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Shameless nationalism

There are two misconceptions about fascism that must be laid to rest. The first is that fascism is the name of German and Italian regimes that are part of the dark history of Europe in the twentieth century. The second is that the appeal of fascism is due to the evil in human nature. I argue that unless we understand fascism as a radical form of nationalism that springs from the human love for the true, the good, and the beautiful, we will fail to recognize it as the perennial danger of political life in democratic societies.We are so conditioned by our Christian heritage to think of human beings as evil, greedy, and selfish that we overlook the extent to which they hunger for selfless devotion to something bigger and better than themselves something to be proud of, something to give life purpose and meaning, something grand enough to live and die for. Fascism satisfies that need. At the heart of fascism is a rabid, radical, bold, and shameless nationalism that identifies the nation with all that is good not just for the individual but for the world and for all humanity. This radical nationalism valorizes militancy, struggle, and death for the nation. Fascism is not for sissies. It is not soft or comfortable; it is not free or easy. It demands hardship, toil, death, and self-sacrifice.
Council for Secular Humanism


media, nazi