Pseudo-liberalism
Pseudo-liberalism is a form of crypto-fascist propaganda that employs liberal/progressive values ("freedom", "democracy", "tolerance", etc.) and rhetoric in order to achieve reactionary/anti-liberal goals (denial of civil rights, violations of privacy, vilification of free speech, corruption of the democratic process, expansion of elites' power and privileges, etc.).
It's the main political manifestation of Neo-Oscurantism.
Features
This section exposes the main features that distinguish Pseudo-liberalism from actual liberalism, and that qualify the former as a variant of fascism.
LIBERALISM | PSEUDO-LIBERALISM |
Aims to end any form of discrimination and prejudice. | Aims to replace the traditional forms of discrimination with inverted ones. |
Unconcerned with race, gender and sexuality; teaches people to look beyond them. | Obsessed over race, gender and sexuality; teaches people to base their entire worldview around them. |
Sees freedom of speech and expression a prime motor of scientific and social progress, and defends them regardless. | Sees freedom of speech and expression as a threat to social order and advocates for censorship. |
Mainly concerned with concrete problems and their material causes. | Mainly concerned with meaningless esterior and/or symbolic issues. |
Fights where the struggle is most needed, prioritizing the most disadvantaged areas of the world. | Obsessed over the past; keeps fighting old battles and whipping dead horses. |
Recognizes the right of individuals to live their lives as they please; promotes every form of artistic/literary expression. | Shames people over their personal preferences; prone to syndacate what forms of expression should be deemed "acceptable" or "problematic". |
Always sides with the people and against the elites. | Always sides with the elites and against the people. |
Educates people to be conscious about their rights and to demand their respect. | Treats rights as "privileges"; teaches people to feel guilty for being "entitled" and to accept sacrifices. |
Tries to achieve equality by improving the conditions of those who are at the bottom of society. | Tries to achieve equality by worsening the conditions of those who are slightly above the bottom (but leaving untouched those who lie at the very top). |
Constantly encourages people to question authority and social conventions. | Hostile towards anyone who questions authority or social conventions. |
Keeps science and politics strictly separated; engages in scientific debate only with facts and logic, leaving ideological issues at the door. | Rejects scientific evidence on the basis of ideological issues; tries to twist science for its own political purposes. |
Sees the State as a necessary evil and tries to keep its power in check. | Sees the State as the solution to all problems, and keeps giving it more power. |
Sees change as a means for an end (i.e.: the improvement of society) and embraces it only as long as it guarantees actual progress. | Sees change as an end in itself, and embraces it regardless of whether it leads to any actual progress or not. |