History don't repeat, it rhymes
November 20, 2016 9:37 AM   Subscribe

“Fascism cannot be explained only in terms of fanaticism, the history of the places where it gains a lodging must be taken into account.” — Northwest author Robert Cantwell, 1939
Starting in late 2015, Knute Berger of Seattle's Crosscut magazine began a lengthy series on the historical roots of fascism in the Pacific Northwest.

First Series:
Part 1: The Northwest’s uneasy relationship with fascism.
Part 2: In today’s headlines, echoes of our fascist past.

Second Series:
Part 1: When Nazis walked the streets of Seattle
Part 2: How the Nazis charmed Seattle
Part 3: Nazi thugs and spies raised alarms on the West Coast
Part 4: Did Seattle’s mayor give a Hitler salute?
Part 5
: The Nazis’ last days in the Northwest
Part 6: A Northwest outdoorsman, a Nazi sympathizer

Bonus Berger on Fascism:
Inspiration for the series.
Bellevue’s ‘Little Eichmann’
Politically Correct Maps: Damn Right
Hate-Filled Zone: The racist roots of a Northwest secession movement
Making Radical Right Wingers Relevant Again

Knute Berger on twitter.

Note: after a certain number of views, you may get asked for a donation from Crosscut.
posted by Rumple (8 comments total) 55 users marked this as a favorite
 
This rhymes with Klan history, as well. (Which had a brief period of influence here in Denver, of all places, in the mid-20's)

Speaking of rhyming history (the FPP title, alluding to a great quote probably NOT by Mark Twain), here is a website which devotes itself to historical rhymes in very contemporary U.S. political events.
posted by kozad at 10:12 AM on November 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Pelley received only 1,598 votes statewide out of 692,000 cast. He got fewer votes than the Communist candidate.

Sounds more like some crazy thought he could take advantage of the rural rubes, but was chased out of town.
posted by sammyo at 1:34 PM on November 20, 2016


Don't forget the Wobblies!
posted by My Dad at 5:56 PM on November 20, 2016


Do you mean you think the wobblies were fascist?
One big union?
posted by chapps at 10:21 PM on November 20, 2016


It is interesting/horrifying to see links between Western separatists and racism... Canada also has the "Western Canada Concept" party which is also separatist and openly racist.
posted by chapps at 10:34 PM on November 20, 2016


Yeah as an Oregonian I used to joke about Cascadian secession and stuff until it became uncomfortably clear that a great deal of people "joking" about it were actually serious, and not for reasons in defense of civil rights.

It starts off innocently enough but gets weird and twisted and not at all "haha tree octopi" fun.

note: the site in both links is old internet satire. no known connections to the weirdos.
posted by fraula at 1:46 AM on November 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Goes immediately to "donation" page for me. C'mon, Crosscut. Not even a sample?
posted by Weftage at 5:28 AM on November 21, 2016


Still reading through this, but I can't access part 6 at all, all I get is the donation page. I tried an incognito tab and also searching the title phrase in Google and clicking in from the Crosscut contents page and neither worked. Any more ideas?
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 4:25 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


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