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Compassion and Empathy Are Not Enough to Fight Fascism
It took violence to defeat the Nazis, not writing
By electing Trump the United States have taken a turn towards fascism and it has cast a deepening shadow across an already dying Earth. Liberal democracy, which as a concept is inherently left-wing, revolutionary and anti-aristocratic, was already a rapidly shrinking puddle drying under an unforgiving sun, but the heat has just been turned up a notch.
In my own country (The Netherlands) a fascist party took more than 30% of the vote and is now the leading part of a radically right government that is straining to move even further to the right. The prime minister is a puppet. There are many other examples from around the world of this morality collapse that would worry any well-meaning citizen.
I am struggling with feelings of despair, but also indecisiveness and hesitation. Is there anything I can do? I am just one person, without influence or even an audience. Should I give up public discourse and withdraw to my immediate circle of family and friends? Should I become more politically active? Is there any point in continuing to write the occasional anti-fascist piece?
