Re: <nettime> So what's the use of art, theory, activism?

[Joseph Rabie via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>]

Dear all,

Are we dealing with Fascism—or by labelling all the dark things that are currently going down “fascism”, are we simply giving voice to our own indignation by calling names, rather than making the analytical effort to specify what it really is?

Personally, I do not think that “fascism” is an adequate label for the current variety of totalitarianism that is enveloping the world, in the hands of Trump, Orban, Meloni, Putin, Netanyahu, Khamenei, Xi Jinping and others. Macron is using the term “Reactionary International” to characterise this, but isn't Macron himself part of the problem, via his own narcissism, conservatism and authoritarian practise of power?

The characteristics of this current “fascism” have been discussed extensively on Nettime over the past years. With the election of Trump, the most salient feature is the consecration of a ruthless, all-powerful oligarchy. But also the immediate attack on LGBT+ rights, immigration, via the promotion of white-suprematist biblical values. And the position that the climate will take care of itself, because those with the means will always find a technical fix (excluding Los Angeles democrats).

What do we call this: Magaism? Xism? Too Americo-centric, perhaps. Any suggestions?

What is happening is sufficiently specific to merit its own term, rather than letting it hide behind some weak (but self-satisfying) metaphorical association with past ideologies. Even though it might share aspects, but from which it is very different.

Joe



> Le 23 janv. 2025 à 10:31, Allan Siegel via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org> a écrit :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 22/01/2025 23:50, Brian Holmes via nettime-l wrote:
>> "And I am now an elder, who must
>> turn experience - even the experience of failures - into something valuable
>> for present and coming generations."
> Thank you Brian for your perseverance! It is invaluable during these times. And, this reminder from the writings of Umberto Eco...
> best
> allan
> 
> "Ur-Fascism is based upon a/selective populism/, a qualitative populism, one might say. In a democracy, the citizens have individual rights, but the citizens in their entirety have a political impact only from a quantitative point of view — one follows the decisions of the majority. For Ur-Fascism, however, individuals as individuals have no rights, and the People is conceived as a quality, a monolithic entity expressing the Common Will. Since no large quantity of human beings can have a common will, the Leader pretends to be their interpreter. Having lost their power of delegation, citizens do not act; they are only called on to play the role of the People. Thus the People is only a theatrical fiction. To have a good instance of qualitative populism we no longer need the Piazza Venezia in Rome or the Nuremberg Stadium. There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People.
> 
> Because of its qualitative populism Ur-Fascism must be/against “rotten” parliamentary governments/. One of the first sentences uttered by Mussolini in the Italian parliament was “I could have transformed this deaf and gloomy place into a bivouac for my maniples” — “maniples” being a subdivision of the traditional Roman legion. As a matter of fact, he immediately found better housing for his maniples, but a little later he liquidated the parliament. Wherever a politician casts doubt on the legitimacy of a parliament because it no longer represents the Voice of the People, we can smell Ur-Fascism." from UR-FASCISM
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission
> # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism,
> # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets
> # more info: https://www.nettime.org
> # contact: nettime-l-owner@lists.nettime.org

-- 
# distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission
# <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism,
# collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets
# more info: https://www.nettime.org
# contact: nettime-l-owner@lists.nettime.org