This is awesome. The Left’s definition of fascism is spot on:
Why does this matter? Because Verhoeven, shaped by his experiences under wartime occupation in the Netherlands, developed a deep aversion to any political structure that emphasized order, unity, or collective identity.
To him, fascism was not defined by race or tradition, but by the concentration of power itself. Whether from Left or Right, religious or secular, nationalist or globalist, any strong central authority represented a threat.
This kind of liberalism projects fascism onto any system that imposes limits, expects discipline, or demands allegiance to something higher than personal autonomy. It cannot distinguish between spiritual order and state tyranny, between hierarchy and oppression. For Verhoeven, the blending of media, military, and state power already signaled the return of what he feared most.