The National Party

Fascism was a political movement within the context of the 1920s - 1940s.

Although it seems tedious, the National Party aren't "fascists" because they do not belong to that era. You can instead refer to them as "Neo-fascistic" or "Neo-Nazi", only if those labels stack up.

Fundamental elements of fascism in that era include:

• a dictatorial leader / centralized autocracy
• militarism / positive view of violence in political pursuits / expansion of the nation into empire
• forcible suppression of all political opposition parties
• belief in a master race / racial superiority
• economic self-sufficiency / autarky

Let's compare those five features of fascism with the "principles" laid out by the National Party:

The National Party believes that the territory of Ireland consists of the whole island of Ireland, its islands and the territorial seas.

Revival of the Irish language.

Opposition to Mass Immigration and a Commitment to Remigration.

Insistence on the Rights of the Unborn Child.

Leaving the EU.

Nation Before State.

Restoration of the Irish currency.

The National Party believes in the principle of a Constitutional Republic.

Restoration of Capital Punishment.

Indigenous Enterprise, Home Ownership and Private Property.

Empowerment of Local Government.

Now does that mean there aren't any neo-fascist or Neo-Nazi members of the National Party? I'm sure there probably are — and I'm sure that you can or will bring up some examples.

But to call the party a "fascist" party is a stretch; it doesn't stack up. You're unnecessarily elevating the party to a standard that they simply do not meet. The criteria isn't there. It betrays an understanding of actual fascism in history.

So whilst I have no support for the party, it is more accurate to refer to the party as far-right and/or nationalist.

I didn't say the term wasn't relevant, I argued that the National Party is more accurately described as far-right / nationalist.

The leap to neo-fascism doesn't work for the reasons I outlined in my previous post.

Far-right nationalism and fascism are not synonymous terms.

If you are going to argue that the National Party are "neo-fascist", you'd need to supply evidence that they align with what I listed above — namely:

a dictatorial leader / centralized autocracy

militarism / positive view of violence in political pursuits / expansion of the nation into empire

forcible suppression of all political opposition parties

belief in a master race / racial superiority

economic self-sufficiency / autarky

Not a sleight-of-hand version of one or two, but actual policies stated by the National Party that align with all the above.

Do you have that evidence?

If not, then perhaps we should agree that far-right nationalism is a more accurate description.

Oh I agree with you on the language point.

I'm certainly not here to defend the National Party.

They're a party of clowns as far as I'm concerned, with not an ounce of wider public support in the country.

But that doesn't mean we can casually throw around terms like fascism, or to dilute what fascism actually means.

Fascism is many times more in magnitude worse than what the National Party currently sells itself to be.