This in-depth video explores what fascism is, why it is so hard to define, and how people can embrace fascist ideas without recognizing themselves as fascists.
Drawing on key scholars such as Robert Paxton, Roger Griffin, Jason Stanley, Umberto Eco, and others, Shawn Grenier argues that fascism is best understood as a set of “mobilizing passions” and recurring patterns—ultranationalism, mythic glorification of a supposedly pure past, a sharp division between an in‑group and threatening “others,” and a rejection of rational debate in favor of emotion, hierarchy, and loyalty—rather than as a single fixed doctrine.
Grenier emphasizes that fascist movements adapt to particular national and historical contexts, which is why German, Italian, and contemporary versions look different, making generic definitions difficult.
Grenier also reflects on his own past as an unaware young fascist in Quebec, using his story to show how fascist beliefs often grow out of fears about cultural decline, desires for community and order, and a self‑image of defending one’s nation rather than craving genocide or open brutality.
He stresses that many people reject labels like “racist” or “fascist” because they see them as insults rather than accurate descriptions of harmful beliefs, which makes introspection and recognition harder.
By unpacking how fascism has been flattened into caricature—swastikas, death camps, and overtly evil villains—the video argues that this narrow image blinds people to more ordinary, locally embedded forms of fascism that can reappear in “innocent” guises in contemporary politics.
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0:00 Introduction
11:18 Part I | What is Fascism
11:50 Ultranationalism
13:49 Demonization
19:07 Ideology (or lack thereof)
22:33 Defining Fascism
33:18 Part II | What is Fascism, Really?
33:37 Fascism is a Spectrum
37:41 Fascism’s Contexts
53:31 Fascist Traits
55:33 I. Mythic Past
1:09:51 II. The Other
1:24:16 III. Truth
1:36:25 Part III | Conclusion