Page 144 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 144
šolsko polje, letnik xxix, številka 5–6
and naturalism. Fuchs attributes the fascination with Hitler and the
growth of “Fascism 2.0” to the social crisis, which generates fascism.
According to Griffin (1991: p. 201), the “fascist minimum” is repre-
sented by three mythic components: the myth of the rebirth, populist ul-
tra-nationalism and the myth of decadence. Today, many radical right
wing and extremist movements contain elements of the above and it rep-
resents the ideological core of the movements or the parties similar to
them. Their desire for ethnic purity and a sort of fundamental order plac-
es them alongside of fascism. The fascism of social network users inter-
prets the myth of the rebirth literally, as far as the Führer is concerned: it
is Hitler, who needs to be reborn, his time is allegedly coming again. The
fascist myth of the rebirth, taken as a palingenetic myth, can be associ-
ated with the feeling of a fresh start or regeneration, following a stage of
crisis or downturn (Griffin, 1991: pp. 33–35). However, the convictions of
Facebook users are not entirely associated with the coming of a new era
and a sense of belonging; the evocation of Hitler is rather a practical reci-
pe for what to do with the refugees, so belonging to the established fascist
idea is hardly an appropriate designation.
Are there any social and historical idiosyncrasies, typical only in so-
cial network users from Slovenia? Even though individual thought pat-
terns cannot be the result of abstract thinking alone, removed from social
certainties, historical reminiscence and the political atmosphere, whose
composition is heavily influenced by intensive journalistic and media
propaganda, the affinity to fascism cannot be directly tied to the Home
Guard tradition entirely. Šumi (2015: pp. 28–44) finds that the propagan-
da drive against Jews by the Home Guard was central to the argumenta-
tion of their political programme. General Leon Rupnik certainly could
not go without it in all of his published speeches. It also constituted the
entire purpose of the political and military alliance with Germany and
the Third Reich. Concurrently, allied policies, positions and military ac-
tions were, as a rule, subject to sarcasm and ridicule, in particular as these
were believed to be the result of falling for the Zionist plot, the disclosure
of which and, in turn, destruction was the holy objective of the struggle by
the Third Reich and its allies. Similarly, Slovenian partisans were consis-
tently portrayed as a tragically misguided, laughable vigilante movement
by a handful of traitors to the Slovenian nation and the Catholic religion,
who have voluntarily fallen for the Jewish propaganda and global conspir-
acy, which blinded them with their fairy-tale of communism. The Home
Guard fought with conviction on the side of Germany for the victory of
the healthy Aryan race against the Jewish-borne destruction of Europe
and all things Slovenian. The Home Guard quisling authorities and its
142
and naturalism. Fuchs attributes the fascination with Hitler and the
growth of “Fascism 2.0” to the social crisis, which generates fascism.
According to Griffin (1991: p. 201), the “fascist minimum” is repre-
sented by three mythic components: the myth of the rebirth, populist ul-
tra-nationalism and the myth of decadence. Today, many radical right
wing and extremist movements contain elements of the above and it rep-
resents the ideological core of the movements or the parties similar to
them. Their desire for ethnic purity and a sort of fundamental order plac-
es them alongside of fascism. The fascism of social network users inter-
prets the myth of the rebirth literally, as far as the Führer is concerned: it
is Hitler, who needs to be reborn, his time is allegedly coming again. The
fascist myth of the rebirth, taken as a palingenetic myth, can be associ-
ated with the feeling of a fresh start or regeneration, following a stage of
crisis or downturn (Griffin, 1991: pp. 33–35). However, the convictions of
Facebook users are not entirely associated with the coming of a new era
and a sense of belonging; the evocation of Hitler is rather a practical reci-
pe for what to do with the refugees, so belonging to the established fascist
idea is hardly an appropriate designation.
Are there any social and historical idiosyncrasies, typical only in so-
cial network users from Slovenia? Even though individual thought pat-
terns cannot be the result of abstract thinking alone, removed from social
certainties, historical reminiscence and the political atmosphere, whose
composition is heavily influenced by intensive journalistic and media
propaganda, the affinity to fascism cannot be directly tied to the Home
Guard tradition entirely. Šumi (2015: pp. 28–44) finds that the propagan-
da drive against Jews by the Home Guard was central to the argumenta-
tion of their political programme. General Leon Rupnik certainly could
not go without it in all of his published speeches. It also constituted the
entire purpose of the political and military alliance with Germany and
the Third Reich. Concurrently, allied policies, positions and military ac-
tions were, as a rule, subject to sarcasm and ridicule, in particular as these
were believed to be the result of falling for the Zionist plot, the disclosure
of which and, in turn, destruction was the holy objective of the struggle by
the Third Reich and its allies. Similarly, Slovenian partisans were consis-
tently portrayed as a tragically misguided, laughable vigilante movement
by a handful of traitors to the Slovenian nation and the Catholic religion,
who have voluntarily fallen for the Jewish propaganda and global conspir-
acy, which blinded them with their fairy-tale of communism. The Home
Guard fought with conviction on the side of Germany for the victory of
the healthy Aryan race against the Jewish-borne destruction of Europe
and all things Slovenian. The Home Guard quisling authorities and its
142
