A Sinister Detail in the Use of the Word Fascism
Original title: Un detalle siniestro en el uso de la palabra fascismo
A sharp, original essay on the use—and misuse—of the word fascism today.
This brief essay does not seek to determine whether the use of the word fascism in the 2020s is historically accurate, nor does it weigh in on whether the term is being abused for electoral gain. Instead, it asks what political emotion drives those who invoke it to label their opponents—and examines, through a surprising and illuminating argument, the sinister undertone in contemporary uses of the past that turn history into prophecy and warning. Drawing on thinkers such as Hannah Arendt and Michael Oakeshott, the author offers a sharp and timely reflection on the symbolic and rhetorical power of one of the twentieth century’s most charged words.
A sharp, original essay on the use—and misuse—of the word fascism today.
This brief essay does not seek to determine whether the use of the word fascism in the 2020s is historically accurate, nor does it weigh in on whether the term is being abused for electoral gain. Instead, it asks what political emotion drives those who invoke it to label their opponents—and examines, through a surprising and illuminating argument, the sinister undertone in contemporary uses of the past that turn history into prophecy and warning. Drawing on thinkers such as Hannah Arendt and Michael Oakeshott, the author offers a sharp and timely reflection on the symbolic and rhetorical power of one of the twentieth century’s most charged words.
