Of Many, One Fascist Passions, Alterocide and the (Dis)empowerment of the Little Man

Abstract

What leads the masses to embrace programmatic hatred of the other, in its multiple forms? What appeal do authoritarian regimes exert on the average citizen? What conditions make it possible for fascist passions to flourish even within democratic societies? These are some of the radiating questions that form the guiding thread of this article. Based on a framework offered by Judith Butler in her effort to unravel the modes of operation of alterocidal movements sheltered under the anti-gender umbrella, this article seeks to establish critical dialogues between Wilhelm Reich, Theodor W. Adorno, Michel Foucault, and Vladimir Safatle. This results in the recognition of the central role played by alienation and hatred of differences as a strategy to combat anxieties and fears purposefully projected onto dissident individuals and groups invested with a phantasmagorical power of destruction.