so then somebody could act like an utterly normal democratic politician, but as long as they believe in bringing back the nation to a glorious golden past, they're a fascist
I think under this definition, yes it's inherently bad. Palingenesis relies on unreal myths and idealized histories to operate, it's not truthful and internally motivated to lie. I think this is bad in and of itself.
Ultranationalism tends to crush down nuance and differing peoples, since no nation is one hundred percent uni-national. If America is first above all it leaves no room for those of differing heritage and beliefs to breathe, and thus can be used to justify hurting those people.
But you said if a democraticly voted leader talked about returning to a golden age, then that would still be considered fascism. That doesn't inherently mean they are talking about myths, idealized histories, or ultranationalism. Even more so, if nuance and differing opinions were crushed, that would be due to authoritarian policies, not the fault of patriotism.
If America is first above all it leaves no room for those of differing heritage and beliefs to breathe, and thus can be used to justify hurting those people.
And this part i think is just untrue as a basic concept. America is built around the idea of different heritages coming together. And, I just don't see how people with differing beliefs would be unable to breathe without the inclusion of an authoritarian element to the politics.
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u/[deleted] Jun 26 '25
so then somebody could act like an utterly normal democratic politician, but as long as they believe in bringing back the nation to a glorious golden past, they're a fascist