Do any of you really know what fascism is?

[Comrade Kurtz]

I have taken time to read through all nine pages on the "Anti-Fascist" forum and have come to the conclusion that the majority of you all have no idea what fascism really is. You throw the term around as a political curse word as a sort of "call to arms". Really what most of you describe as "fascist" are really qualities of a reactionary state. Most fascist states are reactionary but not all reactionary states are fascist.

Fascism was, as Trotsky decribed it, "the complete annialation of the working class movement". If the U.S. or any of these countries you describe were true fascist states, this message board wouldn't exist. We wouldn't be talking about socialism, communism, or the like. Labor unions wouldn't exist either. Workers would be literal slaves of the state with no freedom whatsoever.

I highly recommend that many of you read Trotsky's 1944 paper entitled "Fascism: what it is and how to fight it (http://marx.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm)". Hopefully it will change the way many of you use the term.

Don't fall prey to the propoganda but on the same note, don't tout propoganda yourself.

[violencia.Proletariat]

Most of us are perfectly aware what fascism is. Although there are many newer leftists who throw the word around as you say. However I don't think they need some trotbot throwing them an article on fascism, a simple explanation on here will do.

[Comrade Marcel]

Trotsky is ok to read on this, but I would also recommend Dimitrov and Gramsci:

http://individual.utoronto.ca/mrodden/study/fascism.htm

[Tower of Bebel]

I've been interested in fascism for several years now, I don't know why I wanted to learn about Hitler when I was 8 :o . And I 'just' started to do some research on communism (for about 3 years) and still I find it very hard to understand every aspect of an ideology.

[Trent Steele]

Mussolini himself described Fascism as "The marriage of the corporation and the state".
I think that's a fairly good description, basically, the state directly takes upon the objectives of a profit-seeking private business, and so institutes totalitarian measures (such as supression of pro-working class movements) to increase these profits.

[Comrade Kurtz]

I apologize. You four are examples of the ones I mentioned that are aware of fascism's true meaning. Like violencia mentioned, so many throw around the term too loosely.

[Whitten]

To be honest, Kurtz, I dont really care how Trotsky choose to define fascism. Fascism was the name given to a collective group of authoritarian ideologies by Benito Mussolini. This includes national socialists and other similar ideologies. Most of the uses in the forum refer to Neo-nazi groups and activities, not the US government itself.

[The Grey Blur]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2006, 10:29 PM
To be honest, Kurtz, I dont really care how Trotsky choose to define fascism. Fascism was the name given to a collective group of authoritarian ideologies by Benito Mussolini. This includes national socialists and other similar ideologies. Most of the uses in the forum refer to Neo-nazi groups and activities, not the US government itself.
I echo this wholeheartedly, I have no real desire to use the term fascism "entirely correctly"; I know who the Fascists are, I know I despise them and I'm not going to give them the recognition they crave by diferentiating between their different currents as all are unacceptable

[YSR]

Fascism: When Insurrections Die (http://www.prole.info/articles/insurrectionsdie.html)

(Mad props to rouchambeu for giving me that pamphlet)

[Zero]

Fascism is a buzzword people throw out to distract others from the invalidity of their arguements 90% of the time.

[Comrade Kurtz]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2006, 01:03 AM
Fascism is a buzzword people throw out to distract others from the invalidity of their arguements 90% of the time.
Exactly. I find this is truth most of the time. People who denounce the media as sensationalizing things but use the term 'fascist' with relative ease are hypocrites.

[rouchambeau]

Mussolini himself described Fascism as "The marriage of the corporation and the state".
I think that's a fairly good description, basically, the state directly takes upon the objectives of a profit-seeking private business, and so institutes totalitarian measures (such as supression of pro-working class movements) to increase these profits.
That's an okay start, but don't forget the situations that pre-fascist societies were in. Your definition leaves out the fact that all of the fascist societies that have existed came from two major failures: the failure of the social-democrats in maintaining capitalism, and the failure of revolutionaries to overthrow the whole system. Also, fascism does not come about in order to increase profits (if it worked like that, then all states would me fascist), but to save the system of profit altogether.


Fascism: When Insurrections Die

(Mad props to rouchambeu for giving me that pamphlet)
Thanks, I was just going to suggest that one. Gilles Dauve is a fucking genius.

EDIT: I think it's silly for anyone to think of fascism as an ideology. Fascism is a tendency of capitalism to resort to totalitarianism in order to save it's own ass. It's not something that can be chosen.

[socialistpunk]

I know what facism is i just don't know how to fight it thats all.