FASCISM is very simple -

< Boris Strugatsky
< Epidemiological reminder
< Source: Neva time (SPb.). - 1995. - April 8 (pervopublikatsiya).


Plague in our house. Treat her we do not know. Moreover, we very often do not know how to even make the correct diagnosis. And those who have already been infected, often does not notice that he is sick and contagious.

He, it seems that he knows all about fascism. After all, it is known that fascism - is: black SS uniforms; barking speech; upturned hands in the Roman salute; swastika; black and red flags; marching column; people-skeletons behind the barbed wire; greasy smoke from the chimneys; Hitler possessed with chelochkoy; thick Goering; glittering bits of glass eyeglasses Himmler - and half a dozen more or less reliable figures from "Seventeen Moments of Spring" from "Secret Agent", from "The Fall of Berlin» ...

Oh, we know perfectly well what fascism - German fascism, it - Hitlerism. We had no idea comes, that there is another fascism, the same filthy, the same terrible, but his own, home-grown. And perhaps that's why we do not see him at close range when he in front of us is growing in the body of the country, like silent cancer. We, however, distinguish the swastika, camouflaged under the runic characters. Until we hear the hoarse cries, calling for the massacre of foreigners. We notice sometimes filthy slogans and pictures on the walls of our homes. But we can not admit that it is also fascism. We all seem to fascism - is: black SS uniforms barking foreign speech, greasy smoke from the chimneys, the war ...

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Now the Academy of Sciences, fulfilling the President's decree, feverishly formulating a scientific definition of fascism. Presumably, this is an accurate, comprehensive, on all occasions definition. And, of course, devilishly difficult.

And, meanwhile, is fascism - it's easy. Moreover, fascism - it's easy! Fascism is a dictatorship nationalists. Accordingly, a fascist - a man who professes (and preaching) the superiority of one nation over others and at the same time - an active proponent of the "iron hand", "discipline-order" or "rod of iron" and other delights of totalitarianism.

That's all. More than anything in the basis of fascism is not. Dictatorship plus nationalism. Totalitarian rule of one nation. But everything else - the secret police, the camp fires of the books, the war - grows out of this poisonous grain, as the death of the cancer cell.

Available iron dictatorship with all its deathly charms - say, Stroessner dictatorship in Paraguay or Stalin's dictatorship in the Soviet Union - but as a total idea of ​​this dictatorship is not the idea of ​​a national (racial) - this is not fascism. Perhaps the state, based on the national idea - let's say, Israel - but if there is no dictatorship ("iron hand", the suppression of democratic freedoms, the omnipotence of the secret police) - this is not fascism.

Absolutely senseless and ignorant expressions like "demofashist" or "Fascist Democrat." This is the same nonsense as the "icy hot water" or "fragrant stench." Democrat, yes, maybe to some extent a nationalist, but it is, by definition, you enemy of all and every kind of dictatorship, and therefore be a fascist just can not. Just as no fascist can not be a democrat, a supporter of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and demonstrations, he was always one of freedom - freedom of the Iron Hands.

I can easily imagine a man who, having familiarized with all these my definitions, say (doubtfully): "That way you get that five or six hundred years ago, all the world were the Nazis - and the princes and kings and lords, vassals and ... "In a sense, this remark hit the target, because it is true," the exact opposite ": fascism - is retarded feudalism survived and age of steam, and the age of electricity, and the age of the atom, and ready to survive the century space travel and artificial intelligence. Feudal relations, it would seem to have disappeared, but the feudal mentality proved tenacious and powerful, he was stronger and steam, and electricity, more universal literacy and computerization. Survivability it certainly has reason of the fact that its roots in pre-feudal feudalism goes even cave times, herd mentality blohasto tailless monkeys: all aliens living in the nearby forest - disgusting and dangerous, and our great leader is tough, wise and defeats enemies. This primitive mentality, probably not soon leave the human race. And that is why fascism - is feudalism today. And tomorrow.

Only, for God's sake, do not confuse nationalism with patriotism! Patriotism - love for his people, and nationalism - a dislike to someone else. Patriot knows that there are no good and bad people - there are only good and bad people. Nationalists also always think in terms of "us vs. them," "our, Nenashev", "thieves-pigeons," he whole nations with remarkable ease writes villains or fools, or bandits.

This is an important feature of fascist ideology - the division of people into "ours and Nenashev." Stalinist totalitarianism is based on such an ideology, which is why they are so much alike, these regimes - regimes killer regimes - the destroyers of culture, modes of warlords. Only fascists, people are divided by race, and the Stalinists - classes.

A very important feature of fascism - a lie. Of course, not everyone who is lying, fascist, but every fascist - always a liar. He just has to lie. Because dictatorship sometimes even as it is possible, at the very least, but still reasonable, justified, nationalism is justified only through the lies - what some phony "Protocols", or buzzing that de "Jewish Russian people spoili" "all Caucasians - born bandits" and the like. Therefore, the Nazis - lie. And always lied. And no one really Ernest Hemingway said of them: "Fascism is a lie, speaketh bandits».

So if you suddenly "realized" that only your people deserve all the good things, and all the other nations around - the second grade, congratulations: you have made your first step into fascism. Then you dawns that the lofty goals of your nation will achieve only when the iron order will be installed and plugged the mouth of all these ranters and scribblers, ranting about freedom; when put up against the wall (without trial) everyone who comes across, and foreigners mercilessly take the nail ... And once you take it all in - the process was finished: you are a fascist. You do not have a black uniform with a swastika. You do not have the habit of yelling "Heil!". All your life you were proud of the victory over fascism in our country and maybe even yourself, personally, hastening this victory. But you have allowed yourself to get up in the ranks of the fighters for the dictatorship of the nationalists - and you're a fascist. How easy! Kakstrashno simple.

And do not say now that you - not an evil man, that you are against the suffering of innocent people (to the wall should be placed only the enemies of order, and only the enemies of the order must be behind barbed wire) that you have the most children, grandchildren, that you are against the war ... It does not matter, as long as you took Communion Buffalo. Road history has long been knotted and merciless logic of history, and as soon as they come to power your Führer earn oiled conveyor: elimination of dissent - the inevitable suppression of protest - the concentration camps, the gallows - the decline of peace-time economy - the militarization - the war ... And if you come round, you want at some point to stop this terrible belt, you'll be mercilessly destroyed, like most rasposledny Democrat-internationalist. Banners you will not be red-brown, and - for example - a black and orange. You'll be screaming at their meetings not "Heil", and, say, "Glory!". Will not you shturmbannfyurera, and there are any esaul-foremen, but the essence of fascism - the dictatorship of the Nazis - will remain and, therefore, will lie, blood, war - now, perhaps nuclear.

We live in dangerous times. Plague in our house. It primarily affects the insults and humiliation, and so many of them now.

Is it possible to reverse history? Perhaps you can - if they want millions. So let's do not want to. After all, a lot depends on ourselves. Not all, of course, but a lot.