Freedom, Emotion and Fascism: A Psycho-Sociological Analysis of the Modern American Progressive Movement

by Marc Schifanelli

In describing the acts of modern American Progressives, observers increasingly use terms like "delusional," "crazy," or "deranged." What is it about Progressivism that invites such labels? Why are Progressives, for example, determined to teach kids that America is a racist country? Why do they demand "safe spaces" from speech that they say scares them or causes them emotional distress? Why do they loudly proclaim their "guilt" without ever having injured or caused harm to anyone? Why do many Progressives resort to bullying, cancelling, doxing, or assaulting those who won't submit to their ideology? Answering these questions requires a deep look at human emotion and the deep emotional needs of the American Progressive - psychological needs that make Socialism, Collectivism and Fascism strongly appealing doctrines. Understanding that psychology is critical to understanding the movement itself and how to prevent it from propelling the Nation into social malaise and suicide. Marc D. Schifanelli, Esq. is a practicing attorney with experience in U.S. immigration law, Constitutional law, and Financial Industry Regulatory arbitration. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics with a minor in Economics, graduating with honors, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Maryland at College Park. He subsequently earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a retired U.S. Army officer who served as a Special Forces operator, leader, and counterinsurgency expert trained in intelligence and psychological operations. As a civilian he worked as a contract intelligence officer in Kosovo just prior to the 1999 NATO offensive, as an anti-terrorism consultant at U.S. consulates worldwide, and as a defense military expert at the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands.

242 pages, Paperback

Published August 3, 2022

Reviews

[Barbara Wales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow! This book really “woke” me up to the crazy thinking of the far right – which is where this author seems to lie on the political line. To think he can diagnosis people he has never met with psychiatric disorders, labeling far left individuals as collective sadomasochists? … all from his far right wing vantage point.

I wonder if he has ever delved further into ideology – far and right winged. “People with extreme political views that favor authoritarianism – whether they are on the far left or the far right – have surprisingly similar behaviors and psychological characteristics.” Me thinks he projects his own fear. “Right wing authoritarians predict for political violence in support of the system in power. Right wing authoritarians were more cognitively rigid, less open to new experiences, and less likely to believe in science.” BINGO!

Let’s to get to specifics: His introduction to the book is 41 pages! Compared to 157 of text. I think a lot of people will be turned off by such a long introduction. 41 pages of introduction is not an introduction.

This author loves to attach a female pronoun to the negative concepts of envy, guilt, moral masochism, and collective sadomasochism. Example: Talking about a progressive, he says: “She becomes hypersensitive to other’s free political speech and. . .” Another example: “A person may be able to realize her wildest dreams of success, but first she needs to survive.” “The progressive is taught that her reality is with the identity group or groups to which she belongs. Whatever the group appears to be or stand for, well that pretty much sums her up too.” I have to ask why he assigns all these negative feelings and qualities to a female?

The exaggeration the author makes is stunning. “The amount of violence against Trump supporters. . . “ Wow, just wow. Let’s call it like it is. Trump’s group is as belligerent as the far, far left. Does he remember Jan 6th?

Then he is off criticizing critical race theory, critical gender theory (he uses critical . . for everything he doesn’t understand). Sad that his bias gets in the way of making any attempt in understanding “Marxist ‘critical’” theories.

To go from asking what makes a progressive? To then defining a progressive with envy, fear, guilt, moral masochism, to collective sadomasochism – well, it is a stretch too far. . .his thinking is absurd and extreme. He needs to do some work on his own projection of his envy, fear, guilt, etc. onto others. The author just doesn’t recognize his own bias.

I read the book – at least I got a glimpse into the mind of a right wing Trump follower. Now I’ll put the book in the trash.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is its introduction which describes the history of the progressive "movement." The remaining chapters explain in detail how the various emotional components of envy, fear, and guilt lead to destructive behaviors individually and social violence collectively. It can be slow reading in places but illuminating nonetheless.

I picked up an autographed copy by chance during the recent mid-terms. Saw that as of this review there was only one other and it was not positive. Both are telling.