There’s “knowing” on a theoretical level, and knowing having experienced it. As the generational knowledge of people that have experienced fascism dies off the younger generations have to learn the hard way. Seems to happen every 100 or so years.
The idea of “European exceptionalism” is no different than the idea of “American exceptionalism”. People are fundamentally the same regardless of where they live – we all have the same base instincts, the same hard-coded tribalistic tendencies, and the same fears. Every population on the planet is susceptible to fascism because it preys on the aforementioned.
The idea of “European exceptionalism” is no different than the idea of “American exceptionalism”.
I’m European and I subscribe more to American exceptionalism than European exceptionalism.
I mean the US has exceptionally awesome landscapes and national parks, exceptionally friendly and polite people and uh… Yeah, exceptionally nasty politics, that’s the one. That’s the one I hate.
It’s a country with so much potential, and most of it is spent bickering instead of building a better future for everyone. Which they damn well could afford with their GDP per capita.
i’d argue that there’s knowing how things were and there’s an undertanding of it. i went through the higher tier of the segregating west german school system under the supervision of very humanist engaged teachers. and yet that system was far from being able to deliver the second.
Which is always a very scary part. Especially over here, people should know better as they have first-hand experience (as a society at least). Seems it’s too far past already or something. 😔
I think a large part of the problem is that they don’t actually have first-hand experience anymore. Almost everyone who lived through WWII is dead now and humanity seems to be incapable of learning from other people’s mistakes.
Notably, even European countries which have much better social safety nets than the US are seeing rising fascism support. Ergo, you can’t even really blame capitalism although it certainly contributed to the problem.
It doesn’t matter.
Europeans know the history of fascism much, much better than Americans do and they’re electing right-wing leaders too.
There’s “knowing” on a theoretical level, and knowing having experienced it. As the generational knowledge of people that have experienced fascism dies off the younger generations have to learn the hard way. Seems to happen every 100 or so years.
The idea of “European exceptionalism” is no different than the idea of “American exceptionalism”. People are fundamentally the same regardless of where they live – we all have the same base instincts, the same hard-coded tribalistic tendencies, and the same fears. Every population on the planet is susceptible to fascism because it preys on the aforementioned.
I’m European and I subscribe more to American exceptionalism than European exceptionalism.
I mean the US has exceptionally awesome landscapes and national parks, exceptionally friendly and polite people and uh… Yeah, exceptionally nasty politics, that’s the one. That’s the one I hate.
It’s a country with so much potential, and most of it is spent bickering instead of building a better future for everyone. Which they damn well could afford with their GDP per capita.
i’d argue that there’s knowing how things were and there’s an undertanding of it. i went through the higher tier of the segregating west german school system under the supervision of very humanist engaged teachers. and yet that system was far from being able to deliver the second.
Afd had a huge young voter base in the recent german elections.
Which is always a very scary part. Especially over here, people should know better as they have first-hand experience (as a society at least). Seems it’s too far past already or something. 😔
I think a large part of the problem is that they don’t actually have first-hand experience anymore. Almost everyone who lived through WWII is dead now and humanity seems to be incapable of learning from other people’s mistakes.
It’s almost like capitalism isn’t a stable way to structure human civilization or something.
Definitely true for Germans
Unrelated, but I read “Definitely true for Gamers” twice. I was so confused.
They know the history and they regret who won
Notably, even European countries which have much better social safety nets than the US are seeing rising fascism support. Ergo, you can’t even really blame capitalism although it certainly contributed to the problem.
At least here they actually say they are fascists and nazis. In the us they basically voted on a clown.