There really are only two major outcomes here: either NATO/Ukraine wins, which means fascism wins, or NATO/Ukraine loses (or a Russia win if you want to call that), which means the spread of fascism stops in Russia (temporarily).
Now, let’s examine what are the major features of a fascist state:
Mass privatization
Anti-communism and banning of socialist/communist parties
Violent assault/murder of left wing and labor activists using fascist thugs
Burning/tearing down/destruction of labor/communist symbols
Every single fascist state in history has exhibited all the above features, whether it was in Mussolini’s Italy in the 1920s, Hitler’s Germany in the 1930s, Sukarno’s Indonesia in the 1960s, or Pinochet’s Chile in the 1970s.
Not to mention, Ukraine since 2013 has fit perfectly into the description with their constant “de-communization” effort, banning left wing parties, burning and killing labor activists, as well as the mass privatization of state resources to foreign capital, if the Nazi symbolism was not the first alarm to be raised.
In other words, fascism is the most brutal form of labor suppression that developed out of liberalism, after seeing the outcome of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Churchill literally admitted that Mussolini’s fascism was necessary to crush Leninism in his speech in 1927.
Now, I’d argue that Russia of the 1990s under Yeltsin was very close to fascism (neo-Nazi gangs literally roamed the streets as the country fell to neoliberalism). Putin put a stop gap to the mass privatization (with the state regaining control of key industries over the years), but there is still massive corruption and Russia remains a very reactionary state in response to the looting by foreign capitalists while having no means of resisting against them.
So, back to the two major outcomes:
If NATO/Ukraine wins, then the Russian state will be destabilized and allowing Western imperialists to repeat what they had done to the post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s - shock therapy and the installing of pro-Western fascist puppet instituting similar treatment to what they have done in Ukraine. I guarantee you that left wing parties will be completely obliterated just as they are in Ukraine today. There will be no left wing and labor activism left in Russia (the Communist Party is still the second largest political party today in Russia, just FYI).
On the other hand, if NATO/Ukraine loses, then the spread of fascism will be temporarily halted. However, more importantly, the sanctions are now forcing Russia towards industrializing itself in order to become self-sufficient. This is where there is a chance for labor to fight back.
You see, Russia had been happy to be a neoliberal resource colony to the West by supplying minerals and raw materials, which did not require high level of industrialization and therefore there is less leverage for labor. However, NATO encroachment on Russia and especially the sanctions on Russia are now forcing Russia to industrialize, which means the power of labor can only grow from here, which will lead to growing labor activism demanding for their rights from a state that in turn requires their effort to “defeat the collective West”.
This was what happened in WWI - when a war that national capitalists thought would end by Christmas turned into a dragged out war of attrition, forcing state intervention in the economy which in turn shifted the power dynamics toward labor over the capitalists, as the warring European countries literally had to rely on their labor to win the war. There is a reason why socialist movements exploded during and in the wake of WWI, most prominently in Russia that led to the 1917 Revolution, and then in Italy, which was unfortunately crushed by fascism in 1922.
Glad it provoked some thoughts. You don’t have to agree, of course, but over here we like to discuss present day conflicts along with their historical contexts and with material analysis to understand how it will affect socialist effort in the future.
There really are only two major outcomes here: either NATO/Ukraine wins, which means fascism wins, or NATO/Ukraine loses (or a Russia win if you want to call that), which means the spread of fascism stops in Russia (temporarily).
Now, let’s examine what are the major features of a fascist state:
Every single fascist state in history has exhibited all the above features, whether it was in Mussolini’s Italy in the 1920s, Hitler’s Germany in the 1930s, Sukarno’s Indonesia in the 1960s, or Pinochet’s Chile in the 1970s.
Not to mention, Ukraine since 2013 has fit perfectly into the description with their constant “de-communization” effort, banning left wing parties, burning and killing labor activists, as well as the mass privatization of state resources to foreign capital, if the Nazi symbolism was not the first alarm to be raised.
In other words, fascism is the most brutal form of labor suppression that developed out of liberalism, after seeing the outcome of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Churchill literally admitted that Mussolini’s fascism was necessary to crush Leninism in his speech in 1927.
Now, I’d argue that Russia of the 1990s under Yeltsin was very close to fascism (neo-Nazi gangs literally roamed the streets as the country fell to neoliberalism). Putin put a stop gap to the mass privatization (with the state regaining control of key industries over the years), but there is still massive corruption and Russia remains a very reactionary state in response to the looting by foreign capitalists while having no means of resisting against them.
So, back to the two major outcomes:
If NATO/Ukraine wins, then the Russian state will be destabilized and allowing Western imperialists to repeat what they had done to the post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s - shock therapy and the installing of pro-Western fascist puppet instituting similar treatment to what they have done in Ukraine. I guarantee you that left wing parties will be completely obliterated just as they are in Ukraine today. There will be no left wing and labor activism left in Russia (the Communist Party is still the second largest political party today in Russia, just FYI).
On the other hand, if NATO/Ukraine loses, then the spread of fascism will be temporarily halted. However, more importantly, the sanctions are now forcing Russia towards industrializing itself in order to become self-sufficient. This is where there is a chance for labor to fight back.
You see, Russia had been happy to be a neoliberal resource colony to the West by supplying minerals and raw materials, which did not require high level of industrialization and therefore there is less leverage for labor. However, NATO encroachment on Russia and especially the sanctions on Russia are now forcing Russia to industrialize, which means the power of labor can only grow from here, which will lead to growing labor activism demanding for their rights from a state that in turn requires their effort to “defeat the collective West”.
This was what happened in WWI - when a war that national capitalists thought would end by Christmas turned into a dragged out war of attrition, forcing state intervention in the economy which in turn shifted the power dynamics toward labor over the capitalists, as the warring European countries literally had to rely on their labor to win the war. There is a reason why socialist movements exploded during and in the wake of WWI, most prominently in Russia that led to the 1917 Revolution, and then in Italy, which was unfortunately crushed by fascism in 1922.
I feel like my third eye is being forced open like that one scene in A Clockwork Orange (positive intent)
Glad it provoked some thoughts. You don’t have to agree, of course, but over here we like to discuss present day conflicts along with their historical contexts and with material analysis to understand how it will affect socialist effort in the future.
Thank you for your patience, teacher.