At the very least, William I. Robinson’s article “The Crisis of
Global Capitalism and the Specter of 21st Century Fascism” has the
merit of seeking to make a clear distinction between what took
place in the 20s and 30s and what might be happening now, even if
it ultimately fails:
A 21st fascism would not look like 20th century fascism. Among
other things, the ability of dominant groups to control and
manipulate space and to exercise an unprecedented control over the
mass media, the means of communication and the production of
symbolic, images, and messages, means that repression can be more
selective (as we see, e.g., in Mexico or Colombia), and also
organized juridically so that mass “legal” incarceration takes the
place of concentration camps. Moreover, the ability of economic
power to determine electoral outcomes allows for 21st century
fascism to emerge without a necessary rupture in electoral cycles
and a constitutional order.
This is certainly a step forward from the sort of thing I have
been hearing for the past 40 years or so when politicians like
Richard Nixon were being described as fascists getting ready to
crush the left. Oddly enough, Democratic Party presidents were
never described in such terms. To Robinson’s credit, he has tried
to theorize a new type of fascism that owes little to the kind of
hysteria found in the pages of CPUSA publications that was mostly
intended into motivate a vote for the Democrats.
Despite my disagreements with Robinson over this matter, I should
state that I have the highest regard for him as both an
intellectual and a revolutionary journalist. Back in the late
1980s, Nicaragua solidarity activists relied on his Guardian
articles (the defunct America radical weekly, not the British
newspaper) co-written with Ken Norsworthy. He was a member of
Union of Nicaraguan Journalists (past member and officer 1984-1990).
Back in 2009 Robinson became a target of the Israel lobby after an
email he wrote to his class at U. Cal Santa Barbara compared
Israeli treatment of Gaza to the Nazis. Frankly, I find this
analysis rather emotionally engaging even if I am dubious about it
politically.
full:
http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/are-we-threatened-by-21st-century-fascism/
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
