Palin Rallies Ignite Widespread Talk of 'Fascism'

Because I published a book recently on the harm done to U.S. democracy by violent rhetoric, I get lots of calls for comment on whichever right-wing shock jock uttered the most menacing words on air in any given week. Lately, however, those questions have shifted in a very noticeable way. Whereas the public concern used to be focused on violent terms and phrases used in broadcast media, nowadays all the talk is about Sarah Palin's speeches and fear of 'fascism.' And even if 'fascist' is not a very accurate description of Sarah Palin -- neither sociologically nor historically -- public concern in response to her campaign events is a social fact well worth noting, if only for the sheer scale of it.

Palin Events Evoke Image of 'Rallies' Seen in History Museums
The most common point brought to my attention in this new concern for Palin is that her events remind people of the kind of 'rallies' people have seen in old newsreels and exhibition photographs in history museums about the fascist period.

Many people have said to me, in so many words, 'I went to a Holocaust museum, recently, and the kinds of rallies they had in the 1930s are exactly what we are seeing now at these Palin events.'

What is it that makes people see events from 1930s Europe and Sarah Palin's campaign stops in Florida (e.g.) as similar? People repeatedly mention three things:

(1) Palin's claim that Sen. Obama has covert ties to 'domestic terrorism'
(2) Palin's claim that Sen. Obama wants to see the U.S. military defeated in war
(3) Shouts from attendees calling for physical harm against Sen. Obama

Interestingly, I have heard these observations from Democrats and Republicans. The logic is that it is not just one feature of the Palin events that leads people see them as 'rallies' of the sort they have learned about in history museums, but three elements combining together: claims of Obama's covert terrorist ties and desire to see the military fail, combined with voiced calls for harm to Sen. Obama.

Palin Events Elicit Talk of Attendee 'Mentality''
After talk of historical references, the most common concern I hear is about the 'mentality' or 'psychology' of the attendees at Palin events. When put to me, the question is often phrased as:

Is there some reason why the people at these events -- and not other people -- are susceptible to the kind of political rhetoric Palin uses?

The psychology questions are most often posed in response to several observations made about the attendees:

(1) Since Sen. Obama has no ties to terrorism, why do some people believe it?
(2) Why are these people susceptible to right-wing propaganda while other people are not?
(3) Why do people continue to accept the 'terrorism' and 'treason' smears even when presented with facts about Sen. Obama?

Nobody who has presented me with these questions has claimed any kind of expertise in psychological theory. Rather, they seem to be looking for a scientific sounding answer for what they observe as an irrational 'anger' at Palin rallies and, in general, a 'mentality' departing from 'normal.'

We find these same kinds of questions about 'anger' and 'mentality' in the writings from observers of the rise of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s -- such as Dialectic of Enlightenment by Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno. What I hear in these questions about the 'mentality' of the Palin attendees is not a return to social psychological theories of the postwar period, but a voiced concern for what people view as behavior in the public sphere that strikes them as a departure from normal, healthy behavior.

Palin Events Provoke Talk of Acting Before 'Too Late' to Stop Fascism
The third most common kind of chatter in response to Sarah Palin's events focus on the idea of 'proto-fascism' or the process of becoming fascist. These discussions often reference certain lists or books that describe the emergence of fascist totalitarianism in terms of a series of elements that emerge over a given period of time.

The people who ask these kinds of question all express a very similar concern about identifying fascism 'before it is too late to stop.' These arguments emerge from people who have gone out and read books and articles that talk about fascism emerging in small steps that nobody notices until it is 'too late,' to stop -- a common argument made in polemical writing about fascism.

Of note, this kind of concern is often the most fear-filled -- the most advanced. Often, the people who ask me if it is too late to stop the 'fascism' Palin brings to our system had voiced concerns about 'fascism' prior to Palin's nomination.

Conclusion: Palin Not Fascist, But She Sparks Talk of Threats to Democracy
To call someone a 'fascist' is a very serious charge. Despite all these questions and concerns, I have not concluded that Sarah Palin's past or recent campaign events represent the emergence of fascism in American politics. In particular, Sarah Palin does not bring anything even closely approaching a comprehensive totalitarian nationalist ideology to the campaign trail. Instead, Palin merely thumps the war drums of George Bush's 'robber baron' style Republicanism.

What she does bring is a noteworthy skill with extreme, often violent populism. As a result, she has succeeded at creating intense loyalty to her personally, and deep antipathy for Sen. Obama -- also on a personal level. And while this populism has succeeded only amongst small core of the Republican base, the fervency of Palin's supporters has been amplified a thousand times over by the obsessive media coverage that she enjoys.

So, Sarah Palin is not 'fascist,' but that does not mean her language and her events have not had a dangerous impact on our democracy.

Beyond adding populism to the campaign trail, Palin has also done something else: she has re-framed the McCain campaign in violent terms -- terms that had been used predominantly by right-wing shock pundits on TV and radio.

Whereas politicians like John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Newt Gingrich had occasionally used violent rhetoric in stump speeches, Sarah Palin's use of it has resulted in a complete repackaging of the Republican presidential campaign. And thhat use of violent rhetoric has threatened to clogged up any attempt by the American public to have serious, pragmatic conversation about the problems we face and the solutions necessary to solve them.

In our gut, Americans feel that the violent rhetoric in Sarah Palin's campaign events poisons the productive pragmatism of American Democracy. In response to that gut feeling, some people reach for the word 'fascism,' most likely, because that is the word used in popular culture most frequently over the past ten years to describe threats to democracy.

Even if 'fascist' is not an accurate description of Sarah Palin, the scale of the public concern in response to her campaign events is a social fact all by itself. And as we head into the final weeks of the campaign, the scope of that social fact grows by the hour.

Crossposted from Frameshop

Follow Jeffrey Feldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyFeldman

Comments

[twchurch]

I agree. Palin is not fascist, neither is the Republican Party. But you miss the point.

Hitler's populist rantings, or for that matter, any populist rantings, ring true with the rally attendees because these supporters are angry or afraid of something or someone. The German People were frightened, hungry, poor and pissed because of Post WWI Policies.

What is the underlying anger or hostility that Palin is tapping into? That's the real question. Are Palin's supporters angry because they're poor or hungry? Not likely. Are they frightened by the prospect of a Black man being President? Or, is there something else going on here?

[ajax2]

Palin Raliies Uncover Defenders Of Fascism.

[NYSaint]

Sad. Only opinions that agree with these croakings and groanings will be posted. Any opposing viewpoints are silenced. Let's see, government run industries, silence of opposing viewpoints? What does that sound like? Scary that it is here.

[Eyewitness1]

Last call the people at those rallies what they really are: Racist. It's simply not popular to scream the racial epithets in 2008 that they could've screamed in 1968, but that's what were witnessing. Where did he come from? Who is this? What they're saying is "who is this n-word?" Because of our nation's history, and because many people privately hold their own racist-leaning ideas, anyone who suggests racism is involved is castigated and shamed for, "playing the race card." This isn't "the race card," this is an eyewitness account of a bunch of crazed-white-folks that don't want to see a Black man as president of this country. Screaming that he's a terrorist and they don't know who he is; or worse, pretending like God doesn't want him to be president is a smoke screen for the real issue. At least have the heart to admit what the real issue at these rallies are and stop hiding behind the lie that it's about love of country. One of the saddest things is that McCain is selling his own character in desperation.

[Floridagirl1972]

And on top of this she 'wants more power" as the VP. I know that she has abused he power as Gov. This would truly be our end if this woman get in office.

[Digeeedad]

GREAT article!!!

Those "chickens ARE coming home to roost" for the McCain campaign, and their arrival has come at an ever increasing speed! Since Palin's interview with Sean Hannity, and the McCain/Palin interview with him after the last debate, their campaign AND them seem more and more to have adopted Hannity's talking points! How many times have we now heard Hannity's 'UNREPENTANT TERRORIST" label as attached to Obama's association to Ayers being uttered by Palin, McCain, and literally every other talking head campaign official of theirs in interviews???

When you choose to "dance with the devil", there is a BIG PRICE! Since adopting Hannity's style and apparently his suggestions, McCain has gone into an almost unrecoverable nosedive. Hopefully one of the biggest reasons for this is that good people in our country are sick of and repulsed by Hannity's continuous daily hate filled assaults!

The media seemed shocked by the audience utterances at recent Palin and McCain rallies, although Hannity believes they ar Obama and Acorn plants!
All anyone need do is to visit the Hannity website and read the posts on his forums there, in the Washington Politics section, to see the people who "associate themselves" with Sean. It's NOT pretty and often terrifying, especially when even the most vile of posts seem never to be deleted by Hannity's moderators.

Please tell everyone you know to visit Hannity's forums for themselves to see the mindset of those that Palin and now McCain apparently feel comfortable in courting!

[NYSaint]

Question. Are you ok with your boy's 20 year affiliation with Reverend Wright? Or am I treading on sacred territory. Wait, I'm sorry your boy may be considered racist by today's wild standards. You know, like wearing a white dress.

God help this country.

[bdaved]

There have been a lot of interesting and illuminating comments on this article. And then there's this one.

[colleen2]

"Sarah Palin does not bring anything even closely approaching a comprehensive totalitarian nationalist ideology to the campaign trail. Instead, Palin merely thumps the war drums of George Bush's 'robber baron' style Republicanism."

It took Mrs Palin 6 years to acquire a BA degree in journalism from secont rate colleges. She wouldn't know a totalitarian nationalist ideology if it bit her.
I think you underestimate the Bush/Cheney/ Gonzoles/Ashcroft etc style of republicanism when you dismiss it as simply 'robber baron', the current style of republicanism is far more dangerous than the robber barons and far more destructive.

[vietjawn]

i'm just a little surprised the word "fascist" is even uttered by the crowds, to tell you the truth.

sounds like neo-mccarthyism...

[doctordoubt]

I'm not certain she even understands what the word means. She has single handedly changed the entire tone of this election, not having anything to do with the issues. The tone, how she says what she says, is everything. She is a master at saying something, and then holding her hands up palm out, as if to say, it wasn't me. The sad fact is, she's a mega lomaniac, bent only on her own agenda. If it wasn't Obama, she woul dfind another target, much as her hasband did.

[Skepticat]

Palin may not have the intellectual depth to be a fascist ideological heavyweight but as shown can certainly use misrepresentations to incite fear, loathing, scapegoating and violence towards the differentiated other - a standard feature of many kinds of dictatorships. The demands for personal over constitutional loyalty and abuse of power for personal vendettas not limited to fascist states either - but certainly need to be avoided.

[iRob08]

Fascism...perhaps. Her rallies are more like Two Minutes Hate to me.

[ProfessorDuh]

Laurence Britt’s 14 Elements of a Fascist State:
No. 1. Powerful, continuing expressions of nationalism.
Only 49 percent of Americans are aware that their own country dropped the nuclear bomb. They are certain, however, that their nation is “the greatest country on Earth,” although they know little about it and next to nothing about any other nation.
“We are a land full of patriots, and our patriotism is nothing more than a red, white and blue flag,” Ru Freeman observed. “We don't know any history, we couldn’t care about how we got Here from There or where we might be headed, but we are proud of It. Whatever It is.”
Flag pins. Freedom fries. Flapdoodle. The right keeps the country stirred up about symbols that are meaningless in real-world terms — flags, gay marriage, public religious displays, “support the troops” magnets, etc. All are matters of semantics, useful for keeping the American public distracted from the erosions of its liberty and the picking of its pockets.
Fascism employs a twisted, impoverished vocabulary to disguise its aims, using words like “freedom” to mean their opposite.
In America, those who exercise their constitutional freedom to criticize the government are told that they “hate freedom.” Flag-waving fatuousness is always the first refuge of a scoundrel.
Here’s George W. Bush, talking to a divorced mother of three: “You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that.”
Isn’t it just?

[Shasta]

Great post.

I am continuously amazed by the whole patrtiotic symbol thing and "we're the greatest nation on earth, that's why!" mentality. Hey, I've always felt blessed just to have been born in this country, but the notion that America is superior and beyond reproach, is just blind, stupid nationalism without using the brain you've also been lucky to be born with.

[winnie47]

jmundstuk: DINGDINGDI­NGDING....­We have a winner!

[boophus]

McCain who wants to weaken or eliminate Habeas Corpus altogether - he has said he will appoint justices to do just that. As it is your rights have already been severely undermined by the SC allowing police to be shielded from making errors and arresting or shooting innocents. So do want voter disenfranchisement, do you want a theocracy, do you want corporations and health insurance companies to have the right to sell or use your personal information against you, do you want to lose freedom of speech?I read a report about NSA listening in on young soldiers in Iraq talking to to thier loved ones about intimate matters and them making recordings so they could mock them and laugh at them. Who knows how far this had gone - there is no regulation and a McCain SC is likely to find your rights irrelevant in corporations desire to make a buck. I am sickened by the degradation of the republican party by these people like Bush and Palin and McCain and Cheney. At one time it was admirable even if I thought they were wrong I respected them. But Reagan was the end of that respect.

We need to restore the constitution and prosecute those who vowed to uphold it and led the movement to weaken or restore

[deliriousgod]

Perhaps the healthiest attitude anyone could ever espouse is that if you don't like the work of others you should crowd out the fruit of their labours with the fecundity of your own. I see the big tent of Palin and McCain giving a new home to the demolishers who would reduce Society to a hill of sand where they would be at no disadvantage in a race to be the sandbox tyrant.

[doctordoubt]

You're talking about nihilism. Tough road to take at thispoint in time. The Problem is, if we continue on this pooly chosen path, we will have that in spades. We don't need anything new to achieve it. All we need is to not do anything about what we have.

[BadChristian]

Looks like the "reality based community" has had another created reality to study.

To me, it seems unbelievably easy to get rural Americans lathered into a "righteous fury." I think there's something to be studied in that. That, and the way the media makes distinctions between rural residents (almost worshipful of the "real Americans") and the urban populations (who are ALWAYS portrayed as the "other" America. Both "Street types" and "elitists" at the same time... Somehow).

[bbrecht]

It's not just rural people. These righteous people are everywhere.
Though rural people tend to be more isolated ethnically-- and also struggling economically.

Also, you should keep in mind that most rural people don't have high speed internet, and very few sources of news.

[BadChristian]

I find very, very, very few of them in urban areas. I am willing to bet you that, again, we will see a night and day difference between urban and rural results. Urban will be little blue islands, who reject this. Rural will be the polar opposite, which is to say, they will endorse it.
Factoring in the amount of diversity in urban areas, and the... relative lack of it in rural areas, I think that per capita, something is wrong out there. And there is plenty of economic struggle in urban America, which is pretty easy to see in almost any public school.

[Digeeedad]

I live in So. CA and am white. I recently returned from So KS wher my elderly mother had a heart attack. Family members gathered from KS, CA, and ID.

On the VERY first morning that we were all having breakfast in my parents dining room, my brother-in-law from ID, out of the blue. stated to all of us (over our scrambled eggs and toast) that "the trouble with this country is the GAYS and MEXICANS"! He went on to say that "America is in no way ready to have a BLACK man in the WHITE house" and thought that was pretty humorous! He said that he had moved my sister and their kids to Idaho to "escape the MEXICAN INFLUENCE"!

I asked him he doesn't have a gay brother himself. He replied that he does and that he had chosen his lifestyle for which he'll have GOD to answer to.

I told him that my Italian-Mexican wife is as much a MEXICAN as Obama is BLACK and that I guess I now know that we aren't really welcomed in their home, and that he had finally proven to me that he is one of the biggest Neandrathal BIGOTS that I have ever had the misfortune to know.

One of my KS brothers "jokingly" told me that "I didn't know you were such a N-lover"

It was a TERRIBLE trip, and my mother having had a heart attack was NOT the most terrible of experiences!

[BadChristian]

I am sorry to hear it.
But I am no longer surprised. I find it sad that so much of this is done in the name of being a "Good Christian."