Only communism can defeat fascism!

I have been having frequent conversations with my base about fascism. I am both amazed at its emergence in everyday speech and soberly aware of how much work still needs to be done for people to understand what fascism actually is and not be confused by the rapidly developing bosses’ propaganda on the subject, mired in mechanical thinking and antiquated stereotypes. 

“It’s Trump who has brought it on us. Unforced error.”

“Of course it’s fascism. The Republicans are fascist.”

“I’m not comfortable with the word and how easily people throw it around.” 

“How can you say the ‘liberal bosses’ are the greater danger when they are the ones fighting fascism?”

These are just some of the things friends (and even Party members) have said to me when we’ve discussed the issue. 

I have been continuing to stress the following points with people, grateful that I am engaging so many after years of being accused of “exaggerating.” 

Fascism is not primarily about a single dictator or “authoritarian figure” (the obvious reference being Trump). It is rather a decisive move by a capitalist RULING CLASS to more directly seize the reins of government and power to guarantee profits in a time of prolonged crisis. 

Fascism is a feature of a global capitalist system. Multiple countries around the world have resorted to fascism to control their own working class and maintain power over their rivals, and imperialist powers like the U.S., Europe, and China have created and propped up fascist regimes in other countries for their own interests, even as some of these imperialists have maintained the mask of “bourgeois democracy.”

The development of fascism is a process. It’s not so important (or even accurate) to determine if we are “in” fascism or “not quite there yet.” 

What is important is to realize that the rulers build fascism out of weakness, because they cannot rule in a more “tolerant” way. Capitalism is by nature a violent system, and many workers have made the argument that “regular capitalism” has been treating certain sections of the working class (e.g., Black workers) with fascist-like impunity for years. 

We need to use terms like fascism, not because we like political jargon, but to be accurate in understanding that fascism does represent a qualitative change from a more liberal “democratic” cover. It’s still capitalism, but fascism represents more direct control by the ruling class over their government and more intense and vicious attacks on the working class, as we are seeing right now in the U.S. 

RACISM continues to be the dominant way the ruling class divides workers, and its most potent weapon. The cutting edge of fascism is intensified racism, and our mightiest, only true weapon is MULTIRACIAL WORKING CLASS UNITY. 

Far from fighting fascism, the liberal ruling class (the dominant wing of the U.S. for years) ushered it in! For years they have been eroding benefits workers fought hard for and locking down their institutions as their global empire is threatened on all sides by rival imperialists like Russia and China. It’s similar to Gaza: prior to Oct. 7th, Israel had slow genocide and an open-air prison. After Oct. 7th, they have full-on genocide and full-scale war. The so-called liberal-Democratic opposition to Trump is nothing more than a split over how to rule the U.S. If they succeed in wresting control from the Republicans and Trump, they will—like Biden before them—maintain much of the Trump infrastructure for their own ends. Fascism will only grow until WE WORKERS defeat it!

To be clear, I definitely don’t overwhelm my base with this list of points! I have rather been LISTENING to what they have to say and offering one or maybe two points for them to ponder until we discuss again. I have learned—I try!—not to talk TO my base, but rather WITH them. I am finding these discussions in their infancy. In most cases, this is one of the first times my friends and colleagues have discussed fascism in any depth. It’s a lot to take in! My solution is to have multiple conversations, and to struggle with them to join our study groups to explore these issues more deeply and collectively.

The overall lesson I am coming to understand after years of study is that fascism is both a global phenomenon and an integral part of capitalism’s machinery, along with its periodic booms and busts, its anarchic overproduction of goods, its imperialist addiction to expanding markets, the resulting inter-imperialist competition followed by inevitable wars for dominance, and the racism that is intimately embedded in how capitalism works. One last thing I realized during the PLP summer project in Boston is that the development of fascism will continue to intensify until WE defeat it. The world is already carved up, and the bosses can only consume each other (and us!) with their endless wars for profit. 

I am finding a tremendous openness to PLP’s line on fascism, even as we have a long, long way to go. We owe it to the working class to patiently and resolutely struggle with them. We say workers can’t vote out fascism. That leaves us, the working class and our revolutionary party, to defeat it once and for all. WE CAN DO IT!
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Sky high on solidarity

When  my comrades and I arrived at BWI Airport, we initially didn’t see a crowd. After walking to the other end of the gate, we finally spotted them. The Sky Chefs workers were wearing signs showing sharp critique of the bosses. I joined the others in the picket line, wearing a sign as a show of solidarity. We shouted chants such as “Those dirty bosses! - Boo, boo!” and “No contract, no peace!”

After the picket line ended, I spoke with a member from an outside organization called the Democratic Central Committee. Interestingly enough he calls himself a Maoist, possibly having leanings to communism. I joined one of my comrades to have a chat with one of the union members. He informed us about helping newer workers look over their contracts so they know what they’re getting into. When we settled our conversation, we headed over to the rest of the group. The leader of the picket line gave closing thoughts, thanked the various organizations, and discussed future actions. 

Overall, my experience at the Sky Chefs’ picket line was enjoyable. The energy there was electrifying . A bit of self-criticism is that I only managed to sell five copies of CHALLENGE  out of 15. Even with that, the picket line was still a sharp struggle, and I’m looking forward to attending future demonstrations.
*****

Talk about fascism!

A friend of mine and regular reader of CHALLENGE told me the other day that the word “fascism” occurs in CHALLENGE more frequently than the word “capitalism.” I checked the September 3 issue: fascism occurs 22 times, capitalism -- 18 times.

However, in the “Our Fight” column (always on page 2) and  “The Political Economy of Decline” (p. 3) the relation of fascism to capitalism is discussed.

Nevertheless, I think he has a point: We should always point out that the enemy is capitalism, whether in its more openly violent, racist form (fascism) or wearing the more “liberal”, but still racist, veneer.
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