Contemporary fascism operates by disavowing its own identity while pursuing its aims.

Evidence

Postmodern fascism is a disavowed fascism (cue the BNP leaflet delivered through my door when I lived in Bromley, photograph of a smiling kiddywink, slogan: “My daddy’s not a fascist”), just as homophobia survives as disavowed homophobia. The strategy is to refuse the identification while pursuing the political programme. “We of course deplore fascism and homophobia, but…” The Wachowskis’ government bans the Koran, but that is the last thing that Blair and Bush would ever do; no, they will praise Islam as a “great religion of peace” while bombing Muslims. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 492

Categorization

• XREF: Complements the book’s earlier theme (ch20) of far-right nostalgia disguising itself as populism. — connects to: By perfecting its own principle, Fascism liquidated strategy itself — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia: Reflections from…, 121; Fascism’s purity mindset demands melting well-earned identity defenses into universalist solidarity — Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror…, 1083; Outsider groups serve as involuntary conduits for fascism’s own taboo impulses — Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Dialectic of Enlightenment, 145 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberalism mirrors fascist elements through faceless rather than authoritarian power. #exemplifies (0.85) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 432
• Outsider groups serve as involuntary conduits for fascism’s own taboo impulses #exemplifies (0.80) — Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Dialectic of Enlightenment, 145
• Contemporary right-wing populist followings lack the mass organization fascism required #qualifies (0.80) — Arthur Borriello and Anton Jäger, The Populist Moment, 32
• By perfecting its own principle, Fascism liquidated strategy itself #qualifies (0.75) — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia, 121
• Fascism’s purity mindset demands melting well-earned identity defenses into universalist solidarity #expands (0.75) — Naomi Klein, Doppelganger, 1083