File spoon-archives/marxism.archive/marxism_1995/95-04-30.000, message 602


Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 09:01:04 -0400
From: TimW333521-AT-aol.com
Subject: Re: oklahoma bombing -Reply


I think there is as aspect of the Oklahoma bombing which Marxists should
devote some thought to, and discussion of "anarchy" begins to approach this
aspect.

Marxists for decades have discussed the question of fascism in America.  Most
of us, anyway, have been convinced that fascism here will not arise by
mimicking Hitler.    Hitler and Mussolini modeled their movements on
Socialist movements which already had strong bases in the working class of
their respective countries.  They sought to combine the social appeal of
socialism with reactionary nationalism and (particularly in Germany)
anti-Semitism.

It would make no sense for fascism to arise here modelled upon socialism
because socialism has made such limited headway here.  

We may be seeing the birth of a real American-style fascist movement based on
individualism and anarcho-libertarian anti-statism.   Such a movement attacks
a notion which is fundamental to socialism  though predating it by thousands
of years: the very concept of a society  in which individuals have a
commitment to the well being of other individuals.  Clearly this view is
quite popular these days and extremely reactionary.  I see no connection
between this view and any form of socialism (including traditional working
class anarchist ideas).

Like fascism in Europe, this new movement has the  affect of rallying
confused and frustrated petty bourgeois, workers, farmers, etc. and pitting
them against the labor movement, minorities, environmentalists, gays,
feminists, etc. = all in the real interests of big capital.  It has its
layers and its links: the bombers, the Militias, V. Gordon Liddy and other
demogogues, leading to Gingrich and his wing of the Republicans.

Most dangerous of all, these people are armed and willing to take armed
action against the "enemy" and are driven by extreme conspiratorial paranoia.

The phenomena deserves thought and discussion.

In the meantime I suggest that everyone on the left take a pledge to drop
once and for all conspiracy theories.  We should set up a CTA (Conspiracy
Theorists Anonymous).  After all every day reality acted out openly on the
floors of Congress should be bad enough for us these days without inventing
things.  Leave such crap to the rightists!


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