Pseudo-liberalism is the political manifestation of Neo-Obscurantism. It is a totalitarian and elitarian ideology which directly derives from fascism and aims at its same goals (complete top-down control of society by an elite), but uses liberal values, terminology and aesthetics as a disguise (in nearly the same way marxism-leninism used the socialist/communist ones for the same purpose).
How to recognize pseudo-liberalism: the main features that set it apart from actual liberalism.
LIBERALISMDefinition: Ideology striving for the achievement of the highest possible level of freedom and human rights for the highest possible number of people. | PSEUDO-LIBERALISMDefinition: Ideology aiming at the concentration of wealth and power into the hands of an unaccountable elite through totalitarian control of society, hiding behind principles of liberalism as a justification. |
Egalitarian Aims to end racism, sexism, and any other form of discrimination and prejudice. | Discriminatory Aims to replace the traditional forms of racism and sexism with inverted ones; openly promotes discrimination and marginalization of dissenters. |
Impartial Unconcerned with race, gender, sexuality, etc.; teaches people to look beyond them. | Partial Obsessed over race, gender, sexuality, etc.; teaches people to base their entire worldview around them. |
Tolerant Sees freedom of speech and expression a prime motor of scientific and social progress, and defends them regardless. | Intolerant Sees freedom of speech and expression as a threat to social order and advocates for censorship. |
Pragmatic Concerned with actual problems and their material causes. | Trivial Concerned with meaningless esterior and/or symbolic issues while disregarding the crucial ones. |
Straight priorities Fights where the struggle is most needed, prioritizing the most disadvantaged areas of the world. | Inverted priorities Keeps fighting old battles while disregarding the most disadvantaged areas of the world. |
Open-minded Recognizes the right of individuals to live their lives as they please; promotes every form of artistic/literary expression. | Bigoted Prone to syndacate about how people should live their lives, and what forms of expression should be deemed "acceptable" or "problematic". |
Pro-people Always sides with the people and against the elites. | Pro-elite Most often than not sides with the elites and against the people. |
Empowering Educates people to be conscious about their rights and to demand their respect. | Disempowering Treats rights as "privileges"; teaches people to feel guilty for being "entitled" and to accept sacrifices. |
Progressive Tries to achieve equality by improving the conditions of those who are at the bottom of society. | Regressive 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). |
Rational Bases its views on reason and logic. | Irrational Bases its views on cheap emotionalism and blind faith in the media. |
Critical Constantly encourages people to question authority and social conventions. | Acritical Hostile towards anyone who questions authority or social conventions. |
Laic Keeps science and politics strictly separated; engages in scientific debate only with facts and logic, leaving ideological issues at the door. | Ideological Rejects scientific evidence on the basis of ideological issues; tries to twist science for its own political purposes. |
Minarchist Sees the State as a necessary evil and tries to keep its power in check. | Statalist Sees the State as the solution to all problems, and keeps giving it more power. |
Goal-oriented 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. | Change-oriented Sees change as an end in itself, and embraces it regardless of whether it leads to any actual progress or not. |