Fascism?

[the other bob wilson]

I don’t for one moment believe that you actually think we are ‘well on the road’ to fascism, Bob.

Citing the flag of the country being on display or proposed privatisation of Channel 4 or decades old policies on capital punishment are not good examples at all. There are about 30 Welsyh flags flying from Cardiff Castle. Are we on the road to fascism too?

You seem to think that unless someone is acting like Hitler or Mussolini they can't be fascists - the examples I gave were ones I came up with after about five minutes thinking and while I accept some are stronger than others, they all fall within the definition of that list of fourteen. The last decade or so has seen an increase in populist, nationalist type Governments and the current UK one is the most populist, nationalist one of my lifetime - you go down that route and you're heading towards fascism as outlined in that article.

[JamesWales]

You seem to think that unless someone is acting like Hitler or Mussolini they can't be fascists - the examples I gave were ones I came up with after about five minutes thinking and while I accept some are stronger than others, they all fall within the definition of that list of fourteen. The last decade or so has seen an increase in populist, nationalist type Governments and the current UK one is the most populist, nationalist one of my lifetime - you go down that route and you're heading towards fascism as outlined in that article.

Bob, that list was plucked from the air by Doucus (he who with zero irony is quick to call out fascism but happy to label Tories "noxious scum"). It doesn't have authority. It presents 14 traits that may well be traits of fascism, but are also general traits of all societies to varying degrees. Showing a national flag? Concern with law and order? Presentation of common enemies? This will apply to all countries.

Nonetheless, yes they may be traits of fascism also, but that doesn't mean the UK is 'far down the road' on that path. To the letter (apart perhaps from number 8) the traits you mention are also traits of communism. It doesn't mean the UK is 'far down the road' to communism either.

I do agree that the recent UK government was more populist than in recent times (although no more than what Corbyn proposed - it is the flavour of the month globally as you allude to) but that doesn't mean we are on the road to fascism. That's just extreme talk. Same as if we build new council houses or invest in the NHS or sign a trading deal with Cuba we are not "far down the road to communism".

You know full well the UK isn't fascist, nor heading to it. You know we have a free press, judiciary and legal system and you know that there will be countless local and national elections in the coming days, weeks, months and years that will be free and fair.

To imply we are like Germany in the 1930's or Spain and Italy earlier in this century is absurd. And yes, opinions are opinions, but fascism and it's victims are also fact and it's hyperbolic in the extreme to suggest what is being said in this thread.