The Allure of Fascism and the Appointment in Samarra (presented by Era A. Loewenstein, PhD with discussion by Michael J. Diamond, PhD, FIPA)
Increasingly we are observing the rise of proto-fascist parties around the world and in the American MAGA political movement. Building on the fable The Appointment in Samarra, the presentation will discuss the characteristic features of fascistic states of mind. Reflecting on her own history that began when her father was forced to escape Vienna in 1938, following the Austrian Anschluss, Dr. Loewenstein will trace the subsequent generational futile efforts to escape extreme forms of nationalism and fascism, first in Israel, where she was born, and then in United States following the election of Donald Trump. The talk will address the author’s own blindness to the fate of the Palestinians during the Nakba, the Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948.  Era will address the disturbing allure of fascistic states of mind, an allure that makes it increasingly apparent that the hideous face of fascism may be a permanent by-product of modern democracies. The talk will expand on a considerably shorter version published in February 2023 in Room: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action: https://analytic-room.com/essays/fascism-the-appointment-in-samarra-by-era-loewenstein

Dialogue: Following the presentation and the discussion, Era and Michael will engage in a conversation with John DiMartini, PhD, Moderator, and with the audience.