“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.”
Adolf Hitler
I just finished reading Professor Federico Finchelstein’s insightful book, “A Brief History of Fascist Lies,” and it made me reconsider my views on totalitarian ideologies.
After reading this book, it has become crystal clear to me that we are facing a three-headed monster threatening the open liberal democracies of the West: Fascism, Communism, and Islamism.
I also released a podcast in Persian discussing the main insights of the book.
Finchelstein’s analysis opened my eyes to the troubling parallels between the lies and propaganda used by past fascist regimes and those employed by today’s Far-Right, Islamist, and Woke political movements.
Understanding Fascism and Its Core Lies
What is fascism?
Fascism is an ultra-nationalist ideology that seeks to create a totalitarian state led by a charismatic leader. It thrives on myths, lies, and the creation of an alternative truth.
One central element of fascist lies is projection - fascists deny their own traits and behaviours by attributing them to their enemies. This reminds me a bit of my lovely aunt, who never hesitates to blame others for her own shortcomings. It’s a tactic used by leaders like Hitler and Mussolini to manipulate and control their populations. Just to be clear: my aunt is NOT a fascist. Or so I hope.
Finchelstein explains that for fascists, truth is malleable and can be shaped to fit their needs. Fascists often accuse their enemies of lying and associate them with disease and corruption. This creates a twisted reality where the fascists’ lies become the accepted truth, and dissenting voices are silenced.
“What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”
Donald J. Trump, 2018
Populism
What is populism and how does it differ from fascism?
Populism is an authoritarian approach that tweaks elements of democracy to gain political power. While it’s not the same as fascism, it shares many traits. Populism relies on charismatic leaders who claim to be the voice of the people against corrupt elites.
Take Donald Trump, for example. He spreads misinformation and builds a personality cult. By the way, Trump is now the first former US president with a criminal conviction and the first major party candidate to run for the White House as a felon. His sentence could be a fine, probation, or even prison time. Yet, he can still run for president because the US constitution doesn’t block candidates with criminal records.
Whether you agree with the sentence or not, one thing is clear: the US has never been so divided. A civil war is no longer a far-fetched fantasy. The threat is real.
Finchelstein argues that Trumpism’s “success” lies in the power of lies and the willingness of many Americans to believe and spread these falsehoods. Imagine a reality where Trump could run the country from behind bars. It’s absurd, but it’s where we are.
“You must believe me because I have the habit - it is the system of my life - of always and everywhere saying the truth.”
Benito Mussolini, 1924
Islamism
Fascism and Islamism/Jihadism share a troubling common ground. Both ideologies use violence and propaganda to impose their will, reject democratic values, and seek to create totalitarian regimes.
Islamism thrives on intolerance, aims to dismantle open societies, create an Islamic State, and implement Sharia. Yet, the West and its media seem incapable of confronting this monster.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30d0d818-a5ea-4924-a4c5-cc8c2f9d0cd0_2170x1408.png)
Meanwhile, this tolerance of intolerance is fuelling the far-right, setting the stage for a potential landslide victory for extremist parties in the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 6th 2024. If we don’t recognise and address this danger, the values that underpin our democracies could be eroded beyond repair.
Yesterday’s terrorist attack in Mannheim, Germany, where 25-year-old Afghan immigrant Sulaiman A. attacked six people before being shot dead by the police, is a stark reminder of the growing threat of Islamism. This incident might be just the tip of the Islamist iceberg. We could see a wave of such attacks in the weeks and months to come. Western societies must wake up to this threat before it’s too late.
“Nature teaches us that there can be no accord between the ruler and the ruled, nor between the strong and the weak. Agreement can only be reached by struggle and strife. The conquerer is the worthy one because he continues to exist; the conquered is weak, so he is terminated.”
Ahmad Husayn (the fascist leader of the Green Shirts), 1935
Wokism
Similarly, the far-left ‘Woke’ ideology, shares several troubling similarities with fascism. Both employ tactics of censorship, cancel culture, and aggressive propaganda to silence opposition and enforce conformity.
Woke ideology is based on Marxist and post-modernist ideas because it focuses on power structures, social hierarchies, and the deconstruction of traditional narratives, aiming to challenge and change perceived injustices within society. It divides the world into ‘oppressed’ and ‘oppressor’ groups.
It often supports groups like Hamas, forming alliances with Islamists, and exhibits open antisemitism. Needless to say, but this unholy alignment is poses great danger for any open society.
Wokism’s aim to control the narrative and aggressive enforcement of ideological purity and its willingness to cancel and censor individuals who don’t conform echo the same totalitarian impulses of fascism. Both seek to dismantle free speech and democratic discourse, replacing them with an intolerant orthodoxy.
If we don’t recognise and confront these similarities, we risk allowing these extremist tactics to undermine the very foundations of our civilisation.
“For the West to survive, it must defeat political Islam and Woke ideology”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
The Dangers of Lies, Deceptions and Delusions
Reading Finchelstein’s book taught me among other things the importance of defending truth and democracy. We can no longer afford to remain on the sidelines; we must take a stand. As Elie Wiesel wisely said:
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”
We need to acknowledge that the tactics used by fascist leaders in the past are still in use today, often disguised under the deceptive mask of ‘virtue’. Leaders and movements across the spectrum - from Trump and Putin to far-left and Islamist groups - use lies and propaganda to manipulate their followers and undermine democratic institutions.
To prevent the rise of new destructive forces and regimes, we must be vigilant in exposing lies and holding leaders accountable.
Silence in the face of such ideologies only allows them to grow stronger.
We need to remember that democracy cannot defend itself; it requires active participation and courage to confront falsehoods and delusions. The failure to do so can have dire consequences for our freedoms and human rights.
It is not too late.
By understanding and confronting the three-headed monster, we can still ensure that truth and justice prevail. But we must act - and we must act now.