CronoDAS comments on Undiscriminating Skepticism - Less Wrong

97 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 March 2010 11:23PM

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Comment author: orthonormal 16 March 2010 01:12:41AM 46 points [-]

I think we've achieved a new record for "most distinct subthreads that would be flamewars anywhere else on the Internet, but somehow aren't yet".

The previous recordholder, I'm pretty sure, is also on Less Wrong.

Comment author: simplicio 16 March 2010 01:22:59AM 4 points [-]

That is so true. & that is why I bloody love this site.

Still, I think to get the perfect compendium, somebody ought to mention fascism.

Comment author: CronoDAS 16 March 2010 02:16:49AM *  15 points [-]

Fascism was never a well-defined political philosophy, as far as I can tell. It seems that, today, it seems to be a synonym for "non-Communist government I don't like".

Comment author: Jack 16 March 2010 02:28:20AM *  5 points [-]

I'd say it became increasingly less well-defined after it's creation.

Comment author: simplicio 16 March 2010 02:54:44AM 1 point [-]

I always thought of it as basically a reaction to communism, wherein the state takes control of industry but sort of for the benefit of industry rather than labour. But yeah, definitely a pretty amorphous thing.

Anyway, it's mentioned now! Hurrah!

Comment author: CronoDAS 16 March 2010 02:59:28AM 5 points [-]

I've seen it defined, perhaps ironically, as "When the government takes over the corporations, that's called communism. When the corporations take over the government, that's called fascism."

Comment author: RobinZ 16 March 2010 03:03:30AM *  2 points [-]

I always thought of it as basically a reaction to communism [...]

From Jack's link in the previous comment:

By the time Mussolini returned from Allied service in World War I, he had decided that socialism as a doctrine had largely been a failure. In 1917, Mussolini got his start in politics with the help of a £100 weekly wage from MI5, the British Security Service; this help was authorised by Sir Samuel Hoare. In early 1918, Mussolini called for the emergence of a man "ruthless and energetic enough to make a clean sweep" to revive the Italian nation. Much later in life Mussolini said he felt by 1919 "Socialism as a doctrine was already dead; it continued to exist only as a grudge". On 23 March 1919, Mussolini reformed the Milan fascio as the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento (Italian Combat Squad), consisting of 200 members.

No further comment. :)

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