Conversation

'For some, there is certainly some sadistic fun in being in bad faith in this manner. For others, it’s just self-deception. Sometimes this self-deception takes the form of “It’s actually more complicated than that.” There’s lots of little scholastic and pedantic distinctions to be debated to veil the underlying reality: “Oh, this isn’t that, it’s actually “Traditionalism,” or its “Nietzschean vitalism.” Or, maybe it’s simply a provocation: “Oh, even though X says they are ‘fascist’” that’s only to troll the libs, etc.” The problem with that is that the adoption of political attitudes solely for the feeling of power they give or their ability to menace one’s enemies runs pretty close to a good definition of fascism itself. In any case, there is always lot of enjoyment in it. In many cases, the line between a frat boy who badly wants to say the n-word because its naughty and makes him feel good and these sorts of people is virtually non-existent.'

https://johnganz.substack.com/p/around-the-right