e-flux Notes is republishing Boris Buden’s article, “With the Blow of a Paintbrush: Contemporary Fascism and the Limits of Historical Analogy,” from e-flux journal (October 2016). Buden examines whether contemporary fascism exists, arguing that our reliance on historical analogies complicates this understanding. While contemporary right-wing regimes in Eastern and Southeastern Europe exhibit fascist-like qualities—such as extreme nationalism, minority purges, and the erasure of anti-fascist history—they retain democratic structures and freedoms that challenge easy categorization as fascist.
Buden warns against naive optimism in historical reflection, suggesting that past fascism may only be a precursor to worse forms of tyranny. He stresses that it is crucial to consider not just the similarities between past and present but the reasons we fail to recognize emerging fascist threats. Recognizing the ridiculousness inherent in contemporary fascism can offer insights into its nature, echoing figures like Charlie Chaplin and Hannah Arendt, who highlighted the absurdity of fascist ideologies.
Buden presents a metaphorical Don Quixote—an unsuccessful painter representing cultural elites and a disillusioned worker who symbolizes the marginalized working class. Through their partnership, they long for a return to a nostalgic past. However, they risk falling prey to a politician promising restoration backed by capital, illustrating how historical patterns of fascism could repeat.
Drawing on Orwell’s critiques of historical perceptions of fascism, Buden argues that true recognition of today’s fascist tendencies requires a predisposition that often defies contemporary rationalist wisdom. He concludes that while historical analogy helps contextualize current fascist echoes, a more instinctual, even aggressive approach to confronting fascism may offer a more effective lens through which to understand and combat its resurgence.
