Comments by "Awesome Avenger" (@awesomeavenger2810) on "Historian of fascism offers lessons for democracies on how to resist authoritarianism" video.

  1. It's pretty clear Timothy Snyder is massively bias in his arguments. He says the fascist handbook advocates the use of simple slogans. That is true. But what does he make of 'Bollox to Brexit' or 'For the many not the few'? Are they also fascist slogans because they are simplistic? The truth is all political movements advocate simple messages. And always have. Every time you paint a three word slogan on a protest banner, that is a simple political message. Anytime a political party has a motto. That is a simple political message. He also says fascism advocates an 'us and them' message. Which is true. As does any extremist ideology. And many no-extremist political parties also. But he cannot be unaware of the fact that in regards to Brexit, the pro-remain campaign is as guilty of that as anyone. Even to the point of many within it openly calling for the death of older voters who voted leave. And then to say that the 2016 referendum was non-binding, as if that somehow supports his claims that Brexit is a fascist endeavour, while ignoring that all parties agreed to carry out the result, and even voted to enact the result in parliament, making it law, really shows he is just attempting to claim those who voted for and supported Brexit are not 'Us', but 'Them'. 'Them' being the fascists. This really just another example of an anti-Brexit academic crying Fascist at those he disagrees with. When all this is settled, history will not be kind to people like him.
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  2. Besides, Timothy Snyder is a historian. Not an economist. Nothing he said in this interview is factual. It is only opinion. Or at best half-truths. And there are plenty of historians who would disagree with his logic. For example, his argument is that the 'fascist handbook' advocates the use of simple slogans. This is true. All extremist ideologies advocate simplistic slogans to complicated issues. But what he doesn't mention is that moderate mainstream political parties do exactly the same. And have always done so. He acts as if the phrase 'on message' doesnt exist. As if political sloganizing is unknown. What is 'For the many, not the few'? if not a simplistic slogan? How about 'Bollox to Brexit'? Go on any Extinction Rebellion march and you'll hear plenty of simplistic sloganizing. This doesn't mean that simplistic political sloganizing does no damage to political discourse. I believe it does. But that is not his argument. His argument is that using simplistic slogans is essentially fascistic. And that only fascists do this. His evidence for this is that a fascist handbook advocates for its use. Then he mentions Brexit. Thats very dishonest. Worse, after having clearly defined Brexit as a fascist endeavour, he then goes on to talk about the fascist tendency to create a 'Them' and an 'Us'. Once again, this is true. But apart from the fact that all mainstream moderate parties drive an In Group/Out Group mentality in politics, the very fact that his own bias has led him to already label Brexit as the 'Them', and to then label them as fascists, makes his logic extremely hypocritical. It truly is one man's bias desperation in attempting to explain that, while the present government and those who support Brexit do not sound like fascists, do not act like fascists, and do not do fascist things, they are in fact fascists. But by that reasoning so are every other political party in the UK. So its basically just a continuation of project hate. The worst example of academic gaslighting I have seen so far. And history will not be kind to people like him.
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  3.  @Gibbons-q5y  Brexit is about far more than just economics. So why are you are assuming that the 'facts' of the issue rests solely on the financial argument? It doesn't. For example, there is clearly a benefit to democratic self government that no economist is able to quantify. Even on the economics, economists cannot agree with one another and have been shown to get it completely wrong in the past (the supposed calamity of the UK not joining the euro). This is the reason why we don't have government by economic 'experts'. If we did, we'd simply ask them who should be in government every four years and not bother with general elections.
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  4. How do you go about quantifying the facts of something like Brexit?
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  5. ​ James Registe  ''Those who do not learn the mistakes of History are doomed to repeat them" In Stalinist Russia the false accusation of 'fascist' was widely used to (literally) kill opposition. Learn from that bit of history.
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  6.  @TeaParty1776  And? I never claimed they weren't. However, Timothy Snyder is attempting to smear the present government and the idea that the UK should leave the EU as 'fascist'. Which is a lie. He does this because he really doesn't like the idea of Brexit. And rather than accepting that others can legitimately hold their own views that are at odds with his (in this case on the subject of membership of a political union with the rest of Europe), he instead finds it easier to imagine that the only possible reason why anyone could disagree with him is that they are inherently evil. That they are fascists. Or, as David Lammy would say, 'worse than nazis'. This is exactly the thinking fanatical Trump supporters use. Its not enough that they don't like Hillary Clinton, or her politics, they have to imagine that she eats babies in pizza restaurants too. Timothy Snyder is the remainer equivalent of a fanatical Donald trump supporter. Demonising those who hold moderate political views simply because they disagree with him.
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  7.  James Registe  ''There are no left wing death squads'' - That depends where in the world you live. And as we all know, the present leader of the labour party has a very long history of supporting 'death squads'.
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  8.  @TeaParty1776  Brexit is about rejecting political union with Europe. Because it does matter who governs over you and makes your laws. And it matters that you can hold them to account.
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  9.  James Registe  Timothy Snyder is not playing anyone. He just finds it easier to assume evil intent by those who disagree with him.
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