{"article":{"id":122188,"heading":"RCP Cries "Wolf" over Fascism","author":"Ben Seattle","created":"2005-02-07 05:08:37","modified":"2005-02-07 05:08:37","last_modified":"Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:08:37","article":"
\r\n\r\n\r\nA comment on RCP's current \"Battle for the Future\" campaign (part 1):
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCrying \"Wolf\" over Fascism\r\n\r\n 
\r\n \r\n\r\nHysteria about \"fascism\" serves to hide\r\n 
\r\nthe essential role of the Democratic Party in
\r\nthe political and economic system of imperialism\r\n<\/b>

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP,USA) has recently begun distribution of a leaflet titled \r\nThe Battle for the Future Will Be Fought from Here Forward.\r\nI respect the hard work and dedication of the good comrades around the RCP -- but I believe that it is important for activists to understand that much of what this leaflet says is pure and simple crap<\/b>.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nThe main content of the leaflet is hysteria-mongering<\/b> over the supposedly impending fascist danger<\/b> from Bush and company. The \r\n\r\nRCP's leaflet (which really needs to be read<\/i> to be fully appreciated) says that it is an \"open question\" whether any democratic rights at all will remain by the end of Bush's term.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nOf couse all serious activists are concerned about the steady and increasing erosion of our civil and democratic rights. And yes, if Bush and company had their way, most of us probably would be<\/b> rounded up and sent to interrogation\/torture camps like those in Guantanamo Bay. But so what?<\/b> Bush cannot make any<\/b> major changes in how this country is run without the support and backing of the ruling bourgeoisie<\/b> (ie: the class of big-time capitalists who own or control the corporations, the politicians, the police, courts, schools and media personalities) as a whole<\/b>. And the bourgeoisie in the US has no compelling material interest<\/b>, under present circumstances, that would lead it to endorse such a reckless gamble<\/b> as would be involved in attempting the wholesale elimination of democratic rights<\/b> and plunging the US into fascism.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nSuch a desperate course of action by the bourgeoisie would:
\r\n(a) instantly politicize tens of millions of people<\/b>,
\r\n(b) destablize<\/b> the entire system of bourgeois rule and
\r\n(c) destroy illusions<\/b> in the bourgeois political system that the bourgeoisie
\r\n     has carefully crafted and painstakingly cultivated over many decades.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nAs a general rule, the bourgeoisie of any modern, economically developed nation has only resorted to fascist measures<\/b> (ie: the forcible suppression of all<\/b> opposition via arrest, torture, summary execution or death squads) within the home country in periods of extreme crisis<\/b> -- when its class rule was threatened. These, for example, were the circumstances in which the German bourgeoisie<\/b> made its infamous gamble on Hitler<\/b>. But the bourgeoisie does not prefer fascism (which it considers as clumsy and ill-suited<\/b> to the needs of capitalist development in a modern economy). Rather the bourgeoisie prefers ordinary bourgeois democracy<\/b> in which its class rule<\/b> is carefully hidden behind a screen of supposedly democratic institutions<\/b> (ie: parliaments, the so-called \"free press\" and the various legal parties which serve to pacify the masses with sweet songs).<\/p>

\r\n\r\nThe RCP's leaflet does not mention any<\/b> of the above factors which would restrain<\/b> the bourgeoisie from endorsing such a desperate gamble<\/b> as would be entailed by plunging the US into fascism.<\/p>

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Pandering to the naive\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/b><\/p>

\r\n\r\nRather, the RCP's leaflet panders<\/b> to (ie: encourages and reinforces) the worst<\/b> and most naive prejudices<\/b> (which are, unfortunately, all-too-common amongst most new activists) that some kind of fundamental distinction<\/b> exists between the twin ruling parties<\/b> of US imperialism.<\/p>

\r\n\r\n(Of course there are distinctions between these two parties -- but these distinctions are more in the way of a division of labor<\/b> between committed partners in which (1) the Democratic Party<\/b> makes concessions<\/b> to the mass movements when the people are aroused<\/b> and (2) the Republicans<\/b> then take back<\/b> the concessions once the Democratic Party has managed to suck the life out<\/b> of the mass movements and lull<\/b> the masses back to sleep<\/b>.)<\/p>

\r\n\r\nHistorically, the struggle against fascism<\/b> has been used as an excuse<\/b> \r\nto unite progressive activists with bourgeois parties in such a way\r\nthat the progressive activists surrendered<\/b> their independent agenda<\/b>\r\nand became subordinate<\/b> to the bourgeois parties. This, for example,\r\nis how the CPUSA (ie: the original Communist Party in the US) betrayed<\/b>\r\nthe workers and became subordinate to the Democratic Party machine in the mid-to-late 1930's.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nI suspect however, that the RCP's current campaign of hysteria over fascism<\/b>\r\nmay have less to do with justifying unprincipled alliances<\/b> with liberal-bourgeois trends\r\n-- and more to do with simply recruiting activists<\/b> who\r\n(unaware that the current climate of repression is not more severe\r\nthan the \r\nPalmer Raids of 1918-21 or the McCarthyite witchhunts, jailings and \r\nblacklists\r\nduring the Cold War 1950's)\r\nmay be somewhat alarmed by the comparatively mild (ie: compared to open fascism) forms of repression\r\nwhich activists in the U.S. face today.<\/p>

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We are more powerful with open eyes\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/b><\/p>

\r\n\r\nIn any event, RCP's recent leaflet is profoundly mistaken and does a disservice<\/b> to the movement. The struggle against increasing repression will be far more powerful<\/b> and effective<\/b> when based on a solid, class-based analysis of how the bourgeois political system really works<\/b> than on the basis of hysteria over a supposedly impending fascist danger.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nWhen activists understand how our society really works -- how all the institutions and levers of capitalist society are part of a single orchestra<\/b> -- they often experience a transformation<\/i> from feeling powerless and being powerless -- to feeling powerful and being powerful -- because they understand at last<\/b> how the ruling class, in spite of its seemingly all-powerful appearance -- is actually only a tiny minority in society -- and that this minority cannot rule by force alone<\/b> -- that this minority stands in opposition to the material interests of the overwhelming majority of society -- and can only continue to rule as long as it is able to maintain an increasingly vulnerable<\/b> system of political deception.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nAnd when we understand how our movement is being held back<\/b> -- when we understand the true weaknesses of our enemy -- and the true strengths of our own forces -- we will be far better prepared for the day when talk of fascism may be more than \r\n\r\ncrying wolf.<\/p>

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Struggle for revolutionary mass movement
\r\n requires public criticism today\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/b><\/p>

\r\n\r\nFinally -- for those supporters of the RCP or RCYB who may believe that this article is somehow \"anti-party\" -- understand that sincere criticism is often the most powerful form of genuine support<\/b>. The RCP, through its decades of hard work such as in writing articles in support of the struggles of our class brothers and sisters here in the US and around the world, has earned the respect of many activists. But this only makes it all the more important to criticise its errors.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nThe object of this article is not simply to defend our movement against wrong ideas or even to assist the RCP to overcome its errors. There is also a larger purpose. If activists today are to successfully confront the challenges of our times -- then we must make serious<\/b> and systematic<\/b> use of all<\/b> of the possibilities of the unfolding revolution in digital communications -- for the purpose of helping all of us understand<\/b> the strengths<\/b> and weaknesses<\/b> of all<\/b> the trends on the left<\/b>.<\/p>

\r\n\r\nOnly in this way will we be able to build a conscious revolutionary mass movement<\/b> and assemble the talent and dedication needed for a genuinely revolutionary mass organization<\/b>.\r\n\r\nSuch an organization would not only be able to distribute millions of copies of a leaflet<\/b> (as RCP aims to do with this one) but (equally important<\/i>) would also have the ability to defend its views<\/b> in forums (such as this Indymedia thread) in ways that are concise, informative and even entertaining.<\/p>

\r\n\r\n\r\nBen Seattle -- January 28, 2005
\r\n\r\nBen's views may not represent the views of
\r\nother activists in the Media Weapon community.\r\n
<\/p>

\r\n\r\n\r\nIsolated from one another we are easily defeated.
\r\nConnected to one another no force on earth can stop us.<\/b>
\r\n\r\n<\/p>
\r\n \r\n Join Ben and other activists in the\r\n \r\n Media Weapon community<\/b>.
\r\n With an email list, wiki, competing projects and a community of
\r\n activists who engage one another with sincerity and respect.

\r\n\r\n Open to all activists<\/b> who want to see the development of
\r\n a mass movement for the elimination of bourgeois rule.\r\n<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/table>

\r\n\r\n\r\nAnother article about the theoretical weaknesses<\/b> of the RCP's current leaflet (ie: a failure to acknowledge the necessity of fundamental democratic rights<\/b> in the period ahead after bourgeoisie rule is overthrown) can be found here.\r\n\r\n<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/table>

\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n Part 2 of this series: Nothing but Hot Air\r\n <\/b><\/td>\r\n \r\n \r\n Other work by Ben Seattle\r\n<\/b><\/td><\/tr><\/table>

\r\n<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/struggle.net\/ben","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"A comment on RCP's current "Battle for the Future" campaign:\r\n\r\nHysteria about "fascism" serves to hide \r\nthe essential role of the Democratic Party in\r\nthe political and economic system of imperialism","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2005\/02\/122188.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}