Ur-Fascism

[Eric Rosenbloom]

Notes on Eco's essay: Without the new-age syncretism his Ur-Fascism
corresponds to most theocracies. Add the new-age syncretism, and you've
got a modern religious cult. Take out the cult of death, and you've got
a lot of U.S. Republican and Democratic politics, or corporate life.

(Eco's feature's of Eternal Fascism:
 1. cult of tradition (mystical truths hidden in the past)
 2. syncretistic (everything alludes to the mystical truth)
 3. rejection of modernism; irrationalism; action for action's sake
 4. disagreement is treason; fear of difference
 5. appeal to a frustrated middle class
 6. obsession with a plot
 7. humiliated by the ostentatious wealth and force of their enemies
    (and strengthened by the enemy's inherent weakness)
 8. pacifism is trafficking with the enemy
 9. life is permanent warfare
10. everybody is educated to become a hero; cult of death
11. the Ur-Fascist transfers his will to power to sexual matters; machismo
12. selective populism
13. against "rotten" parliamentary governments
14. Ur-Fascism speaks Newspeak
)

Feature 10 is problematic, explained by Eco as arising from the leader's
knowledge that his position depends on a meek populace. Perhaps by
creating an ideal that everyone must fall short of and presenting
himself as the embodiment of that ideal, the leader ensures an ambitious
but essentially docile following.

To bring Pynchon in, I think his rejection of publicity speaks to his
awareness of these issues.

Yurs,
Eric R



**********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
the system manager.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.

www.mimesweeper.com
**********************************************************************