[Nieuw] Fascisme: Besmetting, gemeenschap, mythe

by Nidesh Lawtoo, Berry Vorstenbosch (translator)

Het fascisme leek iets uit een voorbij verleden. Maar het is terug.

Nieuwe media maken de weg vrij voor nieuwe vormen van massamanipulatie. Daarin keren elementen van de fascistische mythe terug: hypernationalisme, racisme, seksisme, fallocentrisme, homofobie, islamofobie, autoritarisme, het tot zondebok maken van minderheden, het uitbuiten van de werkende klasse, het ontmantelen van publieke diensten, agressief militarisme, religieuze discriminatie, het opwerpen van grenzen, anti-immigratiebeleid, het ondergeschikt maken van de wetenschap aan de mythe en – nieuw – het ondermijnen van milieu- en klimaatbeleid.

Kunnen we ons immuun maken voor het (nieuwe) fascisme? Nidesh Lawtoo betwijfelt het. Onze rationaliteit is simpelweg niet opgewassen tegen de besmettelijkheid van de mythe. Of we het nu willen of niet: we praten elkaar na (mimesis). En nieuwe media versterken de fascistische boodschap. Toch is er hoop. We kunnen ons bewust worden van ons mimetische gedrag. Als we onszelf doorzien, wordt het mogelijk om de mythe anders te framen en de angel eruit te trekken.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy

280 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2024

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sincerely enjoyed this book which was full of meaningful informations, and sadly on a current issue happening in a lot of places. It was really informative to learn about the rise and setting of fascism, especially from so many differents perspectives such as sociology, philosophy, etc.

The author made a great work of talking about such a complex subject while writing something really comprehensive and accessible to his reader, coming from a French reader. This is a subject I’m deeply invested in, as in France and many others places, we can see the rise of the right wing, I might even go as far as saying we might even have a glimpse of what history used to be. Fascism isn’t a subject that is talked about lot in medias and one that I felt like I didn’t master well enough. This book was full of useful information and well written in a way I could learn about this topic without feeling left behind.

I would without doubt recommend this book for the awareness it brings on the recrudescence of fascism and how that system was set in the first place, both in the past and nowadays.

If you want to inform yourself on politics and an extreme movements such as Fascism, from diverse viewpoints, and time and place, with words you can easily comprehend, this is definitely a book for you !

[سارة درويش · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so helpful to me to understand the genealogy of fascism and how it works as a face of multiple faces of dictatorship and how to observe and notice the patterns of fascists revealing how they think and behave.
Using Trump as an example is maybe right but not all true because Trump is the obvious aggressive form of fascism that not hidden ,representing the right wing ( the conservatives) but it doesn’t mean that the left wings ( the democrats) are the angels here. Maybe I can call them the “hidden” fascists or the hypocrite ones , so it doesn’t matter ‘cause most of US politicians are serving agendas of destroying other countries in a way or another . The sarcastic part about Trump that he is vocal about it other than his opponents nothing more or less , so this is dishonest to me focusing on someone as Trump so that keeping the reader think positively about the other party as good. Dictatorship is the main agenda in the USA to all parties

[IEU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawing on the theories of classical philosophers and modern thinkers such as Plato, Nietzsche, Le Bon, Freud, and Girard, he analyzes contemporary political issues, examining how politics is reenacted in media and fiction, with 'actors' becoming the new protagonists of politics. He highlights the troubling phenomenon of political reality being fictionalized under the influence of media and mimesis.

The realistic approach and the analysis of real figures like Donald Trump are also strengths of this book. The author uses Trump to concretely illustrate how media and mimesis transform political reality into fiction, thereby making the issues of contemporary politics clearer.

I was delighted by the interdisciplinary approach of this book, and it made me want to explore the rest of the series! It’s still quite challenging for me, so I’ll need to take my time and read it again!

[Cocab Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at how fascism,old and new, works by spreading through people like a kind of social "contagion". Nidesh Lawtoo explains that humans often copy each other's feelings and actions, which can be good but can also be dangerous when used by authoritarian leaders. He connects ideas from philosophy, psycology and even meuroscience to show how crowds can be influenced, myths can be created and communities can be manipulated. By linking past fascist movements to today's politics, the author shows concern about fasicms can return in new forms, specially through modern media. It is a thought-provoking book that warns that even if fasicms looks different now but it can still spread and harm democracy.Highly recommend.

[Ozumba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes you think about the future and how it relates to the current political situation in the lead-up to the US elections. It encourages readers to think about the importance of their political choices and the risks of a government with too much power. Looking at history and psychology, the book shows how dangerous beliefs like fascism can take hold in society. It warns that even today, people can be drawn towards harmful ideas without realizing it. In short, the book teaches us about the dangers of fascism and why it's crucial to make smart political decisions based on knowledge.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the easiest read, but very detailed. It was quite intriguing as I didn't have a huge amount of background knowledge on the subject matter. These ideologies are controversial, of course, but it may be interesting to examine them in some detail, to examine their impact both historically and today. I would say that this is probably a stimulating read for anyone studying or researching the topic.

[Nele Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a lot of clear explanation Mr Lawtoo explains the new upcoming fascism and what it could mean for the rest of the world. Especially by explaining the grounds of what the word fascism means and where it comes from. I found it very clarifying for some things we see in the world these days.
In my opinion a must read for anyone remotely interested in this days politics.

[ಸುಶಾಂತ ಕುರಂದವಾಡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book by Nidesh I have been able to read and, just like the previous one, I liked this book too. In this book the author tries to explain deeply fascism's meaning. And the author has also explained how the mentality was with previous leaders and how it could be changed and is going to be changed in coming leaders. The author has discussed more current US political scenario.

[Andres Said · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s work deserves praise; the effort is visible. The sources show dedication to proving the point. I would’ve explored a counter argument another side of the thesis to reach a steadier ground. Maybe widen the lens a bit: do other species with complex communication use mimicry too? What about leaders from different political lines who still rely on it?...

[Wei Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawtoo uses the concept of the mimetic unconscious to understand how fascism operates on the level of the group. Overall, a very clear read with accessible introductions to thinkers like Nietzche and Bataille.

[Andre Hamlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Lawtoo perspective on mimesis & fascism.
Could be dense if the reader is new to mimesis concept but overall (new) Fascism is worth the time/effort.

Also relevant in the current political administration (USA)