Doc Edward Morbius ⭕​

@Stoori Note the difference, the nuance, between "yes, that's absolutely true" and "that has a lot of truth-value to it".

Fascism and memes both live in the nuance-free zone.

Sometimes that's good. There's an advantage to being able to cut through all the clutter, bullshit, social delicacy, etc., etc., and "tell it like it is".

But though a direct and simple message is clear it's virtually always deficient.

Reality is complex. And truthful, honest communication about it reflects that complexity.

I find it interesting that it's precisely that level of nuance and distinction which seems to have been lost in your own reply, just sayin'.

@steko @zatnosk

Sep 15, 2021 at 10:05pmWeb
Show threadDoc Edward Morbius ⭕​Sep 15, 2021

@Stoori Recognising the fascistic tendency or potential of communications modes and media formats is actually precisely what I'm encouraging here.

It's not that "all memes are fascist".

But you'll find that very nearly all fascists uses memes.

I'm reminded of the parallel with a famous observation of John Stuart Mill on stupidity and conservatives:

I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant, that stupid persons are generally Conservative. I believe that to be so obvious and undeniable a fact that I hardly think any hon. Gentleman will question it.

https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/23qdkr/john_stuart_mill_i_did_not_mean_that/

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1866/may/31/committee-adjourned-debate#column_1592

My view (supported by the work of Arendt, Paxton, Eco, MacDonald, and others) is that fascism is a behavioural mode, not an ideologial one, one that tends to be highly emotive, low-information, and reactionary. It probably emerges in times of high social and political stress.

Knowing that, and being aware of the risks and signs is valuable.

Yes, fascism wears ideological trappings, but those serve its behaviours and not the other way 'round. The specific ideologies claimed are fluid and flexible and inconsistent both internally and over time.

See the commentary on this post:
https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/6wuenu/is_politics_truly_ideological_or_is_this_a_20th/

@steko @zatnosk

#fascism #ideology #HannaArendt #FrankfurtSchool #Memes #MemeticWarfare #RobertPaxton #UmbertoEco #DwightMacDonald #MarshallMcLuhan #AdamCurtis #CenturyOfTheSelf #NoamChomsky

John Stuart Mill: "I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant, that stupid persons are generally Conservative."

John Stuart Mill's infamous indictment of the adherents to conservative political ideology occurs [in Parliamentary debate record for the British...

Show threadDoc Edward Morbius ⭕​Sep 15, 2021

@Stoori My "light reading list" on media and its interactions with society, psychology, and politics covers some of this:

https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/7k7l4m/media_advertising_sustainability_externalities/

(That's getting a bit dated, though it's still a good start.)

@steko @zatnosk

Media, Advertising, Sustainability, Externalities, and Impacts: A light reading list

This is a complex issue and one that's hard to address succinctly. It gets into the larger matter of media and its role and interaction with...

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