u/Ubetcha1020

Fascists and authoritarian movements typically distrust highly educated citizens because education fosters critical thinking, intellectual independence, and pluralistic values. These qualities directly threaten the core pillars of fascist control, leading to several specific points of conflict:

• Critical Thinking vs. Indoctrination: Fascism relies on short-circuiting logic in favor of emotional manipulation, anger, and allegiance to a single strongman. Critical thinking equips individuals to recognize propaganda, spot logical fallacies, and resist blind obedience.
• Mythologizing the Past: Fascist movements rely heavily on rewriting history to create a myth of a perfect, dominant past (e.g., lionizing a specific religion or dominant group). Educated populations, particularly historians and sociologists, challenge these myths with facts and objective analysis.
• Resistance to Scapegoating: Authoritarianism often sustains itself by uniting a dominant group against a minority or marginalized scapegoat. Higher education broadly promotes pluralism, diversity, and empathy, making students and scholars highly resistant to dehumanizing specific groups