My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Veith distinguishes modern, monocultural fascism like that of the Nazis from the postmodern, multi-cultural fascism of liberal governments. Fascism asserts control through the state and media propaganda and is hostile to any notion of a transcendent God. Fascists prefer a spirituality of immanent gods, goddesses, and spirits, because these pose no threat to state authority. Veith argues that this explains why both kinds of Fascists hate traditional Judaism and Christianity.
I would argue that Fascism is ultimately self-defeating, because the only way to defy God's transcendence is to make itself transcendent. This happened explicitly in Nazi Germany and Italy and the state has been extending itself over liberal governments throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In the Judeo-Christian worldview God defines the state and the individual. Under Fascism the individual gets to define himself under the state.
Veith's book is an Eye-opening good read, but the thesis suffers a little from a lack of primary source material. I think Veith needs to establish a historical link between modern and postmodernism fascism. Otherwise we are left with guilt by association. For instance, Veith seems to imply that since both groups have the same artistic views there is a link. But correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation.
2 comments:
That sounds interesting.Thanks
You're welcome.
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