“Democracy is like a train, once you reach your destination you get off” – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Svoboda Rally – Ukraine 2014

Let us not mince words here, Fascism is on the rise. It has been on the rise for some time and not enough people have acted against it. Those who would have you believe that 2016 saw Fascism rear its head out of nowhere have not been paying attention. It has slowly crept back into the mainstream over the last decade. Inch by inch it has reclaimed its former territory and convinced Reactionaries that the politics of the Neo-Liberal Agenda has failed them and can no longer provide answers . Its insidious inveigling has seeped into the rhetoric and discourse of the right, and worse: back onto our streets. The Bourgeois media has given them a platform as it always does, and only now raises its shrill tongue to condemn them.

However, to the poorly sourced and half-hearted media, Fascism (including the “Alt-Right”) remains a shadowy force. They can hardly tell their Marine Le Pens from their Viktor Orbáns in terms of ideology. They talk of a “Rise of the Right” without analysing the disparity between the groups. I posit that there are at least three major movements within this far-right renaissance in Europe and the United States. First, a Libertarian-Right Wing movement, secondly a Conservative and deeply Christian movement and thirdly a true 1930s style militarist Fascist movement (so far in Turkey alone, but parties in Hungary and Ukraine share the aspiration). This is not an exhaustive list, I am selecting parties that represent these movements best. I make no claim that there is not overlap between their views and aims, only that their ideologies differ in some fundamental ways. They remain united by their racism and none should be ignored or allowed to take hold of our societies any further.

The Libertarian-Right: Populism as a disguise

“Well, I reckon dogs are more intelligent, better company and certainly better behaved than most Muslims” – Joseph Quirk, former UKIP Candidate

“Voices of ordinary people”, billionaire Trump and ex-Stock trader Farage, pictured here in gold lift.

The Libertarian-right wing is perhaps the most popular and the most dangerous of the movements, having grown since the late 1990s which saw the genesis of modern anti-EU Libertarian parties in Europe. It is seen in multiple nations and has been able to hide its Bourgeois policies behind its populist anti-immigration headline quotes. They are not Fascists in the true sense of the word but belong to the periphery of the movement, as they cherry-pick Fascist policies to whip up nationalist furore.

While these parties spew the same bilge as the other Fascists their aims are very different. The smokescreen of anti-immigration talk is a cheap vote winner which hides their true intentions of tax cuts for the wealthy, destruction of safety nets and privatisation of public assets. This is not to say they would not implement their racist views when in power, only that it is not their ultimate aim. They exist to cement the transition of de facto power from nation-states to big businesses. Rather than lobby governments for reforms which may or may not happen big business seeks to cut out the middle man with the Libertarian movements. These are not politicians representing the interests of business among other powerful lobbyists – they are the businesses themselves, CEOs and Finacial traders. If the election of a literal business tycoon like Donald Trump and his appointment of CEOs to public office does not make abundantly clear their aims then what will? They receive support and adoration from hardline fascists such as Richard Spencer who celebrate having defeated the “elite” whilst electing powerful elites into office and speaking of the need for elites to control and run the nation.

The two parties that sum up this style of politics best in Europe are Britain’s UKIP and the Netherland’s PVV. Both support massive tax cuts with UKIP’s rather paranoid website calling themselves a “Libertarian, non-racist party” despite UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom criticising government aid to “Bongo-Bongo Land”, while Farage’s school friend claims he saw Nigel sing “gas them all, gas ‘em all, gas them all” and other Fascist songs as a teenager. PVV are on record from as early as 2006 calling for a “16 Billion Euro tax cut” and also claimed voters are supporting “cities with less problems and, if possible also less Moroccans”. Both parties opposes the EU and make very few clear economic proposals, instead focusing on immigrant blaming and vague appeals to a supposed long gone era of “greatness”. When they do make quiet economic proposals they are often deeply laissez-faire. Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s new leader, has called for privatisation of the NHS on multiple occasions and praised the conservative government for doing this via the backdoor. PVV is a harder nut to crack: party members make outlandish claims but the party seems to be completely inseparable from its leader, Geert Wilders, who led chants of “fewer Moroccans” after asking a crowd what they wanted .

Trump certainly fits into this category too. His policies of economic protectionism put him closer to Marine Le Pen than Nigel Farage in some respects, but his complete disregard for the political system and open corporatisation of the US government is a clear message about what he stands for. Trump as a President remains to be seen and so I cannot make any accurate predictions about him apart from the fact that he is easily influenced. We saw this occur when he campaigned against Obamacare before he was elected, then met Obama and claimed he would preserve some aspects of it before then reneging on that, too. His racism is unquestionable and his quotes openly support this, such as his claim that the majority of Mexican immigrants were rapists. Economically his Libertarianism is unprecedented. If we assume that Trump will implement his promises (itself a leap of faith) then all people will receive massive tax cuts. The richest 0.1% will receive a massive tax cut of 19% of after tax income. These cuts would reduce federal revenue by $9.5 trillion over a decade. Millions of people will be deported and their lives destroyed, while the murderous US police force will be equipped with even more weapons.

The Front National also belongs here, although just by a hair’s breadth, as they share some ideology (and Russian funding) with the eastern European Christian Fascism that we will address next. The Front National is by far the most Fascist group in this movement in terms of its views on immigration, seeking to criminalise “demonstrations of illegal migrants and support for those migrants”and likening migration to the Nazi Occupation of France. They also propose a “cultural assimilation programme” for immigrants. The party has support from both the ex-Socialist and heavily left wing north of France and the economically liberal and deeply Catholic south of France. This leads them to take a multitude of different stances. While they support a small tax increase on upper-earning households and a taxation on international financial transactions, they seek to merge other taxes to “simplify the tax system” which would essentially result in a corporate tax cut.

The Conservative Christians: Religious Fundamentalism

“The affirmation of homosexuality will lead to the downfall of civilization. We can’t agree to it.” – Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of PiS (Law and Justice) Party

Nationalist Rally in Poland

The Christian Fascism that has swept across Eastern Europe also has deep roots. Not only do these roots stretch back to the repression of religion under the dictatorships of the 20th century but further back, to the Ottoman Empire and the Battle of Vienna in 1683 when Polish cavalry repelled the Ottoman forces and “saved Christendom” – no, I’m not joking. Polish nationalists often refer to this this moment usually followed by comparisons to modern day immigration and a need to “repeat Vienna”. This movement sees itself as the protector of Europe and by extension Christianity. All across Europe nationalism has been a major force for centuries and the modern era is no different. The major parties of this movement can be seen across eastern Europe but particularly in two nations – Poland and Hungary.

In Poland the PiS (Law and Justice Party) is the largest political party and is a repressive and populist force. PiS backs a big welfare state and has managed to gain support and confound the Polish left by adopting centrist and left wing ideas with regards to economic policy. Their Social policies reveal them for what they truly are. Constantly comparing Homosexuals to Paedophiles, embarking on a project to “cleanse Poland of 25 years of Liberal indoctrination”, purging the police and intelligence services and seizing control of the media have all been pushed through since their meteoric initial rise in 2005 having only been founded in 2001. Perhaps most worrying is that Poland’s massive paramilitary scene has close links to the current government. Over 100,000 people have joined paramilitary groups in Poland, while millions have begun training for a potential invasion by Russia. 35,000 of these Paramilitary members have signed up to a government sponsorship while others choose to remain independent. 150,000 Poles protested against the “Islamisation” of Poland in 2015, lighting fires and burning the Quran while chanting “Spirit of the Nation!” A highly militarised society is a staple of a Fascist nation which sees all civilians as potential combatants and war as a potential source of national rejuvenation.

Meanwhile in Hungary Viktor Orbán’s regime and the extreme Fascist party Jobbik speak volumes about the state of the nation. Orbán and his party, Fidesz, have excessively curbed civil freedoms and centralised power in order to allow them to circumvent the constitution of Hungary. Only state media now have the right to back a candidate during the election campaigns, and of course Homosexuality has been thoroughly denounced along with any migrants. The “nuclear family” has been praised as a cornerstone of Hungarian society. Despite this, the stances of Fidesz pale in comparison to Jobbik.

Jobbik, the third largest party in Hungary describes itself as a “radically patriotic Christian party”. Founded in 2002, this is another party that has risen over the last 15 years. Jobbik has protested against what it calls “Jewish Influence”, has called for the “tallying up of Jews, who present a threat to our national security” and attempted to criminalise “Sexual Deviancy”. All of this points to Jobbik being a true, Nazi-style Fascist party. The influence of religion on them cannot be overstated, and they see their cause as inherently holy. Over time even more extreme members joined and formed the Magyar Gárda, or Hungarian Guard – a paramilitary group similar to the Brownshirts. High ranking members of Jobbik resigned citing the Gárda as the reason. The founding president of Jobbik, Dávid Kovács, stated that the Gárda was something Jobbik could not control in the long run and resigned too. Despite being officially dissolved in 2009 the Gárda still exists along with various proxy groups.

Erdogan: A for-keeps Fascist coup

“I don’t care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic.” – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

The Fascist takeover of Turkey by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the most criminally misreported political saga of the 21st century. The western Media has admonished him yet at the same time never fully committed to calling him out for what he is: a brutal, genocidal dictator. When asked about the Armenian Genocide Erdoğan replied that “Muslims cannot commit genocide”. Perhaps it is this view that has emboldened his brutal attacks on the Kurdish people which have killed thousands of people and depopulated over 3000 Kurdish villages and towns – a continuation of policy started many years ago by previous governments. Leaders and thousands of members of Kurdish independence movements and civil rights movements have been jailed. Estimates put Kurdish deaths at 40,000 since the 1980s, with 18,000 executed by the Turkish government. Over 3 million Kurds have been displaced and many live in shanty towns in eastern Turkey that are dangerously overcrowded. This problem has been going on in Turkey for decades and Erdoğan seeks to exacerbate the conflict rather than make peace. He is the aggressor in this situation and it bleeds into his foreign policy: his true aim in Syria is to destroy Rojava and any hope of a Kurdish nation with it. His dreams of reclaiming the glory of the Ottoman Empire have led him to destroy the secular democratic basis of the modern Republic of Turkey. Since the Coup in 2016 Erdoğan has purged hundreds of thousands of people and radically transformed his nation. The rabid Turkish nationalism already present in Turkey has been harnessed by Erdoğan to brutal effect.

10,000 Soldiers and 1,500 Judiciary members have been detained, cutting the head off of any form of resistance within his military or his Law system. 15 universities and 1043 schools have been closed and thousands of teachers arrested, meaning only pro-Erdoğan education is allowed. Over 1200 charities and foundations have been closed and 20 trade unions have been suppressed, carrying on a Fascist tradition of anti-Unionism which stretches back to Hitler and Mussolini. However it has been his attack on the media which has perhaps cemented him as such a powerful figure given the true power of media to decide a head of state as we see in nations like Britain. 16 television channels, 23 radio stations, 45 daily newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishing houses were shut down by Erdoğan as part of his post-Coup emergency plan. Erdoğan is a dictator in the mould of the 1930s Fascists and everything should be done to support attempts to reverse his constitutional changes and remove him from power by any means. While the Libertarian and Christian Fascist movements are dangerous because of the threat of what they could achieve in the future, Erdoğan is different. He is changing things now. He has fully won in Turkey and obliterated his opposition. Watch him closely, because we are witnessing Turkey fall under his iron grip and it may not be released for decades to come unless something extraordinary happens.

Conclusions:

These ideologies are all dangerous and destructive, but what gives us hope is that they are disparate. Their differences keep them opposed. After all, anti-Globalisation parties like Jobbik would never ally with their supposed antithesis in global pro free-trade parties like UKIP, or their historic enemies in Turkey. The left needs to find answers, and quickly. The resumption of nationalist politics means pursuing national interests and restoring territorial claims that have torn the world apart in previous centuries. Socialism has to find a way to defeat all of these scum from Neo-Nazi to Bourgeois billionaire. 2017 may well be the year that this struggle takes place.

Sources:

1.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Turkish_purges

2.)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_media_outlets_shut_down_in_the_2016_Turkish_purges

3.)http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/analysis-donald-trumps-tax-plan/full

4.)http://www.frontnational.com/le-projet-de-marine-le-pen/

5.)http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21748878

6.) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37039365

7.)http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/11/wilders-to-address-fewer-moroccans-trial-later-this-week/

8.)http://www.thegully.com/essays/gaymundo/051110_poland_election.html

9.)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobbik

10.)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_and_Justice

11.)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magyar_G%C3%A1rda

12.)http://www.cityam.com/212215/ukips-economic-policies-fail-credibility-test

13.)https://leftfootforward.org/2015/02/is-ukip-a-racist-party-these-15-comments-would-suggest-so/

14.)http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-fascist-nazi-song-gas-them-all-ukip-brexit-schoolfriend-dulwich-college-a7185236.html