On Fascism: Its Definition in its Historical Context, for 2023, Part 1
"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)
Middle coat of arms of the French Republic. I could not find an illustration of the Roman fasces as used by Mussolini, but here is one of how it was by the Republique Francaise(!)
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA
Introductory Note: This is one of my periodic columns on fascism, its definition(s) and its history. (You will find links for some of the previous columns in the body of the text.) As some of you know, I published my first, and very extensive, text on the subject, "The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022," in 1996. The 3rd Version was published in 2013. It is available on Amazon (as advertised on OpEdNews.com). This column, for 2023, is quite long. Thus, I have divided it into two parts, this one being Part 1.
Introduction
"Fascism" is a term, a word, being used frequently in contemporary historical, political science, and political (there is a difference there) discourse. For most of the users of the term, it is historically based, on the origins of its several variations in the last century. It major features are: the denomination a particular form of national political economy: a unitary State with no separation of governmental powers, usually (but not always, see Japan) headed by an all-powerful dictator; no democratic participation in any matters of the State; serving the interests of a capitalist ruling class, as determined by the corporate representatives of that class; usually but not always featuring the designation of one religious discipline as dominant over all the others (e.g., Italy and Spain, Catholicism; Japan, Shintoism), with certain others, such as Judaism, first deprived of citizenship and its benefits, eventually sent to the gas chambers; nationalized transportation systems ("Mussolini made the trains run on time"); the promotion of certain kinds of public works, e.g., the Autobahns in Germany; only the German version had as a primary focus the mass-murder of certain ethnic groups, e.g., the Roma and the Jews; finally, foreign-military expansionism: in the 20th century, a feature of some, Germany, Italy and Japan, but not of others, Spain and Hungary. The latter engaged in some "border adjustments," but nothing major except as a Nazi ally in World War II. While Franco, with much foresight, did not formally join the Axis Powers (even though they were difference between winning and losing the Spanish Civil War), Spain did send troops to the Nazi Russian Front: the "Blue Division" (ideally suited for fighting in the Russian winter).
And so, "fascism" is a descriptor of what came to be recognized as a particular approach/structure for organizing the politics and the economy (sometimes referred to as the "political economy") of a given country. I do not use it as a-slogan/a-name-caller for attacking a political opponent or rival, just to demean them in one way or another. If in my writing I label someone as a "fascist" it is because I believe/have-observed/have-evidence-for holding that he/she supports in whole or in significant part the introduction/imposition of a political/economic system (also referred to as the "political economy") on a nation that fits the definition which I have provided above and will be describing in some more detail below.
Classic Fascism
The Italian authoritarian leader from 1922 to 1943, Benito Mussolini, is generally given the credit for inventing the modern symbol/term "fascism." As the Encyclopedia Britannica says: "The first European fascist, Benito Mussolini, adopted this symbol both to recall the greatness of the Roman Empire and to reinforce his authority as the eventual dictator of Italy. Fascist regimes like his required their citizens to be as unified as the tightly bound fasces [from the Latin word for "bundle"]."
A classic short-er definition of "fascism" (other than the one above), that I have used in the past and still do, is based on the characteristics of the well-known 20th-century states which had instituted it, e.g., Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, and Japan:
"There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of a capitalist ruling class that controls, for the most part, the principal functions of any economy: production of goods and services, distribution, finance, and exchange. There is no separation of the principal governmental powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. There are no independent elections. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of authoritarianism-as-supreme, racism, misogyny, religious bigotry, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a single political party supporting the movement. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control."
Capitalism and Fascism: A Match Made in Hell
As I have also said elsewhere: Under capitalism, briefly, the 'ruling class" is the grouping of economically dominant individual and corporate owners of the means of production, distribution, finance, and exchange, that are the primary engines of any economy. Under capitalism their primary function is the production of 'profit' --- that is excess-revenue/surplus-value above the costs of production --- both for personal use and for further investment in productive resources.
In the industrialized countries in which fascism appeared in the 20th century, the dominant sector of the ruling class consisted of the owners of industry. (This held true to a lesser extent in Hungary and Spain, which were less industrialized than Germany, Italy, and Japan. Further, in Spain the Catholic Church was a central element in forming the ideology of the capitalist ruling class.) Of course, in the 21st century United States, the ruling class is much more complex than it was in any of the 20th century fascist nations. Just some of its elements are: manufacturing (to be sure), finance (as a means of profit-making per se, not just supplying capital to the manufacturing sector, as it was in the 20th century), mass media (of an increasing number of varieties), advertising, publishing, computer-based electronic communications, transportation (of goods and people), mass-retail sales (as in Amazon/Walmart), data-management, fossil fuels/petro-chemicals, the development and control of Artificial Intelligence, and so on and so forth.)" As I have also said previously: The way that a ruling class exerts its control of a nation is by gaining and maintaining control over State Power, that is the elements of government, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial, and the forces of repression/control, as necessary.
"And so, when looking at the 20th-century, fascism in the three major industrialized countries in which it was installed by their respective ruling classes, Germany, Italy, and Japan, the understanding of the ruling classes and their support/installation of that system leading to the control of State Power becomes pretty straight forward. In Spain, a powerful Catholic Church played a major role in its installation, through the well-known Spanish Civil War in which the Franco-fascist forces, with the very open collaboration of Nazi Germany (air) and Fascist Italy (ground) forces, and the complete abandonment of the Republic by the so-called "Western Democracies," overthrew the elected Republican government."
As it happened, Hungary, again, was the first nation in history in which its politico-economy can be characterized as fascist. It became thus under one Admiral Miklos Horthy, who, following the failure of the communist revolution of 1919, and then an extremely complicated period of domestic turmoil and attempted foreign interventions, as the head of the major force in the nation, the national army, took full control of the national government of 1920. He ran it in an essentially fascist fashion, later becoming a formal part of the "Germany-Italy-Japan Axis Alliance" in 1941. That is until he was deposed in late 1944 --- by Hitler --- for not killing enough Jews(!). During his rule, of course he had the full support of both the industrialists and the landed-aristocracy (which was quite powerful in Hungary).
Fascism and The United States in the 21st Century
In the 21st century United States the situation which could lead to a fascist revolution is much more complex than it was in any of the European Countries + Japan in which it developed in the 20th century. In exerting its ownership and control of the economic system since the founding of the Republic, so-called "liberal democracy," with "separation of powers" and regular elections, has worked very well for the U.S. ruling class. Control of the political system has shifted back-and-forth between two major political parties over time (each changing their identities to some extent over time), with some variations in poltico-economic policy (some of them major, as in the Civil War and its aftermath, the New Deal, and the Era of Civil Rights Legislation in the 1960s.
But since the Civil War (and some are already calling it "The First Civil War"), none of the potential changes in politico-economic policy have been as major as the threat of Trump/Republo-fascism that we presently face (click here), as is well-known. Indeed, major constituencies of the U.S. ruling class, e.g., the petro-chemical industry, and significant elements of, for example, communications, broadcasting, banking/finance, manufacturing, and transportation, are "becoming worried" about what might happen to their bed rock, not principles, but interests, under the Democrats, especially in the realm of trying to deal with Climate Change.
As I have noted in previous columns, one or more of the elements of the definition of fascism set forth above, which is based on 20th century historical models, can be found in the political/economic ideology of the contemporary U.S. Republican Party, both as it is epitomized by Trump and the Trump-wing of that party and in what seems to be the current written/ideological engine of the party, the Heritage Foundation. As the AP says about the latter: "Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trump's vision." (If I am incorrect in my characterization of the Heritage Foundation, its ideology, and its current politico-economic program, I would be happy, indeed very happy, to be corrected.)
As it happens we do not know the full extent of the component corporations and interests in the list of present or potential future supporters of a fascist revolution in the United States because of the cover that the famous "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision of 2010 gave to political contributors. Of course, we certainly can look at the financial supporters of Trump and seeming pro-fascist organizations for a pretty good indication of which are the proto-fascist elements in the ruling class, as well as by following their lobbying efforts in the U.S. Congress.
Part 2 will be appearing on OpEdNews.com early next week.
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Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS is a Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine at StonyBrookMedicine (NY). As well as having been a regular political columnist for over 20 years, he is the author/co-author/editor/co-editor of 37 books. In addition to his position on OpEdNews as a Trusted Author, he is a regular contributor to From The G-Man. In the past he has been a contributor to, among other pubs., The Greanville Post, The Planetary Movement, and Buzzflash.com. (He was also a triathlete for 37 seasons, doing over 250 multi-sport races.) Among his 37 books (mainly in the health, sports, and the health care fields) are: “The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022; A Futuristic Novel” (3rd version, Trepper & Katz Impact Books, Punto Press Publishing, 2013, Brewster, NY; sadly beginning to come true, advertised on OpEdNews and available on Amazon); “Ending the ‘Drug War:’ Solving the Drug Problem: The Public Health Approach,” Brewster, NY: Punto Press Publishing, (Brewster, NY, 2016, available on Amazon), and “Trump's Presidential Years: As They Happened, 2015-2021,” in six volumes (219 columns, 315,000 words), also advertised on OpEd News, and available on Kindle @ Amazon.com.