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S. Artesian wrote: > > I have some questions: > > Like did the fact that the Freikorps existed and was active during the > Weimar Republic make the Germany of the Weimar Republic already fascist? It is a big mistake to use the word fascist in this sense, as an adjective to convey the level of repression. David Walters is right. We should use the term repressive when it comes to things like the Palmer Raids, Cointelpro, Pinkerton guards used against strikers, etc. The term fascism has a distinct historical meaning. It involves a counter-revolutionary mass movement supported by the bourgeoisie to stave off a proletarian revolution. In some sense fascism is a term of limited relevance to today's politics because proletarian revolution is of limited relevance. The repression used by the American bourgeoisie today is no different than what has been going on since 1776. The last time we had a mass counter-revolutionary movement was the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction, and then a hiccup in the 1930s when the Bund, the Silver Shirts et al tried to get a foothold in American society with very limited success. In the final analysis the bourgeois *prefers* democratic forms because it is cheaper and less risky. Of course, if you think that bourgeois democracy is another form of fascism, then this is all pointless. In that event, the historical meaning of fascism gets tossed out the window in Alice in Wonderland caterpillar fashion and can be used to describe life in Medieval Britain when the fascist Sheriff of Nottingham was trying to wipe out Robin Hood and his Merry Band. > Like did the fact that the members of Freikorps shared membership and were > in many cases completely absorbed into the fascist movement make the > Freikorp THE fascist movement? The Freikorps lacked the socialist demagogy that made National Socialism the uniquely German form of fascism. > > Like did the fact that the MNR govt. during its rule in Bolivia 1952-1964 > used the police and the military to battle the miners make the MNR a fascist > government? Fascism becomes necessary when the bourgeoisie aspires to transform society into a dungeon. With a massive revolutionary movement in Weimar Germany, the ruling class had to establish a powerful institutional framework for social control. That sort of thing has not been seen in military dictatorships in the 3rd World. > There is a social movement attached to fascism; that social movement > provides the muscle to lift fascism into power. Like all muscle, it's > bought and paid for in the pre-existing terms of capital accumulation. That > does NOT make all accumulation of capital accumulation on a fascist basis. > Right. ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
