How to Fight Fascism

When I first become politically aware during the 1960s it was not that long since World War II and The Holocaust and Fascism was seen as repugnant by almost everyone and not a view anyone would express publicly. Fascists existed in the shadows and recruited from amongst the unemployed and particularly disaffected youth whom they provided with a sense of community and someone to blame for their problems by means of propaganda.

With the arrival of the Internet I naively thought the fascists would lazily they move their recruiting there to where their prey would have easy access to information that would counter the fascists arguments.

In the 1960s we had right and left wing newspapers and radio and TV, but that was reflected in editorial policy. They all reported the same facts, just the interpretation was different. I did not foresee the increasing polarization of media and the trend of people to only watch or view media that spouted what they already had been convinced to believe.

Then came Fox News and others like it that were more propaganda outlets than news media, followed by social media such as Facebook and Twitter (later X), which discovered that designing their algorithms to promote disinformation and hate was very profitable. When Twitter became X under Elon Musk’s ownership the priority changed from profit to propaganda and the promotion of disinformation and hate and it became Fascism Central.

At the same time something was happening largely due to the legitimization of fascist ideas by these new media outlets that had garnered wide followings, that brought the fascists out of the shadows and into the mainstream of society and politics and into elected positions of power.

So what is the answer.

Some might suggest making fascism, fascist parties and expounding fascist ideas illegal, but we must remember whenever political parties and ideas are outlawed the left is always hit harder than the right. This also ignores the conflict with established civil liberties and human rights such as freedom of belief, expression, and association as provided in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These conflicts could have the result of what are usually considered progressive civil liberties organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the American Civil Liberties Union defending the fascists, something they would no doubt exploit to their political advantage, not to mention the creation of political martyrs.

What is to be done ?

In today’s world where people close themselves off from anything that does not agree with their predetermined positions converting fascists is almost impossible. What we have to do is reach people before they are radicalized.

The best way to do that is to create a caring multicultural society like Canada's that values and promotes diversity, and inclusion, particularly in immigration, one that provides everyone with a liberal education that teaches and promotes critical thinking.

That is what is to be done – provide a better alternative before people can become propagandized by the hate mongers.

 

Postscript – I put in an unrelated "easter egg" link to see if anyone is actually clicking on the links.

Remembrance Day and Righteous Wars

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s Remembrance Day was a very solemn occasion. There were still a lot of World War II veterans participating and even some from World War I, as well as veterans from the Korean War (sometimes referred to as a “police action)”.

World War II is probably seen as the most righteous war ever in the minds of the public. World War I, on the other hand, they had little understanding of, besides it being fought for King and Empire. But remember back then the veterans who fought in both World Wars did not fight as Canadians but as British Subjects, Canadian citizenship not being established untill 1947. Empire was important back then, as anyone who went to school in the 1960s in Ontario can attest. As for the Korean War it was fought against the “evil commies”, so again, seen as a just war.

Later came Lester Pearson and peacekeeping, and another group of veterans seen as being on the right side of history.

However in more recent years the righteousness of the wars and conflicts Canada has been involved in has been more ambiguous leaving Remembrance Day seemingly playing a less important role in Canadians’ minds and lives.