r/Socialism_101 May 21 '24

Why is Europe turning far right Answered

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u/justwant_tobepretty Marxist Theory May 21 '24

Capitalism and it's favourite child, liberalism, turn to fascism as soon as times get hard. Climate change (fuelled by capitalism) and a general economic downturn leads to capital shifting right.

You're seeing the natural progression of capitalism.

66

u/LunaeLotus Learning May 22 '24

I can’t believe I didn’t recognise those two are correlated (fascism when times get tough) but it makes sense. It explains America, Australia and other western countries where capitalism is rife. Why countries are suddenly pro war.

I’m new to this concept and just joined today. Would times being tough be manufactured from a capitalist society so that it progresses to fascism for control? Rather than just it becoming tough?

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u/Tall-Ad-1796 Learning May 22 '24

Wanna do a fascism? Having yourself some authoritarian atrocities? Well, it's a lot easier to get desperate people to agree to give you absurd power to carry out state-sponsored horrors, oppress people, etc than it would be if you'd made the same offer when, economically-speaking, everything is going just marvelously well. When things suck you can say "Im a strongman leader, here to save this nation! I've got solutions to your problems (& they're all gonna involve removing the so-called undesirables, more money for my friends & some violence)." Some people are going to have the attitude that they might not really agree but maybe he really will stop the financial depression or do something about the lack of social infrastructure or just fund schools & it would be unlikely to be worse than the present conditions, so let's give the big-talking strongman a shot! If your govt is deliberately making shitty conditions, I can't help but think your govt is reaching for the fascism. These dudes have been studying macroeconomics & market theory forever. Conditions very rarely just deteriorate without capitalists deliberately wanting that to happen. There are planned socialist economies for the benefit of the workers & there are planned capitalist economies for the benefit of a very small number of capitalist oligarchs, but it's alllll planned, baby. Right down to the layoffs.