Progressives Call Conservative Politics Fascist, Can’t Define Term

Certain conversations and debates on the left can be fascinating. The MSNBC-style, boilerplate #Resistance genre is dull and uninteresting; toeing the party line of Jen Rubin Thought is a lucrative endeavor, but it requires little to no critical thinking. The thinking of the actual Left, however, is unique and worthwhile; that Left defines itself in opposition to the institutional progressive mainstream, and its relative lack of proximity to power gives it a critical perspective. (For examples of this distinction in practice, just look at the vitriolic divisions between Bernie Sanders supporters and the Democratic Party establishment in both 2016 and 2020.) Serious left-wing political theory, too, offers insights that even conservatives can find useful — aspects of the Frankfurt School, for example, are surprisingly reminiscent of traditionalist critiques of modernity, and neo-Marxist theorists such as Antonio Gramsci have been an object of fascination among right-wing thinkers for decades.

A popular debate in American political discourse lately has featured progressives of all stripes fastened on the question of whether, why, and to what extent the Trump-era GOP is a vehicle for fascism. As a Republican who happens not to think of himself as a fascist, I naturally greet this debate over who in conservative politics is implicated as fascist, semi-fascist, or fascist-adjacent with skepticism. On Twitter a couple of days ago, I inadvertently sparked a rehash of the debate over fascism and conservatism, asking what distinguishes fascism from “normal” right-wing politics.

About the Author

Nate Hochman

Nate Hochman was a staff writer at National Review.

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Certain conversations and debates on the left can be fascinating. The MSNBC-style, boilerplate #Resistance genre is dull and uninteresting; toeing the party line of Jen Rubin Thought is a lucrative endeavor, but it requires little to no critical thinking. The thinking of the actual Left, however, is unique and worthwhile; that Left defines itself in opposition to the institutional progressive mainstream, and its relative lack of proximity to power gives it a critical perspective. (For examples of this distinction in practice, just look at the vitriolic divisions between Bernie Sanders supporters and the Democratic Party establishment in both 2016 and 2020.) Serious left-wing political theory, too, offers insights that even conservatives can find useful — aspects of the Frankfurt School, for example, are surprisingly reminiscent of traditionalist critiques of modernity, and neo-Marxist theorists such as Antonio Gramsci have been an object of fascination among right-wing thinkers for decades.

A popular debate in American political discourse lately has featured progressives of all stripes fastened on the question of whether, why, and to what extent the Trump-era GOP is a vehicle for fascism. As a Republican who happens not to think of himself as a fascist, I naturally greet this debate over who in conservative politics is implicated as fascist, semi-fascist, or fascist-adjacent with skepticism. On Twitter a couple of days ago, I inadvertently sparked a rehash of the debate over fascism and conservatism, asking what distinguishes fascism from “normal” right-wing politics.