Marco Senaldi's Editorial: The Politeness of Modern Fascism

In an editorial for Artribune Magazine #29, Marco Senaldi critiques contemporary society's passive acceptance of a pervasive, hypocritical power structure he likens to 'well-mannered fascism.' He argues that the current neocapitalist power is worse than past totalitarian ideologies because it infiltrates consciousness rather than demanding mere external obedience. Senaldi points to the absurdity of a neonazi graffito that misspells a swastika, suggesting that even extremists are now 'decerebrated' by the same system. He extends his critique to the 'politically correct' culture, which he sees as a metastasized universal custom: job postings that follow all legal rules but are written for a preselected candidate, the stonewalling of those with power when questioned, and the obliviousness of the privileged who complain despite their advantages. He also condemns journalists for their supine adoration of 'usual suspects' chosen by 'neofascists of communication' (a term coined by Mario Perniola), who grant visibility to charlatans often distinguished only by their surname. Senaldi invokes John Carpenter's 1988 film 'They Live' as a metaphor, suggesting that if we had the special glasses that reveal the truth, we would see that a large portion of the population are zombies—disturbing, yet very polite.