Oh my god I cannot believe I am just now finding your blog and your beautifully written analysis posts. I was reading your posts about your thoughts on the hokage and you mentioned the will of fire and how detrimental that mindset was. I wanted to ask what you thought about how, and if, it has changed throughout the series and whether it could be something that actually unified people and also allowed for some individual freedoms. I'm so glad you are still active we all gotta stick together :)
First of all, thank you for your lovely words! Now, the mindset of the Will of Fire has not changed throughout the series. This was quite evident when Naruto scolded Boruto, telling him to simply endure instead of misbehaving. The Will of Fire is a propagandist tool to romanticise the systems’ fascism, and the unity of fascism is fraudulent, as rampant sexism, homophobia, racism, and violence are necessary to sustain it. This is not a sign of unity—but of discrimination and oppression based on “otherness.”
In fascism, the identification of the enemy/scapegoat is used as a unifying cause. People are rallied into a patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat, often racial, ethnic, or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; anarchists, etc. Furthermore, the state cannot achieve and maintain power without strict discipline. Thus, anyone who stands outside the group has to be suppressed, which leaves no room for individual freedom. Hopefully, this answers your questions. :)
