Morning Star morningstaronline.co.uk 10 Monday features morningstaronline April 30 2018 @m_star_online

INCE the com- not actually appropriate it. […] prehensive mili- Full Marx Big business in the early 1930s tary and political core concepts explained did not particularly want Hit- defeat of nazi ler and would have preferred S Germany and more orthodox conservatism. fascist Italy in It gave him little support until the second world war, few indi- the Great Slump, and even viduals or groups have dared to then, support was late and call themselves fascist. patchy. The word is now generally What is ? “However, when he came to heard as a pejorative term power, business collaborated applied to individuals (or wholeheartedly, up to the organisations, or governments) point of using slave labour on the extreme right. and extermination camp Sometimes it’s applied as Fascism is a strategy adopted by the ruling labour.” That ultimate func- a term of abuse, an insult to tion of the state — to maintain someone who’s perhaps not political power for the domi- quite as extreme or to empha- class to manage the capitalist state at times of nant economic class — is why sise the misuse of power. socialists recognise that the But however we may (or may MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY state needs to be transformed; not) agree with newsreader Jon ‘crisis,’ says the it cannot be simply “tweaked.” Snow’s refusal to wear a red It is when the capitalist state poppy, for example, the pres- is under threat from socialist sure on him to wear one is not ideas and policies — as in in “poppy fascism.” Italy in 1919, Portugal in 1926, Here we’ll use the terms Spain in 1936, Argentina from “fascist” and “fascism” analyti- 1946, Greece in 1967, Chile in cally, rather than as an insult. 1973 or today in Venezuela — Donald Trump is not a fas- that sections of the ruling class cist (although some of his asso- are prepared to give up some ciates may be). Nor are Theresa of their privileges to secure a May, Boris Johnson or Philip corporate state which secures Hammond (although nobody their survival, and fascism knows how people will behave comes to the fore. when it comes to the crunch). And, when it does so, it There is no canon of fas- generally attempts to secure cism. Ideologically it is a working-class support through hotch-potch of ideas. Fascism populist policies or slogans is not a distinct economic and designed to appeal to “the peo- social system, like capitalism ple,” often presenting itself as or . challenging the power of privi- It is a strategy adopted by leged elites, and often scape- the ruling class to manage goating particular ethnic or the capitalist state at a time political groups. when its continued rule is Membership of openly fas- threatened by the organised cist organisations and parties working class and its allies. such as the National Front and This doesn’t mean that the has some members of the ruling declined since their heyday. class consciously and delib- But support remains in ele- erately decide to establish ments of popular culture, rep- fascism. The first fascist resented by white power bands organisations were small and such as the British rock group marginal and their support- (associated with ers widely derided as cranks. the short-lived Rock Against But they were there to be used Communism) and neonazi RESISTANCE: when the ruling class needed artists elsewhere, from the a new strategy. Anti-Nazi Croatian rock group Thompson Without the resources pro- League to Sweden’s Saga whose Trib- supporters vided by big business, Benito ute to Skrewdriver includes a pictured in Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Oldham in 2001 cover for The Snow Fell — in would not have been able to praise of nazi troops’ “ideals establish their dictatorships. and dreams” and a tribute to And once they were in their “sacrifices” in confront- power their actions served In January 1934 the Daily ing “the beast” at Stalingrad. DICTATORSHIP: the interests of big capital. Mail printed the notorious Saga inspired Anders Brei- Benito Mussolini Fascism as an ideology arose headline “Hurrah for the vik who massacred 77 people as a response to capitalism in Blackshirts.” The official in Norway in 2011. British fas- crisis and to the challenge of Labour Party took a passive cism has been unable so far socialist ideas, particularly line similar to that of its con- to emulate France’s National after the Bolshevik revolution tinental counterparts. Front, Greece’s of 1917 first demonstrated the But the Communist Party, or Hungary’s Jobbik, however possibility of an alternative. the Independent Labour significant support for fascist It first emerged in Italy with Party and leftwingers in ideas can be found (usually the foundation from 1919 of the Labour Party were able cloaked by a more liberal Mussolini’s National Fascist to organise a Popular Front rhetoric) not just within Ukip. Party — its name and emblem against fascism, culminating Smaller activist groups such taken from the Roman “fas- in the heroic Battle of Cable “ as the English Defence League ces,” a bundle of rods tied Street in 1936 when the Black- and Britain First, together around an axe, symbolising shirts were thrown out of the Fascism as an with underground organisa- strength through unity. East End of London. tions such as National Action Other fascist parties adopted Some argue that fascism ideology arose — a violent right-wing group similar emblems, such as the represents the inevitable “final banned under the Terrorism five yoked arrows of Fran- were against confronting the early 1930s during which sec- stage” of monopoly capitalism Act but still organising and co’s Falange in Spain from fascists on the streets. Their tarian communists described if it is not replaced by social- as a response to recruiting members of Brit- 1936. During the 1930s much attitude was to ignore them all social democrats as “social ism. ain’s armed services — con- of the political discourse on and hope they’d fade away. fascists” didn’t help to promote However the promi- capitalism in tinue to be active and influ- the left and in the labour The refusal of the great Ger- the establishment of a united nent Marxist historian Eric ence “loners” such as Thomas movement was about what man Social Democratic Party front against fascism. Hobsbawm dismisses the the- Mair, the killer of MP Jo Cox fascism is, and how best to to respond to the call from the In Britain at the time, sis that fascism is the neces- crisis and to the in 2016. oppose it. growing Communist Party for Oswald Mosley’s British Union sary expression of monopoly Sadly, there was a deep divi- a united front against the nazis of Fascists had the support of capitalism. challenge of ■ The Marx Memorial Library will sion in the working class and facilitated Hitler’s seizure of sections of the ruling class, He argues: “Really big busi- be holding a May Day open day progressive movement. power. including big landowners and ness […] can come to terms socialist ideas tomorrow. See mstar.link/MML- Most social democrats And the short period in the industrialists. with any regime that does courses for details.