Understanding Fascism and Anti-Semitism

[Malachi151]

This is still a rought draft, but since this topic has been raised recently I figured I go ahead and post it. Rip away :p

http://www.rationalrevolution.net/understanding_fascism.htm

[Grammatron]

Didn't we already cover this topic extensively here (http://host.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=28781) ?

[epepke]

I skimmed it; it looks interesting.

I didn't see that it mentioned that the central metaphor for fascism is the fasces, a bundle of sticks tied together used as a Roman symbol of authority. The idea is that the sticks are the people, and the State binds them.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by epepke
I skimmed it; it looks interesting.

I didn't see that it mentioned that the central metaphor for fascism is the fasces, a bundle of sticks tied together used as a Roman symbol of authority. The idea is that the sticks are the people, and the State binds them.

What's most ironic about that is that the fasces was carried by the Tribunes who were responsible for protecting the people from legislation by the Senate. In effect the fasces was a tool of the common man, while in fascism, the common man is the tool of the state.

[Mycroft]

That was a very interesting read!

What prompted your interest in the subject?

[epepke]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner


What's most ironic about that is that the fasces was carried by the Tribunes who were responsible for protecting the people from legislation by the Senate. In effect the fasces was a tool of the common man, while in fascism, the common man is the tool of the state.

Yes, of course.

Many, many parallels to that. Like exercizing Constiutional rights makes you Un-American and all that.

I find myself hard pressed to think of any political idea that hasn't in some way been perverted.

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Mycroft
That was a very interesting read!

What prompted your interest in the subject?

I'm just interested in history in general. If you have read any of the other stuff on my site you would see that it fits into an overall view of history that I have.

As for the fasces that's just trivia, but now that you bring it up it probably would be a good idea to show some of the early Italian symolism as well, we al lknwo what the swastika looks like.

[LW]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner

What's most ironic about that is that the fasces was carried by the Tribunes who were responsible for protecting the people from legislation by the Senate. In effect the fasces was a tool of the common man, while in fascism, the common man is the tool of the state.

They were carried before most Roman officials, not only tribunes. There were two different fasces variants, with and without an axe. The axe was carried before an official who held executive power in the truest sense. For example, (according to legends) when the consul Marcus Valerius was chosen to be the first dictator, axes were added to his fasces to show that he now had the power to condemn citizens to death. This usage predated people's tribunes by at least several hundreds of years.

I think that the fasces that Italian fascists used had axes in them.

[LW]

Originally posted by LW

They were carried before most Roman officials, not only tribunes.

Ummm. I started to wonder about this, and a little googling later I have to alter this a bit.

Tribunes didn't have fasces carried before them.

Only the dictator, consuls, and praetors were allowed to have lictors carry fasces before them.