"3. **Irrationalism also depends on the cult of action for action’s sake. Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation.** Therefore culture is suspect insofar as it is identified with critical attitudes. **Distrust of the intellectual world has always been a symptom of Ur-Fascism**, from Goering’s alleged statement (“When I hear talk of culture I reach for my gun”) to the frequent use of such expressions as “degenerate intellectuals,” “eggheads,” “effete snobs,” “universities are a nest of reds.” The official Fascist intellectuals were mainly engaged in attacking modern culture and the liberal intelligentsia for having betrayed traditional values."
## Commentary
Lotsa propositions mushed up together here: * Action is good. * Action is masculine. * Women represent weakness. * Weakness is bad. * Thinking is womanish. * Thinking is bad. Probably they’re all mixed up in the fascist’s mind, too, but it might be better to have three separate points and expand on each of them: #### Fascists despise women, and so despise anything womanish in themselves There are probably subcategories. All trite and psychoanalytical, but still probably true. Straight fascist men are further messed up because they need that which they despise. Their need for the weaker sex is a weakness in themselves, so they act up. Gay fascist men are further messed up because they believe, following the straights, that they are womanish – that they *are*, down deep, that which they despise. Fascist women *are* what they despise. They accept that, but take comfort that “it’s the way things are.” It’s not their fault. Hence their extra ire at independent, “mannish” women: they force the fascist woman to see she's made a *choice* to be weak. #### Action for action’s sake The idea that actions are beautiful in themselves is important, but it seems to me only some actions count. Birdwatching is an action, but it’s not one that fascists point to with approval. The actions that matter are: movement (especially fast movement), domination, and destruction. Fascists don’t do stereotypically womanly actions. #### The relationship of thinking to action Eco calls out “culture” as the kind of thinking most distrusted. I suspect that’s because it’s not in service of the approved type of actions. Goering’s “when I hear talk of culture, I reach for my gun” doesn't mean the right kind of cultural production *wouldn't* make him reach for his gun. The point is the reaching for the gun. Arguing whether that's in support of a kind of thinking or against a different one is a boring, effete point that would justify reaching for a gun.
I suspect I give fascists too much credit – Eco may be right that they place no value on *themselves* thinking. They might assign the thinking to lesser men, as a way to enable what matters: pure action.
### Today The Mark Zuckerberg of “move fast and break things” is not a different person from the Zuckerberg of “masculine energy” who wants to “celebrate the aggression a bit more." They are of a piece. The “move fast” was important, but it wouldn’t be any *fun* if things didn’t get broken. Much is made of the “shock and awe” of the first three weeks of the Trump administration and of Musk’s taking a chainsaw to agencies. It's usually presented as an attempt to “flood the zone” and keep the opposition off balance. Maybe, but it’s also intensely emotionally satisfying. It’s *fun*. It’s *right*. It’s what real men do.