t actually new by any means, nor is it¶

This isn't actually new by any means, nor is it "contradictory" within the fascist worldview.

Fascist mythology has always revolved around The Pure, Strong Nation that rightfully dominates others and always comes out on top through the power of Being Civilized. 🧵 https://t.co/MABoglTXri They are viscerally terrified and disdainful of the barbarous hordes seeping in and shattering the sanctity of their dominion. This is how they've always justified the violence of the regime. The US was founded on "We have to protect white babies against the native menace!" As fascism developed, it added more mythemes into its arsenal, including explanations for any decline in prospects (real or perceived) for certain classes within the uber-nation -- something which should be impossible for a normally functioning, perfectly civilized nation. Namely, the existence of not just barbarians at the gates, but an alien influence that has managed to infiltrate and subvert the "natural" order in some way. "The Jew," "the queer," "the oriental," or something more abstract -- the intelligentsia, the cosmopolitan, the financier. These groups are the ones presented as weak, effeminate, conniving, while still having the ability, when left unchecked, to manipulate society into an "unnatural" orientation, where might does not make right. Where the barbarians can no longer be dealt with "appropriately." So to put all these threads together, the story goes:

"We used to be a nation of proud, strong men, who protected our precious children and women from the brutish races with the might of our noble police, proud military, and stalwart vigilantes. "But we lost our way as a nation. Weak, effeminate, cosmopolitans tried to artificially elevate the savages to equal status. They opened the gates and turned loose the rabid criminals. They turned the cities into hellholes, and told us we can't do anything to fight back." There are so many other threads to weave into this delightful tapestry of fascist delusion, and I've barely touched on the material roots or outcomes of any of this. But I hope this brief explanation at least helps with the confusion at the supposed "contradictory narrative."