In recent years, Germany has fought intensively against right-wing ideas and fascist tendencies. Society has shown a remarkable mobilisation against extreme right-wing movements and ideologies, but in this struggle one key point may have been overlooked: The possibility that many of the ideas that are branded as fascist are basically just common sense.
The fight against what is labelled ‘right-wing’ or ‘fascist’ has led to a hypervigilance in which even everyday, common-sense ideas such as the need for national security, the importance of law and order or the desire for cultural identity are lumped together with extremist ideologies. This equation can lead to legitimate discussions about important issues such as immigration, integration and internal security being stifled before they can even begin.
For example:
Security policy: the call for a robust security architecture aimed at protecting citizens and combating terrorism is often interpreted as an authoritarian or fascist tendency.
Cultural identity: Preserving and honouring one’s own culture and history is sometimes interpreted as nationalistic or xenophobic, although there is also a legitimate desire for stability and cultural heritage.
Law and order: Discussions about criminal law, asylum policy or public order can quickly lead to resentment if they are seen as signs of a fascist attitude.
The danger of one’s own fascist ideas
Even more worrying, however, could be that many overlook the fascist elements in their own ideas and actions in the fight against what they perceive to be fascism. Here are some scenarios in which this could be true:
Censorship and suppression of opinion: a culture of self-censorship or institutionalised censorship could emerge under the guise of protection from hate speech or false information. This is a classic feature of authoritarian regimes that restricts diversity of opinion and stifles dialogue.
Collectivism over individualism: There could be a tendency to sacrifice individual freedom in favour of a supposedly higher common good. This could manifest itself in politically correct norms that restrict freedom of expression or lead to a ‘culture of denunciation’ in which people are penalised for dissenting views.
Glorification of the state: The idea that the state should accumulate more and more power at the expense of personal freedom in order to achieve ‘good’ goals could lead to an overemphasis on the state. This form of statism can easily slide into a fascist attitude, where the state is seen as the last and only means of solving all problems.
Unified culture: The pressure to impose a unified culture and opinion could lead to the suppression of minorities or dissenters, which directly corresponds to the fascist idea of unity and conformity.
Superior morality: If one group or ideology claims the moral high ground and considers other views unworthy or dangerous, this could lead to a kind of moral fascism where only one view is considered legitimate.
In Germany, the next few years will be about making a clear distinction between common sense and extreme political ideologies. The danger lies not only in suppressing normal, socially necessary discussions in the fight against fascism, but also in inadvertently promoting fascist tendencies in our own political and social practice. It is crucial that this reflection and criticism takes place on both sides of the political spectrum in order to promote a society that is truly based on openness, dialogue and respect for diversity.
The future will show whether Germany can find this balance or whether it will drift in exactly the direction that most people are certainly trying to fight against.