Oshkosh and the Rise of Fascism in America
We must start by explaining what Fascism is. Fascism is the reaction of the Ruling Class when it enters a Crisis of Capitalism. Which is often why when economic crises happen, Fascists organizations see a rise in membership. But what does it mean to be a Fascist. Historically Fascist have been like Mussolini and Hitler, notorious monsters, who created states of death and hatred, who used both death and hatred to advance there Capitalist masters profit making.
But fascism takes many forms. It is within this complex understanding that we can know what Fascism is by looking at common characteristics.
Clara Zeitken wrote:
“Fascism is the concentrated expression of the general offensive undertaken by the world bourgeoisie against the proletariat…. fascism [is] an expression of the decay and disintegration of the capitalist economy and as a symptom of the bourgeois state’s dissolution. We can combat fascism only if we grasp that it rouses and sweeps along broad social masses who have lost the earlier security of their existence and with it, often, their belief in social order…. It will be much easier for us to defeat Fascism if we clearly and distinctly study its nature. Hitherto there have been extremely vague ideas upon this subject not only among the large masses of the workers, but even among the revolutionary vanguard of the proletariat and the Communists…. The Fascist leaders are not a small and exclusive caste; they extend deeply into wide elements of the population.”
Now that we understand the goal of Fascism we can look at some common characteristics. The first being ultra-nationalism, a strong devotion to ones country, and often praise as if it can do nothing wrong. The nationalism goes as far as to push superiority of ones country over all over nations. Sometimes within in Fascism this nationalism can be translated in Racial Superiority, and produces the concept of a master race. A race that is superior to all other races and often creates a alternative view of reality to justify this, whether through religious texts (chosen race of god) or through science (Eugenics).
There is also a cult of tradition and the goal to return to a fictitious past, that is a fantasy of the “good ole Days”. This comes from wanting to aggressively fight social progress, that being dismantling and demonizing rights for various minorities, by race, sexual identity, and gender. Along with this comes the rejection of modern “life”, and consumerism. Fascism main base of support often comes from petty bourgeois and middle class. As they are in the middle of both the Capitalist Bourgeois and the working class, and can be mobilized against both at the same time, while only attacking the poor and uniting with the Capitalist class.
Fascism often rejects education and intellectualism, seeing knowledge as a threat to its power, often burning books, that challenge the fantasy that Fascism tries to paint of the world. Fascists often attack education, and educators, trying to demonize them and rally support for anti intellectual populism. Fascism also believes that dissent is treason. This hatred of intellectualism often leads to irrational and moronic conspiracy thinking, about elites who plot to control things, or that a certain race of people are trying to destroy the superior races way of life.
Fascism is often extremely militaristic and Imperialistic. Often aggressively trying to expand itself to try and obtain new markets and resources to continue producing commodities. Fascism is far more aggressive militaristic than normal capitalist democracies, as it openly makes war a priority for the entire nation. Everyone in the nation is trained to be obedient to the countries military, respect it and praise it. They are also trained to either join or support it.
Fascism is extremely Chauvinistic, placing woman as the property of the superior race males. Often implementing laws degenerating there place in society to be regressed to nothing more than mates and sex slaves of the men. Homosexuality is seen as a threat to the established order of the family, and “family values”.
The final element of Fascism, is finding a way to peddle ideological rhetoric that is methodologically edible to the citizens of the nations country. Creating this language requires a radical indoctrination and dissemination of propaganda, and completely change the way in which the citizens of a nation think. The other option comes along in jailing and imprisoning dissenters or enslaving them and shoving them into the gears of production as free labor.
This brings us to a recent incident that happened in Oshkosh, where photos where scene at a house party, where it was stated that No Hmoung’s, Jews, Queers, Liberals, and Muslims. Meaning that they are not welcome in the house. As guests walked into the basement of the house there was a large Swastika, the hate Symbol of the National Socialist Party of Germany, painted on the Wall. These threats of the far right are always taken with a grain of salt by Liberals who say “now I don’t agree but it was on private property so there’s nothing we can do”. This type of rhetoric stands no chance against a ideology that fundamentally wants to wipe them out. Fascist use free speech as a way to spread there angry hate speech, in which Fascists censor minorities by intimidating, demeaning them,and threatening them. SO those free speech warrior liberals, who say anyone can say whatever, they want, are not only fools, but they are handing Fascists the keys to the city and telling them go to town. Fascists don’t care what you say about them, because they perpetually live in a world that is completely separate from our reality. To them Truth is what they say it is.
This case in Oshkosh may seem like not that big of a deal, but it goes to show a common trend. That in these college towns, dominated by Petty Bourgeois Middle Class white men, there is a slow increasing rise in support for Fascism and the tumultuous rise of the far right wing through out America.
The Far Right in America, has always been a dangerous threat. From 1840's when the Know Nothing Party attacked immigrants and based their rhetoric on xenophobia. To the KKK, which was a reaction to loosing the Civil War, and reconstruction era. To the second emergence of the Klan, which was based on the massive influx of immigrants, and the rapid progression of society in the 1920's. In the 1930's numerous Fascists movements sprang up, including the Black Legion, a paramilitary group that broke away from the KKK, and was located in the Midwest during black flight to the industrial north. As well as the Silver Legion of America, which advocated for the antisemitism, and white nationalism, as well as religious fundamentalism mixed with with extreme fascists forms of government.
Many exclude Fascism to be dead.
But Fascism, is adaptable, much like a chameleon, it slithers its way back to the mainstream in times of crisis and like a mechanical cult, lures in the masses of unsuspecting workers, who feel pain and are searching for answers.
The Far Right has been on the Rise in the United States, since the election of Donald Trump, who openly encouraged far right rhetoric, rhetoric the far right has used for years. However, this is not the first time in America a political candidate has pandered to the far right wing.
We must go back to the Civil Rights movement and look at the resistance to integration
Resistance to integration began in the 1950's, but really continued to get worse, as the Civil Rights leaders became more and more radical. The Klan's reactionary positions were dragged into the light when far right wingers, began to enter mainstream politics, nut jobs like Barry Goldwater entered the mainstream. Crazies like William Buckley, who were passed off as intellectuals with there warmongering, jingoism and rigid unregulated capitalism anti worker messages, as mainstream blue collar fighter. He was like the Fox News of the 1960's. They passed off there overly religious fundamentalism as a justification to continue to expand the empire of the United States.
In the 1980's the Far Right finally came to power under the Reagan Administration. Who pandered to his Socially conservative base of religious fundamentalists, while at the same time dismantling the social democratic New Deal.
This led to a resurgence of the Far Right, after George HW. Bush loss, and Clinton taking office, who was seen as a threat to the conservative status quo, and the mystical past. Especially after years of angry Right Wing Radio and Right wing TV. Led to a rise of Anti Government Conspiracies, massive increase of homophobia, visceral reaction to increase of Immigrants from Mexico and Latin America.
They’ve never been so dangerous, as they are today. The Far Right wing in America has reemerged, and they are stronger than they have ever been before. Emboldened by Donald Trump presidency Pandering to them, with his talk of Boarder Wall and Muslim Ban. As well as his attack on LGBT community and extreme positions on the Transgender Community. Trump has not only attracted support from the Traditional Christian Fascists of the Far Right, but as well as a new strain of Fascism that is more secular, known as the Alt-Right. In which Neo-Fascists, re brand themselves as hip and rebellious and “cool”. When the reality is they are boot lickers to the powerful. The Alt Right presence has mostly been online. However, eventually these grievances materialize and cement themselves physically in the ugliest of ways.
We must counter Fascism. The question then becomes, what does it mean to oppose Fascism and what does that look like? The only form of Anti Fascism, is Anti Capitalism. The tactics of Antifa, are completely ineffective and if anything embolden the Far Right, and Fascists. Fascists then have a new group to target and use to fear monger, and create new Fascists.
The Only way to stop the rise in fascism, to counter homophobia, racism, sexism, anti antisemitism and Islamophobia, is to create, advocate, and advance anti Capitalist rhetoric, only in that way can Communist Consciousness, stop the Rise of Fascism, beat back against the impending enemy, along with every other bourgeois enemy that threatens to enslave, murder and harm the most vulnerable members of society. Workers must stand united, realize that there individual differences are not to be feared, that it is what makes them special as human beings. We must demand that all members of the working class, be accepted, and respected, to the full value of there life, in which a communist society can only produce. Workers in there united stance, must combat their Bourgeois Enemies: the Fascists, the Politicians, War Mongers, the Racists,and most importantly the Capitalist Class. The Workers in there uniting power, have nothing that can hold them back, and hand and hand, they can rebuild a new world from the shell of the old.
A world where need is above all else, and cooperation among the many is the way of life, and . Where we cherish, celebrate and appreciate everyone's individual unique differences. A world were ones, disability, creed, gender, race, sexuality, and immutable difference, is appreciated for that, where understanding and community can be fostered.
WORKERS OF ALL RACES, CREEDS, GENDERS, ABILITY, AND SEXUALITY! UNITE, STAND TOGETHER AGAINST THE FASCISTS AND CAPITALISTS! KNOW YOUR POWER!
WORKERS YOU HAVE A WORLD TO WIN!
