The road to fascism

noislandofdreams:

queeranarchism:

participatorydisillusionment:

queeranarchism:

I’ve been reading Martin Kitchen’s book ‘fascism’, who has an interesting theory about the rise of fascism. The theory is incredibly complex and those that love dense theory should probably read it themselves, but I’ve put together a little adaptation of my own (that Kitchen would probably criticize on many points): 

 

1. First you got your early fascist fringe groups, founded mostly by frustrated middle class men. Since the violent language of fascism is considered impolite in middle class circles, the first public supporters are frustrated working class men. At this stage there are sometimes attempts at a fascist coup. 

2. With increasing power, the basic language of fascism is gradually normalized. Within this period, fascists spread the idea that there is a threat (jews, immigrants, muslims, etc) that could destroy all you love. Sometimes part of the tone is anti-capitalist but in that case the target is not the whole middle and upper class but a segment of it (’the jewish capitalist’, ‘the cultural-marxist elite’) so the middle class supporters can feel safe knowing that they will not be a target. Being a fascist is not yet socially acceptable in middle class communities at this point. 

3. If there is an economic crisis or great economic uncertainty, the working class shifts to the left. But the middle class starts to consider fascism an acceptable option. Democratic politicians seem to fail to protect them against financial loss, scary foreigners and the growing of the left, so one strong leader who is going to restore traditional values and punish the rebellious sounds attractive. Most fascist supporters are lower-middle class who have property and could realistically lose that property and become poor. Being a fascist becomes socially acceptable in middle class communities. 

4. Once a part of the middle class openly accepts fascism, there is often a very quick development where the economic upper class (rich capitalists) start embracing fascism as well and pumping their money into its election campaign. The media also joins in at this point. If fascism ever had an anti-capitalist tone as part of it’s anti-establishment image, it now drops this tone. With a small but weaponized segment of frustrated working class men, a large middle class voter base, media support and MONEY, it becomes almost impossible to stop the fascists rise to power. 

5. Once voted into power (either alone or in a coalition), fascism suppresses left-wing movements and dismantles democratic systems. Disagreement within the fascist group itself is removed during this road to dictatorship. 

6. At some point, the dictatorship reaches a point of no return. It is so powerful and controls such a large amount of unquestioningly obedient violence and intelligence agencies that only massive armed struggle can destroy it.

So in short:

1. Middle class founders with working class fight club
2. Normalization of fascism 
3. Economic crisis, middle class openly support fascism
4. Capital and media support fascism, it becomes very difficult to stop
5. Voted into power, removes political enemies & moves toward dictatorship
6. Strongly established dictatorship can only be removed by force

Kitchen argues that this process can only take place in a late capitalist state with high levels of economic uncertainty, where the political left is large enough to scare the middle class but not strong enough to resist fascism.

I would add that a conservative right-wing that responds to crisis by expanding state force and dismantling human and civil rights does a big part of making the road from being voted into power to full dictatorship easier. 

I’d argue that a lot of European states are currently at 3 or 4 with a lot of the road to dictatorship being paved by the established right-wing, while some states already have fascists in their coalition (step 5) and the US has a significant number of fascists in positions of political power (also step 5). How much of the system has been dismantled towards dictatorship varies. 

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that these processes are not always strictly linear and there are always competing fascist movements. Often a brutish loud fascist movement will be the first to normalize fascist language while a more polished, educated and polite fascist movement will be the one to win the support of the middle class and achieve power. 

I would expand point 5 to be about three steps, but its still alarmingly close to what we have seen

Yeah, or more. Establishing dictatorship tends to involve (without a strict order of events)

– suppressing political enemies

– suppressing people who could challenge the road to dictatorship from within your own movement

– supressing communication that disagrees with you (controling the media, setting up elaborate surveillance agencies, etc)

– getting unrestrained control of the political decision making process

– getting unrestrained control of the legal process (judges etc)

– ensuring unquestioning obedience of the forces of violence (cops, soldiers, etc)

Generally with a lot of little steps, each time testing obedience. Another terrible policy is announced. Do the cops follow orders? Who resists? Who publically disapprovs? Obedience is mapped and a next step is taken, and another.

This is closer to the reality I know in terms of seeing fascist groups emerge. It’s the people with money, not typically the working class, that bring fascism to life; the ones with something to ‘protect’ from whoever they’re targetting, not us that have fuck all. You can’t defend what you haven’t got. A lot of these fascists groups are about protecting their property, the suburbs, their good jobs, power, influence as business owners, landlords, and as privileged white men. The wc generally have none of that (obviously except their whiteness and gender), not even a fucking mortgage on a council house these days.

Those sons of odin muppets literally walk round the plushest comfiest middle class estates “policing it”. It’s clear who they give a shit about – it’s not us. And in their rhetoric about about “scum” and “filth” and “cleaning up the streets” – they mean estates like mine that look like shitholes thanks to capitalism and  deliberate government neglect. Ultimately, we’re the enemy, the tool that needs controlling. 

Also, just practically, all these demos, transport and high profile campaigns need paying for, and it’s the mc that pay for it, not the millions of people that don’t even have 100 quid left in the bank at the end of the month. They lure in rich donors where possible n all.

Also key is how the working class take all the flak. A desperately poor estate like mine that’s been left to ruin is considered a “hotbed of racial tension” and all that bollocks, while the wealthy suburbs, avenues, fashionable flats with the bankers and soliciters aren’t. This is where the bourgeois media do their thing and point the finger down, rather than at themselves and their masters.