“Against the Fascist Creep” by Alexander R. Ross, 2017
This overly-detailed, swirling history looks at the ideological bases of fascist ideology, starting with pre-WWII thinkers that influenced Mussolini, Hitler and Franco. Then switching over to the modern period, Ross details how the different strands of fascism – mysticism, nationalism, Aryan racism, anti-semitism – permutated into modern organizations, creeping from the fascist right into conservative orthodoxy, such as the block between Italy’s buffoon Berlusconi and the neo-fascist National Alliance. Ross exhaustively covers every ideological, organizational and personal twist and turn in European and U.S. fascist and alt-right thought and actions, layering the book with thick slabs of names, acronyms and history.
The themes of the book are several. One somewhat disturbing one is that some anarchists, Marxists, socialists, Greens and 'deep' Greens later orient towards fascism. Fascists ostensibly oppose neo-liberalism, so they occasionally sound like leftists. Some former Sanders’ supporters became Trumpers while Boogaloo Bois try to join BLM actions.
Of most interest is the legacy of the Nazi ‘Stermabtielung’ – paramilitary storm troopers or ‘Brownshirts.’ Their leaders were liquidated by Hitler on “The Night of the Long Knives” in 1934. They were led by Ernst Rohm and Gregor Strasser and advocated an assault on the big capitalists. Given fascism is basically a form of rule by the capitalists, Hitler had to act. “Strasserism” became an ideology that groups have adopted to this day, which has been falsely labeled as a ‘3rd Position’ between socialism and fascism, based on a ‘white revolution.’ ‘3rd Position’ fascists have attempted to infiltrate, split or turn leftist groups or actions, but many times were unsuccessful. Some have even stolen left slogans and symbols, such as a 2008 demo in Dortmund, Germany featuring anarchist black/red symbols and the slogan “Against war and capitalism” - which was held by a neo-Nazi organization.
The phrases ‘national Bolshevism,’ ‘social nationalism,’ ‘national anarchism,’ ‘anarcho-capitalism’ and ‘autonomous nationalists’ are used as other descriptors of the ‘3rd position.’ The most weighted example Ross came up with is the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, which promotes and blocks with ultra-nationalist and neo-fascist groups in Russia. They all like Stalin as a ‘strong national hero’ as opposed to the cosmopolitan and Jewish Trotsky. Ross terms this a ‘red-brown’ alliance – something that might only be possible in that country. Actually the dissolution of the USSR and the eastern European workers’ states saw fascist organizations grow throughout, especially during NATO’s destruction of Yugoslavia and the emergence of neo-Ustashi Croatia. The Greek fascists of Golden Dawn, whose leadership was just convicted of being criminals, fought in these nationalist wars as well. Ukraine has allowed open fascist fighting groups to join its army. Ross examines the Ukrainian coup based on the Maidan Square occupation, which was taken over by ultra-rightist groups. Fascist groups slithered out of the woodwork in Germany when the Wall fell.
MYSTIC ULTRANATIONALISM
Another somewhat ignored strand of fascist ideology is the role of mysticism, the occult, magic and pagan religion, though many U.S. fascists embrace Christianity. The worship of Odin and other Norse gods; the combining of Hindu and Aryan myths; the strong belief in a Nietzschean superman leader; the supremacy of violence; the leading role of the male and other ‘natural’ hierarchies. The ostensible failure of reason and science is replaced by a belief in various archaic ideas – even Satanism. All evince a retrograde and barbaric politics, underpinned by violence.
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| Rightist Militia in Charlottesville - "We Love Violence." |
Most well known is the focus on ‘blood and soil’ – a geographic understanding of humanity that demands everyone stay in one place, rooted to their archaic culture and neighbors, pledging allegiance to ‘their’ nation and especially to their own ethnic or skin color group. In practice if carried out fully it becomes ethnic cleansing. Fascists call these groupings ‘races’ but there is only one race, the human one. This ‘flag waving’ nationalism remains constant from group to group, which Ross calls ‘palingenetic ultranationalism.’ (Palingenesis means rebirth, so it’s a circular concept.)
So migrants are the enemy de jure and Europe is the ‘Caucasian’ homeland… even though the Caucasus Mountains are in Azerbaijan, Georgia, southern Russia and Armenia. One fascist theory is that humanity was born in the Arctic and migrated south, degrading as it went. Of course this colonial theory is the opposite of what anthropological science actually says happened – humanity arising in east Africa around Olduvai Gorge.
While most of the book concerns Europe, Ross also covers developments in the U.S. – the racist and violent skin-head scene, 3rd Position fascists like Tom Metzger’s White Aryan Resistance and the like, up to Ron Paul, libertarianism, Occupy, 3%’ers, Patriots, Trump and the alt-right’s white successionism. He's missed developments in the last 3 years or so.
After reading this overly detailed history, which functions almost like a reference book, you are waiting for some kind of political conclusion. The biggest left takeaway is to beware of who your new friends are or where some of your old ones are going. It is a good antidote to naiveté. Most importantly, the falsity of a joint ‘left-right’ rebellion against ‘the system’ is just that. False.
FASCISM & BIG BUSINESS
You will note that most of these beliefs actually prop up the logic of capital, bourgeois state nationalism and the class system, while splitting the working class into warring skin colors, ethnicities and nations. Ross only touches on this. This is why Marxists have always noted the closeness between capital and fascism. The capitalist class, the conservative parties, the church, the landlords and especially the military – all eventually supported fascism in Germany, Italy and mostly in Spain. While Ross spends most of his time on ideology, he does mention some material issues. The largest banks and corporations in Germany funded the Nazis. In the U.S. local banks and corporations also helped U.S. fascist groups like the Silver Shirts and the German-American Bund while producing products for the Wehrmacht.
In the U.S. presently there is a solid group of U.S. capitalists behind Trump – bankers, casino magnates, real estate developers, gas & oil tycoons and bosses in construction, fast food, transport & Silicon Valley (Forbes, 2/29/2020). Ironically in Germany and Italy fascists conquered power through the ‘democratic’ system, which should give our bourgeois democrats pause. Trump is a conservative like Hindenburg or King Victor Emanuel, opening the door to the armed alt-right and the fascist fringe. Franco used a civil war to come to power after uniting Spanish nationalists behind his army, opposing a liberal section of Spanish businessmen. In the U.S. the ruling class is split too, but the bulk is realizing Trump is unreliable for their broader purposes, which is why Biden is corralling most corporate cash. This bodes ill for any fascist ‘coup’ but not for a small but corrosive ‘civil war.’
The best book on the financial and material links between capital and fascism is Daniel Guerin’s classic book Fascism and Big Business, also available at May Day.
P.S. – Local activist Kieran Knutson, who is now running for president of a CWA Local, is interviewed in the book as one of the founders of the 1990s Anti-Racist Action here in the Twin Cities.
Other prior blog reviews on this subject, use upper left blog search box with these terms: “Proud Boys and the White Enthnostate,” “The Real Red Pill,” “No Fascist USA,” “Fighting Fascism”(Zetkin); “The Ultra-Right,” “It Can’t Happen Here”(Lewis); “Anti-Fascism, Sports, Sobriety,” “The Coming Storm,” “A Fascist Edge,” “Clandestine Occupations,” “Charlottesville, Virginia.”
And I bought it at May Day Books!
Red Frog
October 24, 2020
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