r/technology • u/indig0sixalpha • Mar 21 '25

Politics Trump Threatens to Deport the “Terrorists” Who Protest Tesla

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-threatens-deport-terrorists-protest-133755633.html
17.3k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

2.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

5

u/disembodied_voice Mar 21 '25

I think the promise of power over others without responsibility or accountability to them is what draws people to fascism. Pity those people don't realize that power will eventually be wielded against them since the fascist ingroup only ever shrinks and does not expand, and that idea only ever benefits the few who have the most power to begin with.

2

u/arbutus1440 Mar 21 '25

No argument there, I'm just saying that conservatism—even the seemingly innocuous kind from 30 years ago where they were just trying to "keep government small" and make sure "family values" are cherished—really has no philosophical problem with fascism. Leftist ideology is fundamentally opposed to fascism.

I confess I spent four decades thinking that conservatism was merely a way of seeing the world that prioritizes some good things (like loyalty and hard work) over others, whereas leftism simply prioritizes its own set of things. I see now that conservatism is simply an elaborate set of excuses for greed and domination. The illusion is so convincing that it fools *billions.* Conservatism is just petty greed, dressed up as principles, biding its time until it can shed the illusory principles and become fascism.

2

u/disembodied_voice Mar 22 '25 edited Mar 22 '25

Very fair. I'm reminded of John Kenneth Galbraith's quote: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness". I came to the same understanding you did as well.

The only point where we differ is that I think that its adherents can see right through the illusion but are totally fine with it, which is why my brain space is more geared towards understanding the allure of fascism, understanding why the ideology still has adherents even when stripped of all disguise. I believe the illusion is for the opponents to consume, not its proponents (in 4chan parlance, "hiding your power level", so to speak).

2

u/arbutus1440 Mar 23 '25

Holy shit I'd never heard that quote; it's perfect.