Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 19:10:47 -0500 (EST)
To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
From: Philip Locker <jesusc-AT-interport.net>
Subject: US facism & LPA


On Wed, 13 Mar 1996, SHAWGI TELL wrote:

If fascism is defined as the dictatorship of finace-capital, if fascism 
is defined as economic terrorism, and if we know that this has been the 
case in the U.S. for roughly 100 years, and we know that the wealth of 
the TOP 1% of U.S. families is equivalent to the wealth of the BOTTOM 95% 
of the U.S. population, and if we assume that this indeed qualifies as 
economic terrorism, then we may say that the U.S. is super-fascist.  If 
this does not qualify it as such, then what exactly is it?

Also, the existence of multiple forums of "discussion" does not mean that 
bona fide fascism is absent.  It does not mean that extreme economic 
terrorism is absent.

The ultrareactionary imperialist bourgeoisie are interested in creating 
multiple idealisms.  They are interested in creating a plurality of 
anti-Communist ideas.  Many of these forums of "free" expression fulfill 
this function.  For instance, philanthropic organizations, foundations, 
via their sponsorship of numerous and various groups and associations, 
that is, via their sponsorship of ideological chaos, mask economic terrorism.

This is another way of saying that fascism comes in many forms.

-------------------------------

Philip Locker Responds:
If we think the Democrats & Republicans today are Facist we will not know
how to deal with the facists when they do come.  This stalinist bullshit
that Shawgi repeats shows he has not learned from the lessons of the past.
The 3rd international durring its ultra-left period made the same stupid
mistake.  It said the Social Democrats were "social facists", were just as
bad as the facists and that the CP should aim its attack on the "social
facists".  Facism revokes the rights won by the bourgeois revolutions.
Obviously any capitalist system contains the seed of facsim in it, but that
is different from facism.  Lenin spoke of how marxists must fight to fully
extend bourgeois democratic rights.  Unions, political parties,
revolutionary groups are "islands of proletariat democracy" existing under
capitalism.  These are the base of the workers fight angainst capitalism.
Facism does not allow them.  We have them.  Social democrats base assume the
existence of proletariat organizations -- there purpose is to negotiate with
these organizations and fight them.  Facism is based on the assumption that
these organizations don't exist.

Socailists must work in a united front type manner angainst facsim.  We must
work with anyone willing to defend democratic rights.  This means working
with social democrats, liberals, etc.  Which is not to say we should lower
the socilalist banner, or simply do what the liberals do; on the contary.
We must organize in a class concious way, mobolize using extra-parliamentry
means, etc, etc.

--
Philip Locker
Labor Militant
New York City



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