An excellent diary by Troutfishing points us to an an article by Sarah Robinson, which, among other things, walks us through the phases of the development of fascism, as first described by historian Robert Paxton in 1998.
I'd like to walk through Robinson's description of the first phase, and especially reflect on one word from that description, which begins:
In the first stage, a rural movement emerges to effect some kind of nationalist renewal (what Roger Griffin calls "palingenesis" -- a phoenix-like rebirth from the ashes).
Palingenesis. Palin genesis. That's what I'd like to talk about.
Hmmm. A "rural" movement, you say? I wonder which right-wing political leader is best positioned to trumpet a rural background?
Remember Alaska... America is now, more than ever, looking North to the Future. It'll be good.
Uh oh. And let's not forget:
We believe, we believe that the best of America is in the small towns that we get to visit, and in the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation.
Robinson continues her analysis of the first phase of fascism:
They come together to restore a broken social order, always drawing on themes of unity, order, and purity.
Or, in other words, the threats to unity, order, and purity:
This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
This, Robinson, points out, is not exactly an intellectual appeal:
Reason is rejected in favor of passionate emotion.
But of course, an intellectual appeal is the last thing anyone expects from Palin:
In what respect, Charlie?
And the core emotion is national pride:
it's always rooted in the promise of restoring lost national pride
Which is ostensibly the whole point of her resignation as governor:
I'll work for and campaign for those PROUD to be American, and those who are INSPIRED by our ideals and won't deride them.
(Caps are in transcript I've linked to.)
And how does our new fascist leader restore that pride?
by resurrecting the culture's traditional myths and values
Like, say, the Alaskan version of the soccer mom:
I was just your average hockey mom and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
And, armed with that rural myth, we are ready for social cleansing:
and purging society of the toxic influence of the outsiders and intellectuals who are blamed for their current misery.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
One thing missing from the mobs at these congressional events is a single leader to rally around. Folks, though we'd like to dismiss Sarah Palin for the opportunistic intellectual light-weight that she is, I can't think of a better candidate for that role.
As Robinson, citing Paxton, explains, in phase 2 the movement coalesces into a coherent political party, and that's the point at which both Hitler and Mussolini emerged.
Already, as grannyhelen's diary points out, Palin is inserting herself into the health care dialog, adding her own contribution to the list of Big Lies being told: that healthcare reform would kill her special needs child.
And she's no stranger to guns.