1. Fascism is fundamentally not Anglo-Saxon. It is very Italian: flamboyant, over-the-top, & melodramatic. The Germans (think Wagner) are also very much this way. The French and Spanish too. But it is simply not an English way to behave.
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2. This is also true for communism, though communism is “more English”. The man who came closest to being an English proto-fascist was Oscar Wilde, who combined decadence, flamboyance, spirituality, and socialism. But he was also Irish.
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3. National background should not be overlooked in politics. Ronald Reagan was very likeable and is well-remembered, I believe, because he was Irish. It is very hard not to like an Irishman, even Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley were still likeable, whatever they did.
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4. Trump’s melodramatic and quasi-“fascist” elements (essentially his flair for speech, showmanship, and melodrama) probably relate to the German side of his family. He doesn’t behave in a particularly Scottish way.
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5. I think these forces go deep in humans, and it’ll become more salient as our world becomes more multiethnic. When I read a foreigner who has written in English the words “feel different” in my eyes. The language is perfect, but it’s not used in the same way as an Englishman.
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6. I think it’ll become difficult for people to identify with political leaders from different backgrounds, although not for any crude racial or religious reason. It’s a question of style in the world. People will find different styles to be unrecognisable & alienating.
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7. We’ve already seen this with Obama to an extent, although there were probably racial antagonisms underlying that. There will be greater scope for confusion. I suppose that the best solution is to only have Irish politicians, as the frontmen at least. Everyone likes them.
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