FASCISM IN OUR TIME

By

JOHN ROBERTS (2004)

The Western Nations have learned a great deal from the Fascists: having been prompted to adopt many of the principles enunciated by Adolf Hitler and Signor Mussolini. The first principle of Fascism is, of course, “Intolerance”: the refusal to admit another’s right to hold an opposing viewpoint, be it on whatever subject.

The growth of modern Fascism commenced immediately upon the close of the Second World War, when the USA and its allies were riding on the crest of a wave of nationalist euphoria. The lesser “Allies” thought that they were to share in the spoils of war but their American mentors have seen to it that they merely receive the crumbs which fall from the tables of the US economic system. (Even so, countries like Great Britain and Australia, have done very well, as a result of their collaboration with the United States. It may be truly affirmed that the working people of these and other Western Nations, have enjoyed fifty years of relative affluence, to a degree never before experienced in the history of Christendom.)

Intolerance, as a hallmark of Western Social Philosophy, reared its head at the end of hostilities in 1945, in the expression of an implacable antipathy towards all things “Communist” or even mildly “Socialist”. Here was the new enemy: a theme quickly adopted by the Catholic Church, emerging from its sheltering cocoon throughout the War years, during which it had been strangely quiescent. Italy was under threat of a Communist Dictatorship and only after much activity on the part of the Priesthood, did the Italians narrowly avoid such a catastrophe during post-war elections. The Church was quick to direct its world-wide organization to encourage all “Communicants” to become involved in political activity, with a view to subverting Socialist movements within the Western Nations. Such a policy was adopted here, in Australia, resulting in a split within the labour movement and the formation of a “Democratic Labor Party”. Eventually, the Australian Labor Party was transformed into a Shadow-Capitalist organization, barely distinguishable from that of the Liberal (Conservative) Party. (It has to be admitted that, in the last fifty years, there have been progressive changes within the Catholic Community. However, the repression of Socialist Movements in many countries of South America, has resulted in a great deal of bloodshed.)

In the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Conservative Party lost the post-war election of l946, in which the Atlee Labour Government obtained an overwhelming popular mandate. Clement Atlee proceeded to introduce a torrent of anti-capitalist legislation, safeguarding the rights of the working-classes. Important amongst these provisions, was the imposition of massive death duties on large estates: a most welcome and just impost. However, reactionary conservatism would tolerate no such reforms of a truly levelling nature and the full pressure of the capitalist press was brought to bear on the Labour Government; with massive criticism and ridicule. No attempt was made by Atlee to control this propaganda, with the result that Winston Churchill was, subsequently, returned to power, in his declining years. Much of the beneficial work of the Labour years was destroyed or undermined.

However, British Workers continued to enjoy remarkably secure conditions in the years following the Atlee Government, although there was a steady decline in Cotton and Woollen Manufactures during this time. The subsequent entry upon the political scene of Margaret Thatcher, as Conservative Prime-Minister, brought with it a period of industrial unrest, when “Thatcherism”, as a form of social-philosophy, made its appearance. Mrs Thatcher laid greedy eyes upon the Property of the British People: the Railways, Steel-Industry, Mining, Electrical and other undertakings, and decided that all these institutions were, “ripe for the picking!”. Then ensued a systematic and sustained looting of Public Property. It was during her time that the Coal Mining Industry was destroyed and thousands of Colliers were made jobless. Thatcher’s name will remain infamous as the person who embroiled Great Britain in a thoroughly unjust and unnecessary, Nationalistic War against Argentina, which had unwisely taken over the Falkland Islands. In this campaign, thousands of Argentine lads were killed and some hundreds of British boys.

Thatcher’s methods have been emulated vigorously, here in Australia, (and, no doubt, in other parts of the British Commonwealth), resulting in the theft of the People’s property on a massive scale. The Robbery is almost complete: there is little left to loot, apart from the vestige of the people’s telephone corporation (Telecom) now called “Telstra” to avoid the suggestion that it belongs to the “Commonwealth”, ie, the ordinary men and women of Australia, as a collective body. This is now a dirty word, although our Politicians have the hide to still talk about a “Commonwealth” of Australia.

All such activity savours of the new form of ‘Fascism”, an ideology in which Intolerance, Nationalism, Militarism, Racism, Religious-discrimination and Cast, all work together against the interests of the people. New Fascism, however, is equally as devious as anything Adolf Hitler devised, and is particularly dangerous, being embraced by individuals who, in a more enlightened age, would have entirely rejected his doctrines.

As all who lived during the years of the Second World War are aware, there was a great deal of flag-waving during that time. Indeed, the Nazi’s were known as the “National Socialist Party” of Germany and “Nationalism’ formed the foundation of their cynical and ruthless doctrines. (The “Socialist” aspect was, in fact, non-existent, being merely a device to attract the worker classes). Nationalism is flourishing in our time, as it is this idea of the separateness of tribal identities that keeps militarism and warfare going in our day and age. Nationalism and Militarism together produce Fascism and there is ample evidence that Fascists are active once more and this time in Western Societies.

I have, in previous writings, discussed the preponderance of Militarism in our world and, here in Australia, our Politicians have been busy in recent years in shoring-up and boosting the image of ourselves as a War-Loving Nation. Our Conservative Prime-Minister, John Winston Howard, has been actively promoting objects that might be of use in directing the interests of the masses of the population towards our “glorious” Military History and Tradition. I have already observed the fact that we now have, in the National Capital, Canberra, a “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!”, without which no truly Nationalistic Nation could properly claim to be mindful of its past military glories. In addition, John Howard was observed, some months ago, to be busy establishing a memorial to Australian Soldiers who died in various Wars in the 20th Century, not in Australia but in the United Kingdom. This, no doubt, cost the Australian Taxpayers a few more million of their hard-paid Tax dollars. Mr Howard is inspired by the spectacle presented to him, during his frequent visits to his teacher and mentor, George W. Bush, to wish to see a similar slavish devotion to the cause of Nationalism generated in the hearts and minds of the people, and particularly the children of Australia. Mr. Howard has recently stated his wish to see “Flag Poles” erected in all Public School yards in Australia, at which children could be indoctrinated in Patriotic principles, along similar lines to the practice in the United States, at which the National Flag is raised or lowered and the National Anthem sung on a daily basis. He would be much gratified at the Nationalist concepts to be thus introduced into the minds of our little children. Indeed, he suggests that Public Schools lacking a flag-pole, might be deprived of Federal Funding. This is a sinister and dangerous threat. In such a manner would our children be indoctrinated with modern Fascist principles, along similar lines to those in which the children of Germany were brain-washed and to which American children are daily exposed.

In Australia, we have long ago abolished the death penalty and all our Politicians would concur in the proposition of the sanctity of life: that people should not be killed, even in cases in which they have committed wilful murder. Yet, these same Politicians, honest and upright folk though they be, have willingly and for an immoral purpose, sent off our soldiers to fight in a series of wars, commenced by the United States, all of which have been utterly unjustifiable. I refer to the Vietnam and Iraq Wars, not to mention the invasion and destruction of Afghanistan. The sustained intimidation of the people of Iran over a period of many years and the disgraceful pressure on the people of Cuba, are all hallmarks of Fascist activity on the part of the United States.

The United States is, clearly a Fascist Society, in which the truth is subverted to political expediency. It has a huge standing Army, nearly two-hundred military bases across the world, including a spy-base in Antarctica and several on the Australian mainland. It dominates the world, militarily and economically and possesses a huge arsenal of, something like, twenty-thousand nuclear weapons. Contrary to its agreed declaration regarding non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, it is continuously developing more refined nuclear weapons for use against its perceived enemies. Its present behaviour in and towards the Muslim nations of the Middle-East, is arrogant and intolerant to a degree: its treatment of prisoners at its Concentration Camp, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a denial of basic human rights. It regards the “Geneva Convention” with contempt. Mr Howard remains unconcerned at the prospect of two Australian Nationals being detained for years in such a Hell-hole.

We daily hear diatribes from Washington on the wickedness and deviousness of those nations, surreptitiously seeking to possess nuclear weapons. Oh! How evil are these folk!? Such a stance on the part of the USA and other members of the “Nuclear Club” is supremely hypocritical. I have previously observed that the only solution to the problem is that of the absolute destruction of all nuclear weapons. This will never happen. Those nations which already possess nuclear weapons are chilled to think that irresponsible people might build dirty bombs and tiny nukes, with which to threaten the might of the USA. And what a threat would that constitute? The USA is a prime target of “Terrorists” who might have such a weapon. How would the mightiest power ever seen upon Earth deal with that situation? Nobody knows! The purveyors of “Terror Unlimited” who unleashed their weapons of mass destruction on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia: killing many millions of innocent people in the process, and who have been conducting “Limited War”, whenever it has suited them, during the past fifty years, now find themselves faced with a dilemma, “How to cope with the newly created ‘Terrorist’?” The answer is that they cannot know, nor will any country that makes itself obnoxious to Islamic extremists be able to do more than “put off the evil hour”. The United States of America has created the problem itself, by its long-continued policy of intimidation of the nations of the Third-World and, particularly, those of the Middle East. The only solution it can understand is the use of “Force”. This will merely exacerbate the problem and we have ample evidence of the fact, by what is happening at the present time in Iraq. Any intelligent person knows that the Iraqis will never accept a US-appointed Government to run their country to suit the policies of the USA. The Iraqis know who are the assassins, who came to their country to kill, plunder and destroy.

Here in Australia, we are hoping that the storm will pass us by. We have already suffered some loss in the consequences of the Bali bombing, when a large number of innocent Westerners were killed, largely, in my view, as a result of the large-mouthed utterances of John Howard, PM, whose pro-Bush eloquence aroused the resentment of Indonesian Muslims, already resentful of Australia’s privileged position in South-East Asia. The killing in Iraq continues and it seems likely that Australian troops will be increasingly exposed to danger from the insurgency, as Iraqi freedom fighters continue to defend their country from the invading forces.

We have seen much made, lately, of the fact that the forces of NATO (another US dominated military organization) might be induced to take an active role in Iraq, allowing US troops to return home) or that the United Nations might be prepared to take an active part in restoring order to Iraq. It must, however, be remembered that it is the U.S. Military-Machine that has made such a mess of Iraq, abetted by Britain and its minor allies, including this country. Americans are still killing Iraqis on a grand scale: exacting retaliation for the death or injury of its soldiers. They would have us believe that they are there for the purpose of giving freedom to the people of Iraq and that, having rid the country of that villain, Hussein, are now genuinely anxious to establish a democratic regime in that country. Nobody is fooled by this proposition. Actions speak louder than words and the actions of the US Administration are those of killers: people who have no respect for the life, liberty or rights of other peoples.

The high-tech slaughter of Palestinians by Israelis continues unabated. The latter have adopted many of the techniques of Adolf Hitler and his followers: a highly trained and elusive “Mossad” or Secret Police, a policy of denial of the rights and liberties of the people of Palestine, whose lands they have stolen: mass murder: the vicious reprisal taken against their own Mordecai Vanunu, who let the “Cat out of the Bag” on their development of Nuclear Weapons. The Israelis now possess their very own “Berlin Wall”, in an attempt to siphon off more land from the Palestinians and to keep them out of “Israel”. How long are the developed nations of the Earth going to permit such conduct on the part of the Israelis to continue? The whole basis of the establishment of the State of Israeli is based upon a Great Lie: the alleged sanctity and separateness of the Jewish Nation. Fundamentalist Christians, in the US and elsewhere, entirely deceive themselves when they perceive a link between the establishment of the State of Israel and the future coming of the “Messiah” in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. This will never happen!

I have already stated elsewhere that we, who lend our support to those who maliciously seek to destroy their fellow men, are equally guilty if we do not speak out against their wickedness. It is time our Australian Politicians gave some thought to what is taking place, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan but throughout the whole world.

Nationalism is the great evil which we face today: we have not learned and will not learn, until we realize that there is one great body of humanity and we are all dependent upon one another for our existence and our continued survival. Hatred will cure nothing and will result in continued bloodshed upon a massive scale. It is time we tore up and burned our National Flags: they are a symbol of division in human society and a disgrace to any progressive country at this time. As for our National Songs: they glorify militarism and butchery and do nothing for the promotion of ideas moving towards the establishment of a true brotherhood of Mankind.

THE END

John Roberts,

Sydney.

Australia

29th June 2004.

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