Councillor Rick on ‘Anthropological Fascism’

Rick has been a close friend since 1973. Over the years, we both became interested in politics. He is serving a third term as municipal councillor. I have never been elected as a Libertarian candidat.

Rick coined the term ‘Anthropological Fascism’

Rick and I have belonged to a Free Thinkers group of about twenty men for over a decade. We share thoughts, opinions and information by email. Topics are often political but also fall into scientific, philosophical, metaphysical, economic and health domains.

In a recent email exchange, Rick introduced a term I had never heard. I asked his to explain what it meant. Below was his reply.

Gene,

Pardon the long explanation, but I believe the following to be necessary to convey the meaning and the implications of "anthropological fascism".

The term "anthropological fascism" is a term I coined to explain the phenomenon that occurs in every type of society as it evolves (or devolves?) into such a complex state in which a small group of elites gains control of the state and the power that conveys.

Here is a definition of "anthropology", which I have reduced in length by taking out the biological aspects:

Anthropology, “the science of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. 

The branches that study the social and cultural constructions of human groups are variously recognized as belonging to cultural anthropology (or ethnology), social anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and psychological anthropology."

As to fascism, the name was co-opted by Mussolini (and his ilk including General Franco of Spain) and has been in disgrace ever since; however, the original concept of fascism, as created in ancient Rome, was indeed a good thing as defined here:

"The Italian term fascismo is derived from fascio, meaning 'bundle of sticks', ultimately from the Latin word fasces.[3] "

Originally, the concept was used to form the Roman legions and their controlled, tightly-knit "bundles" of soldiers, called cohorts, who fought as a unit of supportive action. A bundle of sticks is much stronger than the sticks individually - which the enemies of Rome, who fought as heroic individuals, repeatedly found out. Much smaller Roman armies defeated hordes of disorganized rabble forces.

Further:

"The symbolism of the fasces suggested strength through unity: a single rod is easily broken, while the bundle is difficult to break."

“This was the name given to political organizations in Italy known as fasci, groups similar to guilds or syndicates." In England and the Netherlands (two countries where guilds were, perhaps arguably, the strongest) all aspects of those employed in a particular trade (goldsmiths, for instance) had that trade's processes and standards set by the guild's leaders. That guild's processes and standards were absolute. Control of that trade was absolutely controlled by that guild's leadership - or fascio, if you will.

“The fascists came to associate the term with the ancient Roman fasces or fascio littorio,[21] a bundle of rods tied around an axe,[22] an ancient Roman symbol of the authority of the civic magistrate[23] carried by his lictors.[24]"

So, to pull this all together (if you'll pardon the pun). My coining of the term "anthropological fascism" refers to my observations of various societies' evolution from simple tribal organizations to an ever increasingly complex society with diverse groups and individuals within it. 

In order to provide a controlling "government" for the benefit of that society (like the guilds), a form of central government emerges. As that "government" also becomes larger and somewhat unwieldy, a "control group"/"bundle"/"fascio" evolves which controls the whole government. As that controlling group becomes more powerful, it develops means by which to entrench its power: police state, military, state militia. In ancient Rome, this "support group"/enforcement unit was known as the Praetorian Guard. They ostensibly protected the Emperor, but were controlled by the Senate - which was the real power group/fascio in ancient Rome. Emperors could be changed or eliminated (assassinated, "Et tu, Brute?") as the figurehead, whenever that government became unpopular. The Senate could not be. They were the fascio.

I like to ask people to name a society in history, how it evolved, and why it collapsed (I begin discussions about political matters). Jared Diamond's book: "Collapse: How Societies Choose To Fail or Succeed" is a fine discussion of such societal histories. At the end point of the evolution of past societies from their tribal origins to their rise as states to their eventual fall from power, there was typically a "bundle" or fascio in control of that society - hence "anthropological fascism" or the end-point of the developing stages of a society.

Since "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Lord Acton), the people in that society eventually overthrow an unjust regime - that regime being the "fascio".

The complicating factors nowadays are the variety and number of means by which the "fascio" maintains its power position: technology being the most insidious of these. Digital records, the "Digital Fortress" (as Dan Brown so cleverly wrote about).

How do modern people in modern societies overthrow that?

Is this the real underlying reason for the "Death of Democracy"? I think so, hence anthropological fascism.

Rick

My Reply to Rick,

An excellent explanation, Rick. Much appreciated. 

It seems to me the contemporary “agents” of anthropological fascism have become global in reach, power and wealth. The “bundle of sticks” that harden their collective influence on all of earth’s societies include elite groups like the UN, WEF, WHO, IMF, IBS, World Bank, IPCC, and others. WEF members, for example, are often political operatives who do the bidding of its leaders by infiltrating and undermining the authority of national institutions of governance in countries like Canada. Behind those groups are other smaller and ultra elite men and women who belong to the Club of Rome, Bilderberg Group, Bill Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Rothschild family, and others. This cabal of Global Power controls enormous wealth which is used to buy the influence they need to roll out a model of governance I call Digital Communism. 

Klaus Schwab’s vision for the future (read his 2016 book the Fourth Industrial Revolution) would not have been possible without the evolution of Digital Technology in recent decades and its impact on all fields of human endeavour. It describes the possibility for central planning and control at levels that have the potential to strip away all human rights if controlled by malevolent anthropological fascist elites. It also has the potential for creating a truly democratic society that recognizes individual interests and preferences, but the elites want none of that. 

I offered a solution to this growing threat to “democracy” in my 2023 eBook (pictured) and updated it recently in a 12-episode series posted at My Life Lens on Substack. After a 40-year career in IT, mostly as a Recruiter who interviewed many accomplished software architects, I was able to conceive of a digital way for citizens to defend themselves from creeping communism. 

The Chinese model of Digital Communism is succeeding without public much opposition because China is already a communist state. The citizens of Canada and the USA are standing in quicksand as their liberties are steadily disappearing and all vestiges of “the power of the vote” are becoming as illusory as a mirage in the desert. 

Keep using your new ‘anthropological fascism’ term as often as I use “life lens” so that it will seep into the popular political culture. 

Gene

Sent from my iPad