The P. who hated Jazz

[KXX4493553 at aol.com]

Theodor W. Adorno, Anti-Semitism and Fascist Propaganda (1946), in: 
Soziologische Schriften I, Frankfurt/Main 1979, S. 397-407 (Suhrkamp). 
An analysis about the fascist and Antisemite propaganda of West Coast 
agitators.
Similarities to special forewords are purely coincidental, of course.

"The observations contained in this paper are based upon three studies made 
by the Research Project on Anti-Semitism (Authors: T. W. Adorno, Leo 
Loewenthal, Paul W. Massing) under the auspices of the Institute of Social 
Research at Columbia University. These studies analyze an extensive body of 
anti-democratic and anti-Semitic propaganda, consisting mainly of shorthand 
transcriptions of radio addresses by some West Coast agitators, pamphlets, 
and weekly publications...
To a certain extent, all these patterns can be explained rationally. Very few 
American agitators would dare openly to profess fascist and anti-democratic 
goals. In contrast to Germany, the democratic ideology in this country has 
evolved certain taboos, the violation of which might jeopardize people 
engaging in subversive activities. Thus the fascist demagogue here is much 
more restricted in what he can say, for reasons ob both political censorship 
and psychological tactics. Moreover, a certain vagueness with regard to 
political aims is inherent in Fascism itself. This is partly due to its 
intrinsically untheoretical nature, partly to the fact that its followers 
will be cheated in the end and that therefore the leaders must avoid any 
formulations to which they might have to stick later. It should also be noted 
that with regard to terror and repressive measures, Fascism habitually goes 
beyond what it has announced. Totalitarianism means knowing no limits, not 
allowing for any breathing spell, conquest with absolute domination, complete 
extermination of the chosen foe. With regard to this meaning of fascist 
"dynamism", any clear-cut program would function as a limitation, a kind of 
guarantee even to the adversary. It is essential to totalitarian rule that 
nothing shall be guaranteed, no limit is set to ruthless arbitrariness...
It his highly doubtful whether actual mass hypnosis takes place at all in 
Fascism, or whether it is not a handy metaphor that permits the observer to 
dispense with further analysis. Cynical soberness is probably more 
characteristic of the fascist mentality than psychological intoxication. 
Moreover, no one who has ever had an opportunity to observe fascist attitudes 
can overlook the fact that even those stages of collective enthusiasm to 
which the term "mass hypnosis" refers have an element of conscious 
manipulation, by the leader and even by the individual subject himself, which 
can hardly be regarded as a result of mere passive contagion. Speaking 
psychologically, the ego plays much too large a role in fascist irrationality 
to admit of an interpretation of the supposed ecstasy as a mere manifestation 
of the unconscious. There is always something self-styled, self-ordained, 
spurious about fascist hysteria which demands critical attention if the 
psychological theory about Fascism is not to yield to the irrational slogans 
which Fascism itself promotes...
1.) Fascist propaganda attacks bogies rather than real opponents, that is to 
say, it builds up an imagery of the Jew, or of the Communist, and tears it to 
pieces, without caring much how this imagery is related to reality.
2.) It does not employ discursive logic but in rather, particularly in 
oratorical exhibitions, what might be called an organized flight of ideas. 
The relation between premises and inferences is replaced by a linking-up of 
ideas resting on mere similarity, often through association which are 
logically quite unrelated. This method not only evades the control mechanisms 
of rational examination, but also makes it psychologically easier for the 
listener to "follow". He has no exacting thinking to do, but can give himself 
up passively to a stream of words in which he swims.
...Even if it is true, however, that the mentality of the fascist agitator 
resembles somewhat the muddle-headedness of his prospective followers, and 
that the leaders themselves "are hysterical or even paranoid types", they 
have learned, from vast experience and from the striking example of Hitler, 
how to utilize their own neurotic or psychotic dispositions for ends which 
are wholly adapted to the principle of reality... Conditions prevailing in 
our society tend to transform neurosis and even mild lunacy into a commodity 
which the afflicted can easily sell, once he has discovered that many others 
have an affinity for his own illness. The fascist agitator is usually a 
masterly salesman of his own psychological defects...
Just as the housewife, who has enjoyed the sufferings and the good deeds of 
her favorite heroine for a quarter of an hour over the air, feels impelled to 
buy the soap sold by the sponsor, so the listener to the fascist propaganda 
act, after getting pleasure from it, accepts the ideology represented by the 
speaker out of gratitude for the show. "show" is indeed the right word. The 
achievement of the self-styled leader is a performance reminiscent of the 
theatre, of sport, and of so-called religious revivals. It is characteristic 
of the fascist demagogues that they boast of having been athletic heroes in 
their youth. This is how they behave. They shout and cry, fight the Devil in 
pantomime, and take off their jackets when attacking "those sinister powers".
... They violate the taboos which middle-class society has put upon any 
expressive behaviour on the part if the normal, matter-of-fact citizen. One 
may say that some of the effect of fascist propaganda is achieved by this 
break-through. The fascist agitators are taken seriously because they risk 
making fools of themselves...  But it is a deceptive idea, that the so-called 
common people have an unfailing flair for the genuine and sincere, and 
disparage fake. Hitler was liked, not in spite of his cheap antics, but just 
because of them, because of his false tones and his clowning..."   
kwp