These threads about the ongoing conflict recently have had me reflecting on Umberto Eco’s work “Ur-Fascism” as of late. Specifically the 14 common features he identified that are shared under fascist thought. The one I’ve been thinking about the most lately, as I read some of the grotesque things people are writing, is #8: The enemy is both weak and strong. “[…] the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.”

But upon review I think that these other ones are worth reflecting on as well. I mean they all really are in the context of this crisis, but I found these to be the most striking.

#4: Disagreement is treason. “The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism. In modern culture, the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge.”

#5: Fear of difference. “The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.”

#6: Appeal to social frustration. “[…] one of the most typical features of the historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation, and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.

#7: The obsession with a plot. “The followers must feel besieged. The easiest way to solve the plot is the appeal to xenophobia.”

#9: Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. “For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle.”

#10: Contempt for the weak. “Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology.”

edit: formatting

End Stage Capitalism is not fun.

Which means probably about 350 of them were children.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 24 (Reuters) - More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza’s health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas militants who stunned the country with a deadly Oct. 7 attack.

As aid agencies warned that a humanitarian catastrophe was unfolding in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Israel to offer it support.

Israeli tanks and troops are massed on the border between Israel and the enclave awaiting orders for an expected ground invasion - an operation that will be complicated by concerns over the hostages.

Wide areas of Gaza have been flattened by Israeli bombs with buildings reduced to piles of rubble and twisted metal, forcing more than one million residents to seek shelter elsewhere in the territory.

Israel shouldn’t be granted an unconditional green light and unrestricted authorisation to kill," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said in a speech to Gulf state’s Shura council.

“We are linked to Israel through mourning,” Macron said earlier on social media, saying that 30 French people were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks and nine were still missing or held hostage.

The original article contains 933 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 79%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

At this point I don’t even think they’re doing it out of hatred anymore. They’re just doing it for sport

“gaza authorities” so Hamas

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Why 700? Why not 701 or 698?! Gaza is controlled by Hamas. Gaza’s authorities are Hamas. Everything they say is blatantly false and only serves their purpose, which is to annihilate anyone who is not a Muslim. The fact that so-called news agencies use them as a source highlights the issues with the media in this day and age.