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There is no basic disagreement with the below, besides some terminological
quibbles over structure and conjuncture. These are always united, they
don't define different "eras". So within a general structural crisis (of
capitalism), you can certainly have localized "conjunctural displacement
crises" if that is what you meant to say. Ukraine, and potentially Russia
itself (this is the critical criterion) is one such zone of "conjunctural
displacement". In Ukraine we have a fragmented and not stable "bourgeois
democratic" government, and an *independent* fascist mass movement - Pravy
Secktor is certainly fascist (and see themselves in that tradition), while
Svoboda is opportunist. As I've said before, they are not likely to "take
power now" indeed they may go into retreat shortly, but reemerge later.
This is the flaw in LPs argument by analogy on UM: This is not the postwar
economy with the crisis of the Great Depression solved after a historic
defeat of fascism. Ukraine demonstrates that there is space for the
development of an independent fascist mass movement within the scope of a
local "conjunctural displacement" that, if it sustains itself as such, will
be a beacon for fascists internationally - ESPECIALLY (if "dialectically")
IN RUSSIA.
Once again, a purely formal analytical separation is made, this time
"structure vs. conjuncture". Sustained structural crises will inevitably
lead to a period of *generalized* conjunctural displacement, if that is
what was really meant. It is not generalized yet, but... More dialectical
logic comrades!
The Putin regime is a reactionary capitalist ("Bonapartist"?) regime that,
*therefore generally* creates ideal conditions legitimizing the rise of
openly fascist or crypto-fascist movements in Russia. The present Putin
policy towards Ukraine accelerates the further development of Russian
fascist movements precisely in the context of the general structural crisis
as it conjuncturaly spills out over the BRICs and "developing" countries.
In Russia, the conjuncture will be further exacerbated by any hostile moves
taken by the Triad. So to the extent we are concerned about fascism, it is
the potential for Russian and not Ukrainian fascism that is the main
concern.
And to the best of my knowledge, the key sector of the Ukraine proletariat
is in the East. Here is the concrete ground for raising the fight, from a
working class perspective, against Putin and Russian imperialism AND
against Triad interference (sanctions).
Question to all: Do we support Western sanctions against Russia? Seems to
me that *in the same breath* that we denounce Russian imperialism, we need
to denounce Triad imperialism in this context. Not to simply appear
"evenhanded"; quite the contrary, Triad imperialism is the stronger,
Russian imperialism the weaker. Keep that in mind when making historical
analogies: I think of the situation of imperialist Germany 100 years ago
when I think of Russia. We know how that ended up. We oppose any actions
that advance the conditions for the rise of the far right or fascism in
Russia. The Triad's every move does nothing but advance those conditions,
just as they did in Ukraine. That is strategic. Sorry, but revolutionary
Marxists are mostly playing defense in this part of the world, them is the
historical-material facts until we get our own shit together.
And for this very reason above, especially if we hail from Triad countries,
it is our *moral duty* to denounce "our own" imperialists in context, for
like those brave Moscow anti-war demonstrators put it: "The main enemy is
at home!".
-Matt
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"The Kremlin will be the executioner of the realisation of any favourable
possibility for the Ukranian proletariat. In my opinion, fascism is not the
real historical danger here but rather Putin and his generals. "Great
Russian Chauvinism".
The historic structural crisis of capital cannot possibly form stable
ground for the establishment of Fascism as we saw in the 1930s because such
a regime finds its historical presupposition outside such a structural
crisis, in an age of conjunctural displaceable crises. And this, no matter
how much Ukraine becomes a "western" or NATO client state.
A few fascists (if that is what they are) and thugs on the street in a
neo-liberal government does not a fascist regime make. Fascism - or call it
by any other name - presupposes a whole series and complex of historical
conditions fundamental to which is a crisis of capital which is
conjunctural and displaceable in its internal contradictory dynamic i.e.
which is not structural, deepening, insoluble.
If there is war in the Ukraine, we must call for the unconditional defeat
and removal of all Russian forces, including from the Crimea."
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