Reiff argues that fascism is grounded in a radically different conception of society and the self. Liberal democracies are organized around individual rights, he explained, whereas fascism sees “the people” as the core moral unit. But who counts as “the people” is strictly defined.
“For liberals, ‘the people’ means everyone, or at least all citizens. For fascists, it excludes entire categories—Black people, gay people, Jews, Muslims, women, anyone who doesn’t conform,” he said. “Fascism claims to be democratic, but only because everyone inside its narrowly defined ‘people’ is assumed to think the same way.”
