IS TRUMP A FASCIST AND WAS HARRIS A COMMUNIST?
November 15, 2024 3 Comments
Today it is becoming clear that the US ruling class and moderate Republicans are becoming concerned with Trump’s Cabinet picks. They face a conundrum. They used Trump’s popularity to win a majority in both houses of Congress, but now they have to contain him. Will they be able to do so or will Trump prevail? The next few months will tell, but it is unlikely that some of Trump’s picks will be confirmed by the Senate.
THEPLANNINGMOTIVE.COM 
I always enjoy your political analyses and I agree with the thrust of this article: Trumpism doesn’t indicate an immediate fascist danger because fascism is a last resort for the bourgeoisie who prefer to rule more efficiently by (manufactured) consent, and Trump’s populism represents a further delay of and distraction from the fundamental tasks of the workers to overthrow capitalism. However, the foundation for a future fascist movement is being laid down. I worry that without dissemination of a revolutionary alternative the inevitable failure of Trump’s program will drive sections of the workers even further to the right; instead of blaming Trump they will retaliate against their perceived enemies.
Also to be recommended is Trotsky’s concise description of fascism from an old article quite pertinent today:
”We know that the mentality of every class of society is determined by the objective conditions, by the productive forces, by the economic state of the country, but this determination is not immediately reflected. The mentality is in general backward, delayed, in relation to the economic development. This delay can be short or long. In normal times when the development is slow, in a long line, this delay cannot produce catastrophic results. To a great extent this delay signifies that the workers are not equal to the tasks put before them by objective conditions; but in times of crisis this delay may be catastrophic. In Europe, for example, it took the form of fascism. Fascism is the punishment for the workers when they fail to take power.”
The Political Backwardness of American Workers
Thanks for your comment which I agree with.
I have not been able to find a report I once read about a reporter who interviewed dozens of working class MAGA supporters and who said after setting aside their patriotism and racism that their ideas of an ideal society were more socialist than many on the left. I found that observation quite interesting and it reminded me why Hitler originally called his movement national socialism. Of course that was before the collapse of the USSR. But that ties in with the 2022 Pew poll which still found a majority of those aged 18-29 who favoured socialism.
You are right to emphasize the need to provide a revolutionary alternative. Have you read my Draft Programme to be found in the Pages section of the website. I would appreciate your comments on it.
Hmmm… Doesn’t it really depend on whether we’re talking about the German or the Italian version of Fascism? If German then I’d say we’re a some way from a crisis of the capitalist state (can the centre hold?) but if the Italian and original version, then I’d say we’ve had an incipient Fascism for a number of years in both the US and the UK, with signs on the horizon for all the G7+ states. After all, isn’t Mussolini’s Fascism the Corporate, Security state, attacks on the organised working class, the dissolution of civil liberties and so forth?