I very much support the title of Charles Brown's thread on marxism-thaxis.
Yes Haider's party is not a fully fascist party, but the direction it is
going is clear.
Its participation in government legitimates this direction.
It opens up space for more serious advances by the authoritarian, populist,
and racist right.
The Austrian Ministry of Internal Affairs has already announced a "more
decided and less wavering reaction by the security forces against illegal
protests"
Police in Vienna have announced an "intransingent stand against
law-breakers" (according to posts forwarded by Louis Proyect to PEN-L).
The danger of fascism exists in all bourgeois democracies. The imperialist
bourgeoisie is not a reliable defender of bourgeois democracy even though
petty bourgeois and bourgeois nationalist elements may be more immediately
behind moves to fascism.
There is no perfect check list of states which are fascist and those which
are (bourgeois) democratic. What we have to watch vigilantly is the process
and the direction things are going in.
George is mistaken in just calling for intensified working class struggle
for socialism. The whole revolutionary movement requires taking up of
general *political* issues relevant to all non-exploiting members of the
society.
Bourgeois democracy can never fully deliver democracy, which takes into
account social context and the inequality of people. But bourgeois
democratic rights are extremely important. In the course of the struggle to
defend and extend them, coalitions can be built which will shape a more
robust essentially revolutionary movement social human rights. That will
involve contest with the liberal bourgeoisie and other elements for
leadership of those coalitions.
Haider's party may not be fully fascist, but "there is no premature
anti-fascism." He and it must be opposed now.
Chris Burford
London
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