Attitudes called potentially fascist may actually be democratic resistance.

Evidence

Can it be demonstrated that resentment of unions' or of income limitations’ are potentially fascist persuasions'? Here one would not be convinced by the argument that they are correlated with other points of view that are undeniably fascist. For why may not these attitudes conceivably be the ones in a generally authoritarian personality that offer hope for action in behalf of democracy? If a person is resentful of unions he may be resentful of what he conceives of as an illegitimate infringement of his liberties; perhaps he is protecting his individuality, his sense of his own capacity to make his own way, perhaps he thinks he is resisting becoming part of a mass. Similarly, even in this book one can find evidence indicating that resentment of the limitation of one's income may not be a pre-fascist trait; for example, the non-authoritarians are more interested in sensual and material pleasures, less interested in status and power, than the authoritarians. And in fact, is not income sought for pleasure as well as status and power? — <cite>Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1823</cite> (#exemplifies`, via linked claim)

Just as environments vary in the extent to which they foster the expression of individual variability, so also do predispositions themselves vary. There is an extensive literature on the tendency of people to subordinate themselves to groups and consciously or unconsciously suppress their own views when they are in the company of others. But some individuals are remarkably resistant to such inhibitions and others have compliant tendencies (Allen, 1975; Asch, 1956; Janis, 1982). The intensity of psychological predispositions promotes expression of them. Most people suppress their impulses to challenge the regimes of authoritarian systems, but those with passionate convictions and strong character-based needs for self-expression or rebellion are more likely to oppose such regimes. (In doing so, they alter the environment, providing social support for their more compliant fellows to join them.) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1143 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Supporters of fascist principles protest against being labeled fascist. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1484; Resentment of unions can express democratic individualism rather than pre-fascism — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1823; People with intense personal convictions are more likely to oppose authoritarian regimes. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1143

Related

• Resentment of unions can express democratic individualism rather than pre-fascism (similarity 0.89)
• People with intense personal convictions are more likely to oppose authoritarian regimes. (similarity 0.85)
• Supporters of fascist principles protest against being labeled fascist. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Resentment of unions can express democratic individualism rather than pre-fascism #exemplifies (0.95) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1823
• People with intense personal convictions are more likely to oppose authoritarian regimes. #corroborates (0.82) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1143