So if you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ve probably noticed that the arbiters of our culture are in quite the tizzy: Why are the young whippersnappers eschewing the normality of moderate politics and instead going the way of the extremist, both the extreme left wing and (especially) the extreme right wing?

Of course, we could talk about how the global order of mild liberalism is currently falling down around our ears, and thus the savvy young people recognize this and are seeking a different path—but then again, I’ve already discussed this in several articles

Instead, as somebody who likes to see himself as being fairly well read, I would instead like to look at why the youth are specifically running towards outright fascism and communism—ie: why those two ideologies specifically, rather than some other extremist ideology?

From what I can see, the first reason that people are drawn to these is because of the failure of modern, run-of-the-mill liberalism. But as to why these two ideologies seem to have a hold on people…I think that can be answered pretty simply:

The appeal that fascism and communism have upon people is that they each take a base trait or desire of the human psyche, and claim to provide it (while taking it to an unhealthy extreme).

Looking at communism, I can certainly understand the theoretical appeal of it—the whole idea of “to each according to his need, from each according to his ability” certainly sounds like a good idea, as is the idea of eliminating all semblance of class structure and forcing everybody to be equal—such a thing will allegedly eliminate a major source of conflict in the world, and who wants more conflict?

Indeed, communism has its appeals to the concerned, overbearing parent in all of us (those who have been responsible for children at some point in their life will have felt this impulse at least once in their life). And I think we can all admit that to some small extent, the soft, huggy “it takes a village” world that the modern left devotes itself to does appeal in a “coddled baby” sort of way (in that I’d hate it at first because I have some sense of mature dignity, but I’d probably resign myself to it after a while).

Of course, said world doesn’t come around under real life communism—by some strange coincidence, forcing equality kills more people than any other system of government—but the theoretical benefits of it have enough appeal to keep being tried ad nauseam.

And fascism on the other hand? It too has an appeal, but on a completely different side of the spectrum than communism—where communism appeals to the feminine in us—both the good aspects of it(nurturing, safety, fairness, etc.) and the bad aspects of it (coddling, stagnation, and “helicopter parenting”). Similarly, fascism appeals to the masculine in us, in both its most noble and most overblown and obnoxious permutations.

(Just to clarify, I’m not saying that there is nobility in fascism, rather that fascism takes the noble masculine virtues and exaggerates and corrupts them for ill effect).

A casual glance at any fascist government will notice a focus on idealized, romanticized historiography of said nation, for the purpose of providing a heroic mythos to inspire the populace.

Said populace is then supposed to be inspired to greatness—greatness being distinctively reactionary, of course. The men are to be strong and virile, the women to devote themselves to kinder, kuche, and kirche.  All for the good of the tribe of course, and an overwhelming concern for one’s “blood and soil” (as well as the accompanying xenophibia) is something distinctly masculine, isn’t it?

Indeed, looking at the arts patronized by fascist governments, and the arts created by those who sympathized with them, will show a somewhat…adolescent view of the glories of combat and strife—“poetry with a splash of blood” to quote a certain mourner of Imperial Japan. Or to put it another way, what young, high-testosterone fellow doesn’t feel a bit of a twinge in his nether regions when he reads about Evola’s mannerbund, or feel himself to be an aristocrat of the soul when he reads about “riding the tiger”?

For that matter, anyone who has ever complained about the degeneracy and worthlessness of modern art has at least a few grains of fascism in them.

Of course, communism will inevitably become somewhat nationalistic and unequal and less concerned with uniting the workers of the world, and fascism will usually A) go into bizarre pseudo-mystical tangents and B) usually end up dying in fiery and explosive cataclysms due to a series of bad decisions, but at its core, if you want to know why these two ideologies remain popular amongst the disaffected…there’s your answer. Because they seem really awesome in a primal way, as long as you don’t think too hard about the inevitable consequences