Actual fascist economics – note, economics, not the -ism itself- returns to Germany:
Professor Polleit said the relevant parallel is not what happened in Honecker’s hapless East Germany. “The risk is something more like the command and control system installed in the 1930s. They leave the ownership in private hands but there are ever more rules, ordinances, taxes, and subsidies, used to influence what can be produced and to regulate prices,” he said.
“Scholz doesn’t represent what the SPD actually stands for. My concern is that many Germans don’t yet understand what the policies really entail. We will move ever further away from what remains of the free-market system,” he said.
We also know someone who would have such a system here:
The ultra-radical youth leader Kevin Kühnert and his “Juso” brigade crowned two obscure figures from the Corbynista wing as joint leaders.
That is rather what Corbynism is. As too Murphism. Hinesism as he once complained I was near libelling him for pointing out. There’s a definite tinge of this to Mazzucato as well.
Do note, again, that this is not to say those folks are fascist. But it is to point to how their economic desires do seem to creep up very close to actual fascist economics. The State controls because, well, isn’t it obvious that the State should control? In the national interest of course?
And, pray tell, how can one reliably distinguish between someone pushing for fascist economics and someone pushing for fascism?
BiTiN said:
“And, pray tell, how can one reliably distinguish between someone pushing for fascist economics and someone pushing for fascism?”
Whether they blame things on the Jews? Oh, hang on, that’s still Corbyn…
Germany, with its vigorous Mittelstand, is the last place you’d want to try this nonsense. It’s just about doable where industrial power is concentrated in a few firms but not otherwise. Mind you, the EU is a cartelist project so it might be easier as time goes on.
RichardT
Original – Italian – fascism didn’t have a problem with the Jews. That would be the German mutation.
At least, no more than is standard for socialism.
Fascism is a politico-economic system isn’t it? What’s that got to do with military expansionism or even ultra-nationalism? You can get either or both of those out of other politico-economic systems. Communism for a start. Liberal democracy hasn’t too bad on the first.
If it’s fascism let’s call it fascism. Why try & save the feelings of the fascists?
Point being, where I am & where Tim is were both fascist states. Don’t know how long Tim’s connections to PT go back but I was coming down here when Franco was still boss. It was a perfectly pleasant country to visit. A lot of Labour Party members took their first foreign holidays here without any qualms. OK, it was a lot poorer than the UK. But that was the long term legacy of Spanish exploitation of its colonies under various kings. It’s economy was growing. And Franco’s was a period of Spanish military withdrawal.
‘ Actual fascist economics – note, economics, not the -ism itself…’
Since Fascist economics is at the root of Fascism, it’s not Fascism without Fascist economics and vice versa.
Like other collectivist systems, fascism may not start as expansionist but it very quickly becomes so. Things have to be paid for and collectivists can’t make enough stuff.
So once they’ve grabbed the stuff in their country they have to look abroad.
Germany, with its vigorous Mittelstand, is the last place you’d want to try this nonsense. Er, Germany *was* the last place this was tried
Yes, but, the mittelstand was something of a reaction to that….
“fascism may not start as expansionist but it very quickly becomes so.
Neither Spain nor Portugal were expansionist under fascist government. With both it’s a period of withdrawing from foreign interests.
Fascism’s not a particularly efficient way of running an economy but there’s nothing inherently evil about it. It’s probably better than communism. It’s probably the best way to drag a country out of communism. Bit of helicopter ride cleansing.
Personally I don’t see much difference with any of the forms of government. Be nice to have a total free-market economy but when did we ever have one of them? I’d say all forms of government these days are at minimum 50% fascist. Virtually 100% for China.
The French describe (with some justification) their system of government as ‘democratic fascism’.
Chris Miller
They do?
Who, and where?
“Who, and where?”
Outside of Paris”
The French President has powers during his term (reduced to only 5 years, now) not that different from those of Louis XIV.