What is Fascism? Why Caitlyn Is Not Fascist.

What is fascism? I posted on the ArcaneAnimated subreddit my issues about Caitlyn being labeled as a fascist. For the most part, there were a lot of good responses agreeing. A couple of bad-faith ones. But reading some of the people who genuinely believe she is one, I realized that a lot of people just don't understand what fascism is. They look towards rudimentary definitions from Google. A two-sentence definition is enough for them to label someone with a significant term. Dr. Britt, a well-known history expert who has published in academia several times, defined or referenced 14 things that were fascist traits amongst notable fascist regimes (Germany, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, and Chile). This is usually a good reference to understanding fascism. Here is why Caitlyn does not fit into Dr. Lawrence Britt’s definition of fascism.

Link to the raw list: https://ratical.org/ratville/CAH/fasci14chars.html

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

  • Dr. Britt defined this article as the tendency to repetitively use patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. She exclaims that for an individual to fit this principle, they would need to heavily use flags that would be seen everywhere. Examples of this could be flay symbols on clothing or in public displays. 
    • Caitlyn objectively does not fit this principle. People might confuse her wearing her house symbols, with nationalism. But Piltover is not synonymous with house Kiramman, whatsoever. Her pride in the symbols that she wears and the imprints on the bullets comes from the legacy of a house name. Not from her belief in Piltover being more important than the interests of Zaun. 
    • The last statement Caitlyn actively disproves throughout both season 1 and season 2. In season 1, it’s pretty easy to see her care for the people of the undercity. It is also pretty easy to grasp her desire for justice and equality for the people of Zaun. In season 2, we see this waiver 100%. But I would say that it does not last long enough for her to be labeled as nationalistic. The only part where I would say you could label this for her is when she calls the "terrorists" who attacked the memorial “animals.” But I think this would be disingenuous, and it would be analogous to saying Vi believes Jinx was an actual jinx because she said it that one time.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

  • Definition: Human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of the fear of the enemy and the need for security. The attitude to look the other way for things like torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations, etc.
    • Season 1 sets up a great understanding of her character's morality. If individuals missed the showing of Caitlyn’s personality being one to seek justice and equality, then sure. It’s easy to label a rich person as excusing human rights towards the poor when you ignore all nuance and analysis of her character.
    • Season 2: Addressing the usage of the grey, police brutality, and incarceration. 
      • The usage of the grey IMO was not a violation of human rights. We have seen the effects of the grey, they are non-lethal as well and the length of the individuals were shown to be exposed to was just not long enough for long-term effects to be of consequence. The people exposed to it were most likely around it for less than 5-7 minutes MAX. Someone also mentioned that in the montage, we can see that it is viewed somewhat from Jinx’s hallucinations, which was an interesting point. It shows that the reliability of what’s taking place could be hyperbolized as well. Not to mention the individuals being gasses were the organized crime gang, who notoriously kidnap children and force them into manual labor. I think there’s a difference between missions that target violent oppressive forces, like the chem barons, and missions that just target a general area. My best analogy IRL would be the mission to kill a violent terrorist, in singularity vs. a US Middle Eastern torture camp that racially targeted random citizens based on security. I think if Caitlyn’s group was throwing around the Grey, unstretagically and not meticulously concealed, involving and exposing random citizens to it for long periods, then yes. She 100% would fit this. But she doesn’t do this.
      • Caitlyn is clearly against this in S2. She actively fights against Ambessa voicing her disagreements with how the Zaun folks were treated at the border thing. She also talks about probable cause being a necessity, once again showing her morality and desire for justice, not just blind hatred for a group.
      • She is actively against anything that does not coincide with due process. As mentioned earlier, as well as forbidding the usage of the inhumane cells in still water. Showing at least a semblance of care for those who are imprisoned and the conditions they are in.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

  • The individual rallies under a unified patriotic frequency with an emphasis on the need to eliminate a perceived common threat. Examples would be racial, ethnic, and religious, minorities. Or ideologies like liberalism, communism, socialists, terrorists, etc. 
    • The best argument for this claim against Caitlyn would be her identifying Jinx and Silco’s goons as a threat. She does not once state that the people of Zaun themselves are a threat. People tend to bring up her crash out when she says the term “animals” after the terrorist attack at the memorial. But she is referencing the people who attacked the memorials, not Zaunites in general. I do not understand the usage of this statement…the context is so clear to the viewer what she means. Her whole revenge arc is pretty Jinx-centered. It does not extend past Jinx nor Silco’s goons. From a historical point, this just does not coincide with the definition. Hitler’s vilification of Jewish people and leftist ideology just is not analogous to Caitlyn perceiving organized crime gangs and Jinx (love her character) as a threat. 

Supremacy of the Military

  • The military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Even if there are widespread domestic problems. The military and its soldiers are glamorized. 
    • Yea… Pookie fits this, unfortunately. You win some you lose some. I would like to emphasize that fascism inherently holds a lot of authoritarian traits, but having authratiran traits does not make something fascist. The two words are not synonymous, and using them interchangeably is not only silly ASF, but harmful as well. 

Rampant Sexism

  • The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia anti-gay legislation, and national policy.
    • I don’t think sexism exists in the Arcane universe TBH! And Caitlny’s a woman and a lesbian. #WOMENINMALEDOMINATEDFIELDS

Controlled Mass Media

  • Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.
    • We don’t see any form of media (correct me if I am wrong). The only thing I can think of are the posters of her hanging around Piltover and Zaun. But even then, that was 99% Ambessa’s idea or just not Caitlyn’s idea. There is 0 indication that she cares about her face being plastered around the cities. 

Obsession with National Security

  • Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
    • This could be arguably true. We don’t see any interactions between Caitlyn and the masses, but in good faith, I would attribute this to Ambessa more so than Caitlyn. I don’t think Caitlyn weaponizes fear to subdue the masses. She more so actively believes that Jinx is a threat as well as organized crime gangs and uses the very obvious evidence that they are a threat, to move forward in her advances. 

Religion and Government are Intertwined

  • Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology are common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are opposed to the government's policies or actions.
    • I don't think there's a religion in the Arcane universe so far. So doesn’t apply because it’s not relevant.

Corporate Power is Protected

  • The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
    • No. Caitlyn is not seen once giving care to any form of capital or bourgeois power. Her entire arc is solely focused on finding justice and retribution. There is no indication that she has a desire or strategy to control the means of production. 

Labor Power is Suppressed

  • Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated or severely suppressed.
    • Nope. Either not relevant because I doubt unions are a thing in Arcane, but also not applicable to her character. 

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

  • Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
    • Not relevant and not applicable. 

Obsession with Crime and Punishment

  • Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
    • Arguably yes. But TBH I think there is an argument against it. More so along the lines of the usage of due process and the convicting of proven violent offenders applicable to this definition. But I am getting lazy right now. 

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

  • Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
    • NAAUUUR. She was “appointed” or more so coerced and backed into this position. She sorta did not have a choice in accepting the position. She was the last to join and the people on the council were not in place to protect her or be shielded by her towards accountability. In reality, she was the scapegoat and puppet. Not at all fit into the definition. 

Fraudulent Elections

  • Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
    • This is not a damn democracy or republic! It’s a fucking oligarchy babes…what elections. Not relevant and not applicable. 

Conclusion: Understanding the difference between fascism and authoritarianism is so key. I think I would ultimately add the emphasis to wanting the rebirth and cleansing of a nation as part of fascism (again she does NGAF about that shit at all). But at the end of the day. Words have meanings. Using terms synonymously is dangerous, and lessons the severity of terms. Thanks for reading!

REPOSR because Reddit messed the format up.