A Brief History of Fascist Lies
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of California Press
Published:17th Apr '20
Should be back in stock very soon
"There is no better book on fascism's complex and vexed relationship with truth."––Jason Stanley, author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them
In this short companion to his book From Fascism to Populism in History, world-renowned historian Federico Finchelstein explains why fascists regarded simple and often hateful lies as truth, and why so many of their followers believed the falsehoods. Throughout the history of the twentieth century, many supporters of fascist ideologies regarded political lies as truth incarnated in their leader. From Hitler to Mussolini, fascist leaders capitalized on lies as the base of their power and popular sovereignty.
This history continues in the present, when lies again seem to increasingly replace empirical truth. Now that actual news is presented as “fake news” and false news becomes government policy, A Brief History of Fascist Lies urges us to remember that the current talk of “post-truth” has a long political and intellectual lineage that we cannot ignore.
“Federico Finchelstein, who is one of the world’s leading experts on both fascism and populism, is essential reading for the times in which we live.” * Times Literary Supplement *
"A lucid examination of how fascism does not just embrace lies, but integrates them into a distinctive, irrational structure of ‘truth’ that serves its political ends. Finchelstein’s key arguments are immensely valuable to our understanding of contemporary politics." * London School of Economics Review *
“Finchelstein leaves us with the importance of understanding mythic nationalist ideologies, and not simply the behavior of leaders who mobilize myths.” * Los Angeles Review of Books *
“Neatly summarizes. . . a principal goal of fascism is ‘to leave reason behind and return to prejudice.’” * Salon.com *
"The roots of Trump's megalomania: 'Public humiliation' pushed him 'into a delusional state of mind,'" * Salon *
ISBN: 9780520346710
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
152 pages