Page 145 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 145
b. vezjak ■ radical hate speech: the fascination with hitler and fascism ...
mouthpieces thought of themselves as privileged participants in an ep-
ochal, decisive war against Jews, the Zionists and their global conspira-
cy, while Hitler and the Third Reich were perceived as the only, last his-
torical opportunity for Europe, Aryans, including Slovenians, civilization
and the pure Catholic faith to ward off the cataclysm of the Jewish hell-
bent plan.
Similarly, the above mentioned Facebook users cannot be necessar-
ily accused of negationism, i.e. the denial of historical facts against hu-
manity, describing a movement that denies the Nazi genocide over Jews in
1941–1945 (Finkielkraut et al., 1998). In fact, we know nothing about their
anti-Semitism, since they only state a fascination over Hitler’s “efficien-
cy”. Pavlič’s research (2015: pp. 245–257) has found that the degree of an-
ti-Semitism and negationism in secondary school students in Slovenia is
not negligible. However, methodological prudency dictates that users are
not attributed with beliefs that cannot be evidenced. In addition, there is
no evidence of their membership in groups or movements that are other-
wise considered racist, homophobic, zealot, anti-Semitic, aggressively na-
tionalist or similar, or that they abide by National Socialism in any oth-
er form, or employ neo-Nazi iconography. Moreover, we do not know if
they have adopted Nazi modes and patterns of operation, such as glorify-
ing one race’s supremacy over others, promulgation of the mythical expla-
nation of the nation’s history, verbal and physical altercations with others,
or if they are perhaps organising military training.
Once the above mentioned users are shed of the listed circumstanc-
es, their mental allegiance might be termed casual epistemic fascism: the
proponents’ system of beliefs still follows the fascist tradition, but only to
the extent that they harbour convictions of the success, historical role, and
efficiency of fascism, Nazism or national socialism, perceiving the forego-
ing with casual nostalgia and expectation. Casual epistemic fascism does
not represent a political ideal, its followers lack the drive for active engage-
ment, and, in all likelihood, not everyone fosters ambitions and expecta-
tions for the coming of a fascist social and political order, since there are
not any indications that the Facebook users quoted above might be cred-
ited with such inclinations, completely equating them with existing neo-
Nazi and other radical ideas on the political right. It seems more likely
that they have turned to Hitler with a certain resentment, casually and
exclusively out of a need driven by their xenophobic and Islamophobic be-
liefs. Even though each fascism is based on a system of beliefs and opin-
ions, epistemic fascism may be distinguished from the full-fledged fascism
in this respect, as these are not users that are likely to practice the use of
fascist symbols in their daily life, or pursue a political agenda. At the same
143
mouthpieces thought of themselves as privileged participants in an ep-
ochal, decisive war against Jews, the Zionists and their global conspira-
cy, while Hitler and the Third Reich were perceived as the only, last his-
torical opportunity for Europe, Aryans, including Slovenians, civilization
and the pure Catholic faith to ward off the cataclysm of the Jewish hell-
bent plan.
Similarly, the above mentioned Facebook users cannot be necessar-
ily accused of negationism, i.e. the denial of historical facts against hu-
manity, describing a movement that denies the Nazi genocide over Jews in
1941–1945 (Finkielkraut et al., 1998). In fact, we know nothing about their
anti-Semitism, since they only state a fascination over Hitler’s “efficien-
cy”. Pavlič’s research (2015: pp. 245–257) has found that the degree of an-
ti-Semitism and negationism in secondary school students in Slovenia is
not negligible. However, methodological prudency dictates that users are
not attributed with beliefs that cannot be evidenced. In addition, there is
no evidence of their membership in groups or movements that are other-
wise considered racist, homophobic, zealot, anti-Semitic, aggressively na-
tionalist or similar, or that they abide by National Socialism in any oth-
er form, or employ neo-Nazi iconography. Moreover, we do not know if
they have adopted Nazi modes and patterns of operation, such as glorify-
ing one race’s supremacy over others, promulgation of the mythical expla-
nation of the nation’s history, verbal and physical altercations with others,
or if they are perhaps organising military training.
Once the above mentioned users are shed of the listed circumstanc-
es, their mental allegiance might be termed casual epistemic fascism: the
proponents’ system of beliefs still follows the fascist tradition, but only to
the extent that they harbour convictions of the success, historical role, and
efficiency of fascism, Nazism or national socialism, perceiving the forego-
ing with casual nostalgia and expectation. Casual epistemic fascism does
not represent a political ideal, its followers lack the drive for active engage-
ment, and, in all likelihood, not everyone fosters ambitions and expecta-
tions for the coming of a fascist social and political order, since there are
not any indications that the Facebook users quoted above might be cred-
ited with such inclinations, completely equating them with existing neo-
Nazi and other radical ideas on the political right. It seems more likely
that they have turned to Hitler with a certain resentment, casually and
exclusively out of a need driven by their xenophobic and Islamophobic be-
liefs. Even though each fascism is based on a system of beliefs and opin-
ions, epistemic fascism may be distinguished from the full-fledged fascism
in this respect, as these are not users that are likely to practice the use of
fascist symbols in their daily life, or pursue a political agenda. At the same
143
