Defeating Fascism in the 21st Century

Friends and Enemies:

Defeating Fascism in the 21st Century

On July 21 the European Union (EU) issued a “Joint Statement” that the “suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.” It called on the Israeli government to “lift restrictions on the flow of aid to urgently enable the United Nations…to do their life saving work.” The EU is “horrified” that “over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.”1

But 6 days earlier, EU foreign ministers announced they have no intention of pressuring Israel to stop its genocide in Gaza. An announcement that “…will be remembered as one of the most disgraceful moments in EU’s history.”2

Why did the EU voice opposition to genocide while doing nothing to stop it? Because European governments wants to appear to be on the right side of the moral discourse even as European corporations profit from genocide.3 This kind of moral posturing is essential to the fascists’ plan to seize power.

In order to seize power, the fascists must fool some of us into the thinking they are on “our” side. Fascism cannot tolerate a truthful moral discourse because fascism is the enemy of human dignity and equality. This is why Stephen Colbert, a moral voice opposed to fascism, was recently fired and his “Late Show” cancelled.4

Leaders from both major political parties have shown their moral color by complicity with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.5 Epstein’s crimes are part of a systemic violence in the U.S. where one in four women report attempted or completed rape.6

The debased morality of the ruling class results from its exploitation of us, the 99 percent who are forced to work for a living, or face massive debt, homelessness or are not allowed to work at all. We are the overwhelming majority and can build unity by calling out fascism’s effort to disguise its violence, genocide and inequality.