Fascism is a specific form of capitalist rule: The last desparate resort of capitalist for saving the system from being overthrown by the proletariat.
Fascism is when finance capital uses a mass movement composed of mainly petty bourgeois and lumpen proletariat (as shock troops), to completely destroy any independent collective organization of the working class, keeping them individualized and atomized (via gangs, brutal dictatorships, …), even if this means they concede some power to dictators.
Fascism has to base its rule on these layers of society, because the working class can defeat capitalism acting together in a mass movement… so they need a mass of people that doesn’t challenge their rule.Fascism is not a coup by the elite, but a plebeian omvement:
Fascism is not something that capitalists or let alone any politician or any party can just decide to do. In the 30s, it took several severe defeats of the german, italian, austrian, and spanish revolutions before the fascists were able to take power.
And even then, the bourgeoisie were worried about provoking a civil war they were not sure they could win.
From the austrian revolution 1918, it took them years of failed social democratic reforms to demoralize the working class enough, even to just install the weak / half-fascism that was austrofascism.
Am Tag nach der Machtübernahme haben die NS alle Lokale der Sozialdemokraten geplündert und vernichtet.
Currently, the working class if far from defeated - far from fascism - just beginning to move.
We are in a period of rising class struggle. If fascism was on the rise, we would have to argue for building militias and arming workers - everyone would rightfully think we are crazy.
A wrong analysis of fascism leads to severe political mistakes, such as lesser evilism, trying to push the working class to vote for bourgeois politicians. This gives the bourgeois more time to prepare their forces.
In fact, this was the policiy of the social democrats before WW2 and as such, every ministry leading up to hitler was progressively more right-wing.
But the working class if way stronger than in the 1930s.
We have to actively think and analyse the current situation… with the wrong analysis, it’s like putting in the wrong gear while driving up a mountain with sharp turns… you’ll either roll back or drive off a cliff.
Rechte sind eingebunden in den Staat etc., aber sie haben nicht das ZIel bestehende Institutionen zu zerschlagen / Straßenkampf / …, sondern den Staatsapparat für ihre eigenen Vorteile zu nutzen.
Und der Stil, in dem sie Politik machen (müssen) ist moderater.
Die Bourgeoisie hat von Hitler gelernt nicht die ganze Macht abzugeben / es dazu kommen zu lassen, dass sie die Kontrolle verlieren würde. Sie würde nur als letzte Option zu dieser Waffe greifen und damit durchkommen, wenn die Arbeiterklasse eine Reihe entscheidender Niederlagen erlitten hat.
They used hitler to crush the WC once and for all, cuz crrushing them with bonapartist regimes didnt work.
Hitlers victory was not inevitable. The workers movement was incredibly strong. But the leaders would have needed to mobilize the masses and actually overthrow capitalism – which they didnt want (loosing their priviledges etc.) as much s they didn’t want hitler getting to power, Nazis seized power without any resistsance.
KPD banned, tried to appease nazis, voted for hitlers peace resolution, etc. Wanted to save their own skins…
So much for the lesser evil.
Nazis made 1st of may a national holiday, which the KPD supported!
After they did that, they pathetically sold it of as a victory for the labour movement…
Very next day, the SA stormed the TU offices without any resistance, strikes were banned, NSDAP sole political party.
KPD was only founded during the november? revolution, and also affected by stalinism heavily. So it wasnt ready, nearly as much as we can be prepared now.
The fight against fascism already developed an embryo of a new society, with dual-power, self-organization of the masses, …
Is fascism on the rise?
Is fascism on the doorstep in Italy? (2024)
Fascism is a mass armed movement of the petty bourgeois and the lumpen proletariat against the working class. There is no such thing anymore. The balance is different now, and we are many defeats away from that. WC in italy and europe hasn’t really had massive defeats. Meloni is not mobilizing the petty bourgeoisie or lumpen against the proletariat. We could characterize her party as a bourgeois bonarpartist party, in the sense that it bases itself on the force of the historic tradition this had with fascism. But Meloni is not a bonapartist government. The bourgeoisie is backing her up, because she is carrying out the austerity against the workers.
Is trump a fascist?
The class-basis for fascism has significantly eroded: 29% of the US workforce work for businesses with ≥ 10k workforce → heavily consolidated economiy, proletarianized workforce.
Only ~8mio small businesses, ~9.7mio self-employeed workers in the US.
Right-wing populism has a progressive kernel: Its rejection of the status-quo.
In the context of the historically weak left, completely subjecting themselves to defending the status-quo, not breaking with the democrats, for an independent workers party (AOC,Bernie), Trump is only mass political option giving voice to the hatred against the establishment that has developed.
The establishment of a fascist state would mean the working class has been exhausted and defeated after a long period of struggle. It would be saying a significant movement of the working class is highly unlikely, possibly for several decades.
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