See my tiresome message "What is Fascism? Round Four" for answers to several comments and questions posted under this heading.
More below.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Greg Schofield
> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 10:23 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Bonapartism, Fascism & our new order
>
<<BIG SNIP>>
> "So what is the best countermove? An antifascist bloc is a
> good idea even if
> the state isn't fascist, because all the elements of fascism are there
> except one - obedience "
>
An anti-fascist bloc is a great idea, but it is outlandish hyperbole to argue that "all the elements of fascism are there except one - obedience."
> Repression unlimited and overt is something very different to
> what many of us have ever experienced,
It is not unlimited, it is limited, though bad. And the reason we all need to read the history of political repression under capitalism is that it will make clear that even though many of us have not experienced this level of repression before, it is hardly unprecedented.
> the social, economic
> and cultural effects damaging to the working class and
> perhaps in this last stage of capitalism the first step
> towards historic and long lasting barbarianism as suggested
> by Marx as being the only alternative to transforming an
> exhausted mode of production.
I wish I had a dollar for every time someone predicted the last gasp of capitalism
>
> I praise Hakki's suggestion of an anti-fascist front (he will
> probably not agree but in my parlance a popular front), we
> need to lay aside are sectarian squabbles, act as a rallying
> point for the defeated liberal democrats and social democrats
> and strike out against the forces of reaction. Few will agree
> with my formulation but something within it is begging to
> come forth and time is running out.
>
Call it a popluar front if you want, and what you sugest is a good idea. But here is the problem. Things can (and probably will) continue to get worse. If we start out calling onerous but limited capitalist political repression--what term do we use when it gets worse? What do we say when a real middle-class fascist movement erupts? What strategies and tactics would change if we really were living under fascist rule? This crying wolf has a bad track record.
-Chip