I think in general the description of left and right is still useful in terms of support or opposition for the sources of traditional authority - e.g. a moderate or conservative person will be respectful towards existing authorities, symbols and realities of power, and precedent; while a person who is qualified as a left-winger will show a desire to alter or replace them. In fact, I argued elsewhere that in the USA the defintions are in some ways becoming more rather than less relevant, because of the formation of a definite class of hereditary aristocrats.
Fascism is to some extent something that belongs to a particular period in history. Never again shall we, in the west (places such as India, China or Russia may be another matter) see a combination of extreme nationalist and illiberal attitudes take, thanks to the collapse of more moderate right-wing forces, the dimension of a mass movement worthy of government. On the other hand, these elements - ultra-nationalism; traditionalism; militarism; irrationalism; violence as cleansing, wholesome, purifying; intolerance of debate or opposition - are not completely eliminable from the body politic, and even in a healthy democracy a certain percentage of the electorate - from five to ten per cent - will tend toward them.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-04-02 05:45 pm (UTC)Fascism is to some extent something that belongs to a particular period in history. Never again shall we, in the west (places such as India, China or Russia may be another matter) see a combination of extreme nationalist and illiberal attitudes take, thanks to the collapse of more moderate right-wing forces, the dimension of a mass movement worthy of government. On the other hand, these elements - ultra-nationalism; traditionalism; militarism; irrationalism; violence as cleansing, wholesome, purifying; intolerance of debate or opposition - are not completely eliminable from the body politic, and even in a healthy democracy a certain percentage of the electorate - from five to ten per cent - will tend toward them.