Parallels between the Falangists and the American Right wing
There are major similarities between the American Hard right and 30s Fascism. It is a complex subject so it took me a while to cover all the pieces. The Falange party was Spanish Fascism. Like fascism in other Mediterranean countries it was a teaming between a relatively amoral core base and Catholic radicals. The hard right cannot exist without the support of conservatives. Other Fascist movements eventually failed because their amoral and ambitious core base challenged the Catholic Church. Under Franco, the Falange succeeded to survive World War II and weren't dismantled until Franco died, with some influence continuing to the present day. Mussolini, Juan Peron and other similar Fascist groups failed, because they challenged the Catholic Church to one degree or another. Franco's Fascism was an intensely Catholic Fascism. Modern Catholics can try to spin this, but it was obvious.
Falangist Parties in Spain. These are best expressed by summarizing from the 6 Categories in the 26 Point platform referred to in the header meme.
This post flows from the introduction in the post: The 26 Point Plank of the Falangist Party
These are:
- Right Wing Imperialism, & Myth Making
- Right Wing Explicit Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
- Right Wing National Syndicalism and Corporatism
- Right Wing Land Reform and Privatization
- Right Wing Chauvinism and Indoctrination
- Right Wing Violent Revolution And Dictatorship
- Parallels between Falange fascists and US Fascists on Abortion
In my next series of posts I'll be referring to the 26 point Program of the Falange Party, with a separate essay on all 6 points, their meaning, and comparing them to others. It is hard not to see the similarities and contrasts. The Falange 26 point program, Hitlers Nazi Program, all have points of similarity. This is obvious to almost anyone who looks at them, except for those trying to gaslight the subject.
Right Wing trying to Gaslight the Past Right
People like Dinesh D'Souza misrepresent the past, so they can repeat it. They do so for a number of reasons.
- To convince recruitment targets that they are patriotic, righteous and not anything like past fascists.
- To claim that past fascists were mere leftists and so they are somehow doing something different.
- To confuse people trying to resist them.
Summary of Main Points
Myth Making and "Making Myth Reality"
Fascist documents, speeches and behavior are somewhat different documents from the kinds of planks a traditional liberal party like the Democrats, or the pre-Trump Republicans, for the simple reason that they are tools of myth and propaganda, are authoritarian, revolutionary and seeking to impose their “ideological doctrines and Practical lies” on reality, rather than using facts to guide their behavior. Some fascists may be quite scientific, but the movement as a whole tends to be anti-science and to rely on authority. Franco, Mussolini, Hitler or Juan Peron would find themselves right at home with pronouncements like and is not rational in the same way more rationalist liberal/conservative/progressive ideologies are. They really do follow the Fascist Playbook. Out of office they practice the big lie and make promises they have no intentions of keeping. In power they seek to impose their version of reality on reality, either by breaking the old reality and trying to order theirs -- or by breaking anyone who refuses to "believe" in their new reality.
Right Wing Imperialism
Right Wing Imperialism is not really new. But Fascists used it to divide and rule their own people, to mobilize anger, resentment and a sense of grievance among their peoples, and to start or threaten wars against others. War is popular among people, especially those who think they'll gain from loot and profiteering opportunities provided by a good war. People respond to a call for patriotism to them, and nothing creates blind obedience like fear of the unknown "enemy" on the one hand and the drive for "honor and glory" that young people crave on the other. Fascist movements are inevitably chauvinist and claim to champion "Law and order." Whether it was "Jews" for Hitler, "liberals and atheists" for the Falangists, or brown people in General for Trump, they live on fear and xenophobia. They paint the past as a glorious vision lost due to treachery and betrayal. The Falange wanted to recreate Spain's Empire in their plank. They were no exception.
Right Wing Explicit Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
The Falange were explicitly authoritarian and totalitarian. Authoritarianism bases "truth or falsehood" on the authority of person invested with power. If the fearless leader says "2+2=5" the true believer is expected to act as if it is true, or even more to believe it is true with all his or her heart and soul. An authoritarian government, once in power, seeks to impose a set of rigid dogmatic rules on everybody in society. Totalitarian countries murder the exceptions to that rule.
Right Wing National Syndicalism and Corporatism
Part of the argument used by modern fascists against the notion that 20s and 30s fascism was actually right wing fascist, is a function of the rightward de-evolution of the United States and other countries. When the Fascists promoted Syndicalism, they took a movement that was originally from the left and used it as a tool for imposing order and obedience on Labor, while promoting the power of corporations and land owners. Syndicalism was, in Catholic Right Wing countries, the notion that people should hearken back to the middle ages in labor and business relations. Syndicates were modeled on guilds, only their organization was top down. Syndicalism forces organization on people, expanding their power in theory, while in practice enslaving labor. Fascist Labor Syndicates were top down and run by bosses. Business Syndicates were similar, but Businessmen had the advantage. We often hear of "corporatism", and that was the same idea originally as syndicalism, but also was inspired by the monopolies and giant near monopoly industries of the British and American Industrial revolution. In the middle ages "corporations" were the church and the guilds, towns and ship companies. They had representation, as corporations in Government. The idea is not horrible, but the fascist execution was. Many former Fascist countries still have organized labor and businesses on Syndicalist principles. They just don't use it as advertising anymore.
And of course the USA Right uses this to argue that the Fascists were really lefties. All that means is that the 20s and 30s fascists were more moderate than our present day ones on economic issues. Isn't that nice?
Right Wing Land Reform and Privatization
Land Reform also sounds like something the left would do. And indeed leftist caudillos (dictators) do exactly what righty caudillos would do, once they are in power. Redistributing land and business properties sounds like reform, but in the hands of a dictatorship and its sharp hierarchy it is a means to enforce hierarchy and keep everyone under one's thumb. The planks 19-23 of the Falange Party were labeled reform but they were really concerned with enforcing the power of the State. When so-called libertarians talk about "Statism", that is what Fascism was all about. Yet many of them only could see statism when it was on behalf of left tyranny. Tyranny can be left or right.
Some of the programs, indeed sounded like what any party would promote. During the 30s the vast masses were concerned with employment, eating, health-care and survival. Anyone trying to get elected had to have a program for dealing with these things. Moreover freebooting capitalism had failed massively, so very few people were willing to defend capitalism. Fascism posed as a third way, between capitalism and socialism. On the stump or while fighting, they had slogans that articulated an ideal future state. Once in power, the only thing that changed was the party affiliation of the owners and managers.
Education Reform versus Right Wing Chauvinism and Indoctrination
Similarly the Fascist plank for education reform was about controlling and indoctrinating the youth. It is always that way:
- The Falange notion of "education reform" was:
- 23 Universal conscription, indoctrination and training for Imperialist War.
- 24 Universal access to education and Training based on qualifications.
- 25 An End to Separation of Church and State (Catholic Chauvinism)
Right Wing Violent Revolution And Dictatorship
Last but not least the Falange were explicitly about violent revolution. They were willing to "hold their noses" [Hitler quote, but applies to them too] and enter politics, only so long as it advanced their authoritarian aims. Their goal was to radicalize sufficient population so as to justify imposing their aims.
References and further reading
I'll be referencing books, articles from things I wrote a about this on my previous blog "Holte's Corner" between 2004 and 2006:
- The conscious misuse of Myth, Georges Sorel and Fascism
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2004/11/29/the-conscious-misuse-of-myth-georges-sorel-and-fascism/
- Georges Sorel, the Power of Myth (Review)
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2006/09/10/georges-sorel-the-power-of-myth/
- The Party Program is at this webpage:
- https://www.americanblackshirts.com/single-post/2015/03/04/The-Twenty-Six-Point-Program-of-the-Falange
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/falange
- The conscious misuse of Myth, Georges Sorel and Fascism
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2004/11/29/the-conscious-misuse-of-myth-georges-sorel-and-fascism/
- Georges Sorel, the Power of Myth (Review)
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2006/09/10/georges-sorel-the-power-of-myth/
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2006/12/14/strategy-and-tactics-myth-and-reality/
- https://fraughtwithperil.com/cholte/2011/02/20/laying-down-the-gauntlet/
- https://www.americanblackshirts.com/single-post/2015/03/04/The-Twenty-Six-Point-Program-of-the-Falange
- http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-life-of-garcia-lorca-and-fascist.html quotes taken in August 2018. I also have them in several of my books and from other webpages.
- http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/right-wing-imperialism-nationalism-myth.html
- https://www.amazon.com/Federico-Garcia-Lorca-Ian-Gibson/dp/0571142249
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falangism
- Quote taken from book;
- "National Identities and Socio-Political Changes in Latin America" By Antonio Gomez-Moriana, Mercedes Duran-Cogan page 112
- https://books.google.com/books?id=PWjhAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=One+Nation,+One+Faith,+One+people+Spain&source=bl&ots=wSBJa8Qato&sig=aEsGLSukCZr_2PQE8FwjahO-CKE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjp1YGT09XcAhVNx1kKHW6bC0kQ6AEwB3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=One%20Nation%2C%20One%20Faith%2C%20One%20people%20Spain&f=false
- Related Articles:
- Ellerman:
- https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/ellerman_ct_vol5_iss3_4.pdf
From My own writings
Used, or referred to, in this Post
*note, I'm writing this because I'm finding that materials available on wikipedia, and in other sources, have been altered. Sources challenged that I have hard copies of, or remember reading in the library --> And misinformation substituted. I have 6 more posts to finish to complete this subject.
This is part of a series. So even after I post this it will remain a draft until the series is completed along with the other posts.
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