-Caveat Lector-
At http://eng.hss.cmu.edu/history/fighting-fascism/
one can read about Leon Trotsky's thoughts on 'fascism'. One example
therefrom:
"There are no exceptions to this rule -- fascism comes only when the
working class shows complete incapacity to take into its own hands the fate
of society. "
chapter 10 from Leon Trotsky's pamphlet
"FASCISM -- What It Is and How To Fight It"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PERSPECTIVE IN THE UNITED STATES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From "Some Questions on American Problems",
_Fourth International_, October 1940
The backwardness of the United States' working class is only relative.
In very many important respects, it is the most progressive working
class of the world, technically and in its standard of living....
The American workers are very combative -- as we have seen during the
strikes. They have had the most rebellious strikes in the world. What
the American worker misses is a spirit of generalization, or analysis,
of his class position in society as a whole. This lack of social
thinking has its origin in the country's whole history....
About fascism.
In all the countries where fascism became victorious, we had, before the
growth of fascism and its victory, a wave of radicalism of the masses --
of the workers and the poorer peasants and farmers, and of the petty
bourgeois class. In Italy, after the war and before 1922, we had a
revolutionary wave of tremendous dimensions; the state was paralyzed,
the police did not exist, the trade unions could do anything they wanted
-- but there was not party capable of taking the power. As a reaction
came fascism.
In Germany, the same. We had a revolutionary situation in 1918; the
bourgeois class did not even ask to participate in the power. The
social democrats paralyzed the revolution. Then the workers tried again
in 1922-23-24. This was the time of the bankruptcy of the Communist
Party -- all of which we have gone into before. Then in 1929-30-31, the
German workers began again a new revolutionary wave. There was a
tremendous power in the Communists and in the trade unions, but then
came the famous policy (on the part of the Stalinist movement) of social
fascism, a policy invented to paralyze the working class. Only after
these three tremendous waves did fascism become a big movement. There
are no exceptions to this rule -- fascism comes only when the working
class shows complete incapacity to take into its own hands the fate of
society.
In the United States you will have the same thing. Already, there are
fascist elements, and they have, of course, the examples of Italy and
germany. They will, therefore, work in a more rapid tempo. But you
also have the examples of other countries. The next historic wave in
the United States will be the wave of radicalism of the masses, not
fascism. Of course, the war can hinder the radicalization for some
time, but then it will give to the radicalization a more tremendous
tempo and swing.
We must not identify war dictatorship -- the dictatorship of the
military machine, of the staff, of finance capital -- with a fascist
dictatorship. For the latter, there is first necessary a feeling of
desperation of large masses of the people. When the revolutionary
parties betray them, when the vanguard of workers shows it incapacity to
lead the people to victory -- then the farmers, the small business men,
the unemployed, the soldiers, etc., become capable of supporting a
fascist movement, but only then.
A military dictatorship is purely a bureaucratic institution, reinforced
by the military machine and based upon the disorientation of the people
and their submission to it. After some time their feelings can change
and they can become rebellious against the dictatorship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
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----------
: From: M.A. Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
: Subject: Re: [CTRL] Use of Word: Liberal
: Date: Sunday, February 21, 1999 10:11 PM
:
: -Caveat Lector-
:
: William Shannon wrote:
: I am a self-confessed liberal, and more specifically a
: socialist. It's my experience however that most liberals
: are capitalists through and through.
:
: Capitalism requires the complete separation of the economy
: and the state -- as such NEITHER Rs or Ds are 'capitalist's
: through and through'.
:
:
: A very common (and simple-minded) misconception among
: the right in this country that liberal=socialist, wish
: twas true. Would it be fair to say that all conservatives
: are fascists?
:
: Most likely the case (or at least some other form of Statism).
: There are very few persons who oppose Statism in ALL of its
: forms.
:
: Regard$,
: --MJ
:
: We find two great gangs of political speculators, who
: alternately take possession of the state power and
: exploit it by the most corrupt ends -- the nation is
: powerless against these two great cartels of politicians
: who are ostensibly its servants, but in reality dominate
: and plunder it. -- Friedrich Engels
:
: DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
: ==========
: CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting
propagandic
: screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid
matters
: and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and
outright
: frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor
effects
: spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
: gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to
readers;
: be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
: nazi's need not apply.
:
: Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
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DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
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