If we are to defeat fascism, we must understand what we are fighting. January 6th exceeds even Dec 7, 1941, 9/11/01 and the Oklahoma City bombing of the Federal Building in recent infamy. The forces of fascism remain relatively intact after their crude coup attempt. None of the major leaders and conspirators have lost their lives or their freedom. And it’s members include an ex-President and numerous members of Congress. A significant number of Americans stand behind them.
Roots of Fascism
Fascism has a number of causes and requires a number of conditions to reach a stage where it can seize power. But the key to weakening or destroying it starts with understanding that it arises from segments of the masses themselves. The Republicans have built their support largely on historic racial ignorance, racial fears, white supremacy, and social reaction against progress for women, gays, immigrants, progressives, leftists etc. The mega lies being told by them have largely been embraced by these same segments, which has for years has included the so called Christian right, eroding the separation of religion from government. Since the days that LBJ (President Lyndon Johnson) signed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, the Republican Party increasingly became the white people’s party in the eyes of many Americans. So successful have the Republicans been at this that they get away doing virtually nothing positive for these same masses, blaming the same Federal Government that they frequently have controlled themselves for all their ills, and promising to save them from the dastardly pro-black Democratic Party. They have defined themselves as being against ALL progress and change. And thanks to Trump, even undermined our response to a pandemic.
The Role of Capitalism
Not to let the Democrats off the hook, they have often done little more than lip service to solving many of the nations problems, and have often also embraced militarism in foreign policy. The best example being the Vietnam War but there are many more examples I will not go into now. The other major obstacle to progress in America is the dominance of the capitalist system itself. While its darker side is definitely aligned with the Republicans, the Democratic leadership also embraces market capitalism, and vies uneasily with the party’s left. In the past progressives have been treated like they carried the plague. It may also have much to do with why mass organizing is not done or sponsored, and never has been a true priority. Thus today we are losing the culture wars to the Republicans.
I will use Ted Cruz as an example of how poorly this has been handled by the Democratic leadership. There are few politicians more disliked than Cruz. Yet despite this, he wins re-election to the Senate. So did McConnell and many others. They won not because they are that well liked, but because the Republicans have succeeded in demonizing the Democrats and government itself, and because they have become the party of racism and white supremacy. So all they have to do is to affirm the masses racism and biases to get elected. Even if it means no national healthcare and huge tax breaks for billionaires, etc.
In no way am I saying a national grass root campaign would be an easy thing to accomplish. But the mega Republican anti-government lies have become so imbedded and merged with historic racism and other “isms” that there may be no there way to head off the fate we are headed for. I fear that all out Civil War is only a shot away.
More Disasters to Come?
The mass organizing argument might hold water, if only there was the will to pursue it. Capitalism, if it is to ever succeed in transforming itself, needs to have a moral compass, and that can only come from progressive government, not from the Market. As thing currently stand, only half measures and band aids are being applied to life and death issues. We have to be willing to tell the truth, that fighting problems like racism, poverty, global warming, militarism, pandemics, declining infrastructure, and pollution will take a major economic commitment not possible under market capitalism. More disasters like Texas are very likely. Other areas of the country also have suffered from recent related disasters, such as the fires in the West and California. Government has been starved of tax dollars for many years while Wall Street reaches record high profits during a pandemic.
The Big Lie
While Republicans are guilty of the big lie and Trumpism, you can also deceive via omissions of truth. To his credit, so far Biden is trying the best he can to use government in a more positive way. What he has to realize is that his party’s progressive wing should not be feared as it has been in the past. It’s exactly what the country really needs.
My suggestions for the campaign theme is a moral one. That we can no longer allow our capitalist system to operate without a conscience, in an amoral way. Or let profit addicted Wall Street “consumerism” determine our morality or expect it to solve the problems it itself has created. We are destroying the planet and ourselves, and yet at the same time denying it. This has been the price of the world’s economic development. This method of growth can not be maintained. The imbalances and unequal development it has caused are not sustainable.
Countering Fascist Audacity
The fascist movement in America has had the audacity to claim the moral high ground. And has merged with a corrupted right wing Christian clique largely controlling the public face of Christianity. Few today are very familiar with the pro-poor, anti-wealth and socialist type leanings of early Christianity. Or realize the universal, nor religious implications that such philosophies raise. My ideas are admittedly similar to those of Reverend William Barber. And do not require a Christian claim of identity or purpose. Rather, we should speak to people not exclusively in political terms. And not allow Republicans to hide behind a corrupted and immoral form of Christianity.
The Republican Party long ago committed itself to an fascist and anti-democratic road to power. They have had a 50 year plan, and have largely succeeded and is far long in achieving this goal. What is the Democratic Party’s long term plan or goal? Does it even have one? The days of bipartisan cooperation are long dead. The party’s have polarized.
The Democratic Party must also change or perish, and of necessity address long term national problems like racism, unemployment, poverty, environmental destruction, immigration, global warming, pollution, and infrastructure decline. 2024, if not before, can mark the beginning of a new America or our destruction has a Democratic world power. What we do in this next few years will help determine our fate, and perhaps the worlds.