What strategies serve to combat the rise of fascism in contemporary society? How to distinguish between legitimate criticism of fascism and the misapplication of the term in political discourse? Examples showing the transition from bourgeois democracy to fascist rule. These and other aspects are explored by The Prisma in its new series ‘Fascism’.
Yonatan Mosquera
The word ‘Fascism’ is often misused and misunderstood, leading to many individuals being labelled as “fascists” for trivial reasons. As a result, the term has come to signify “repressive” regimes or “unpleasant” individuals, causing it to lose its specific meaning.
This confusion is significant because it distorts the understanding of what fascism itself is. To effectively combat fascism —a crucial aim for social movements— it must first be clearly defined. It needs to be established that fascism is not simply another form of repressive rule, a collection of moral failings (such as racism or misogyny), or an insult towards those with whom one disagrees.
This article is the first in a series aimed at stimulating debate on the pressing issue of our time: What is fascism, and how can we defeat it?
The social basis of fascism
Fascism is a movement supported by the wealthy bourgeoisie during times of capitalist decline. Its followers are disillusioned individuals affected by the global capitalist crisis, while the bourgeoisie funds these movements as a last resort to maintain their power when traditional “democratic” methods fail.
The support-base of fascism includes the petty bourgeoisie—shopkeepers, contractors, professionals, and small business owners—who often rally support from the lumpenproletariat, such as petty criminals and the unemployed, as well as segments of the urban and rural working class.
Fascism arises as a response to economic instability. The middle classes foster resentment against “the establishment” and criticize the wealthy elite and globalists. They also express hostility toward organized labour, labelling them as “communist trade unions” and using derogatory terms.
The wealthy bourgeoisie, using their resources and cultural influence, supports fascist movements as long as they believe these groups can control the working class effectively.
The State and fascism
Every state operates as an apparatus of class dictatorship, with parliamentary democracy being just one method of enforcement. Other forms include police states, autocracies, monarchies, military regimes, and fascist governments.
A capitalist state may turn to fascism when democracy fails to serve its interests.
When bourgeois democratic institutions, created during the bourgeoisie’s rise, no longer maintain class dictatorship, the state resorts to more overt control.
Fascism emerges under two conditions: First, a form of bourgeois “democracy” must exist that allows some level of mass participation, including elections and political parties. Second, this “democracy” must become ineffective for maintaining class stability, failing to suppress the oppressed for the ruling class’s benefit.
Fascism and the worker’s organisations
Fascist regimes aim to suppress the masses’ participation in social, cultural, and political life, emerging only when the populace is politically active. As people engage, the ruling classes attempt to diminish their influence and render them apathetic.
Fascist groups seek to convince the bourgeoisie that they can effectively dismantle the working class’s ability to organize, showing greater commitment than workers’ organizations like unions and political parties. While fascism is not the first choice for capitalists, they resort to it when democratic institutions fail.
Once in power, they often purge the most unstable elements of the fascist movement to rein in the aroused petty bourgeoise.
Fascist leadership appeals to the demoralized masses, leveraging capitalist media to gain support. However, this influence alone cannot draw people to fascism; a significant failure of workers’ organizations to provide alternatives during crises is also necessary.
During the “democratic” phase, workers’ organizations can earn trust by offering concrete solutions. However, they will face serious consequences if they uphold the discredited pillars of democracy and align with bourgeois parties while promising radical change. A strong program by dedicated working-class organizations can inspire the oppressed populations. These groups must show their determination to combat fascism and challenge those responsible for widespread suffering.
By defending our mission to dismantle capitalist domination, we can unite the oppressed under the banner of the workers’ revolution and free them from fascism. Victory is essential, as defeat leads to fascist tyranny — a crucial lesson from the past 110 years.
We shouldn’t need to reinvent the wheel. The consequences of losing to fascists have been severe, leading to bloodshed and long recovery periods, as seen over the last century. We must learn from history to tackle the vital question: How do we defeat fascism? The first step is to define it clearly.
*Next week: Is Meloni a fascist?
(Photos: Pixabay)
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