking-points — insisting that all Jewish people are part some monolithic cabal that intends on inflicting unimaginable harm upon them.

However, I would say that neo-fascist "anti-capitalism" is even more superficial than the traditional fascistic conception thereof — which at least was intellectually honest enough to acknowledge capitalist contradictions. These people, on the other hand, tend to view capitalism as completely infallible, so long as White men own the means of production.

[The Man]

Nah, I am pretty sure that they are stupid.

[Anarchrusty]

I never understood why it's supposed to be Jews behind the conspiracies? On what do they base it and why specifically them and not, oh say Norwegians or Eskimoes?

[Sasha]

easy scapegoat, strange yet in our midst, since roma are poor they are all criminals but jews always been quite successful so they must be working on some secret plot to conquer us all.
and anti-semitism in western society always had an faillproof bonus, first you deny the jewish urban populace access to "normal" employment through the guild system thus forcing them into jobs not covered by the guilds/not allowed for Christians like merchantmen, diamond cutting and money lending and then in an economic crisis you blame "Ze JeWs!", have a nice little pogrom, make a good plunder and wipe out all the towns debts in one go.

[AnonymousOne]

It's a bit of both. It is largely ignorance, on the part of your average fascist. They really do believe what they say, and they believe it fully despite it's obvious falseness.

On the other hand individuals like Hitler, Goering, or some Fascist politicans in other countries I think don't believe it but use it simply because it's a convenient way to get power.

One of the biggest things I notice in racist/white power/fascist individuals is the fact that they don't do well in society. I remember an article/interview with a neo-Nazi in Germany that the only thing he had to take pride in was his German heritage and he constantly took pride in mantaining "German Values". I'll try to find a copy if I can.

Racism/White Supremacy is the refuge of the weak, and those lacking self-esteem. This is what makes it so alluring to a lot of people, because if you don't excel at anything white supremacy says, "It doesn't matter, at least you aren't black/jewish/etc." Or an individual that isn't particularly bright or has learning difficulties, white supremacy tells him that he is smarter than blacks/jews etc. because he is white.

That's the heart of why racism and white supremacy will never be vanquished without the ability to empower and give these individuals self-esteem, because if whites really aren't supreme and blacks really aren't inferior then everything that the individual takes pride in is wrong.

[bcbm]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/educated-bigot-that-much-more-terrifying,20630/

[black magick hustla]

official communism, capitalism, and fascism screwed over millions in a world war i don't think it is that farfetched to say official communism was the other side of the coin of western finance capital. of course in the 1930s and 40s fascism was the attack dog of a very agressive faction of capital, but my point is that it is not that stupid to say official communism and democratic capitalism where structurally the same.

[-marx-]

A lot of them are just uneducated and live a contradictory existence. While claiming to be a National Socialist, they have an aversion to all things Socialist. They think all forms of Socialism were "invented" by Marx and they place almost all of their thought/emphasis on Nationalism.

I would say at least 80% of them are nostalgic militaria fetishists more than anything...their bigotry and racism are just a side effect, albeit a bad one, of their narrow minds.

White Supremacists or White Nationalists are in another basket altogether. They don't claim to be Socialist in any form, in fact it would be more accurate to call them National Capitalists as they fully support capitalism yet want "their people" to unite. So, in their mind capitalist exploitation is fine so long as you are only exploiting your own kind and at the same time all the other races are the cause of their "misfortune".
This is a pretty clear picture I get from them. Consequently, they have no idea what Socialism is, nor much of an idea about capitalism for that matter. It's all about the Nationalism.


*shakes head*

:confused:

A lot of people [socialists] worry about them as if they are a political opponent to us Socialists. I don't because no one takes them seriously. Aside from the fascists themselves, everyone hates them and they hardly win anyone over and they aren't doing themselves any justice marching around in SS uniforms as all this does is bring forth pictures of concentration camps and the death squads of Poland. People wont/don't tolerate it let alone join them.

They are no threat to Socialism whatsoever and that is why they are irrelevant to me.

[Anarchrusty]

Off course they should be taken seriously Marx, they attack people in packs for no other reason then their blind hatred. I do not dismiss them so easily.
As for the ideology, it should be wiped off the face of the earth, as it is too attractive to certain disenchanted youths.

[Coach Trotsky]

Off course they should be taken seriously Marx, they attack people in packs for no other reason then their blind hatred. I do not dismiss them so easily.
As for the ideology, it should be wiped off the face of the earth, as it is too attractive to certain disenchanted youths.
What we need to ask is why revolutionary socialism isn't so attractive to "certain disenchanted youths", and what are we going to do to change that?

[-marx-]

Off course they should be taken seriously Marx, they attack people in packs for no other reason then their blind hatred. I do not dismiss them so easily.
As for the ideology, it should be wiped off the face of the earth, as it is too attractive to certain disenchanted youths.
You misunderstand.
I don't take them seriously as a political opponent. Neither should anyone else as they will never seize power because they will never be big enough to do so.

What they do in the street is another topic altogether and my feelings on that are much the same as any one else (Marxists).