Quote Originally Posted by Watchman
No, fascism is fundamentally irrational. It plays on feelings and big emotions and considers reason, education, coherent formulations etc. "academic decadence" or something similar. We're talking heavy-duty populism for the lowest common denominator here. Follow the Leader.

Religions aside (which are something of a special case anyway) most ideologies generally try for a comparably solid and coherent body of beliefs and arguments. The Nazis were just plain lunatic, although that didn't keep them from appreciating the practical fruits of higher learning such as weapons.
I agree that they were loons.
However are our philosophical underpinnings any less ridiculous?
All men are created equal is one of the fundamental values of western states, and yet it is patently false. Setting aside religion an hostile, obnoxious, ugly, stupid man in a wheelchair is in no way the equal of a handsome, intelligent star athlete with a great personality! And yet we maintain this fiction due to it's value in our society.

How is that any different than a religion or fascist ideology?