Between fascism and liberalism: the doorway to doom

Ooh, spooky. But seriously, there are two things that we often have to look at, connected things; one is the rightward surge of a number of people, generally intellectuals, who once called themselves 'liberal'; two, the admittedly thin veiling of fascist violence as somehow liberation struggle. When we talk about the connection between fascism and liberalism we are talking much more about the fundamental definition of liberalism, as opposed to 'liberalism' the polite, declassed term for mainstream left-wing politics.

The connection between fascism and liberalism is they both regard the atomised individual as the fundamental building block of life and thought. Left-wing liberalism mediates clashes between individuals through social compromise, right-wing liberalism advocates the invisible hand of market relations. Fascists on the other hand are about will and force. As much as fascism is a coherent philosophy Friedrich Nietzsche, proponent of the superman and his will to power, is it's Hegel-figure.

So it makes a loopy sort of sense, if people won't be liberated and enlightened then we'll bomb the liberation into them, kidnap and torture them until they reach enlightenment (the state being the last remaining political actor to the liberal's mind). The latter day appeals by out-and-out fascists to feminism, gay liberation and so on are tactical and generally see-through, but they were only made possible by the B-52 liberal culture, which essentialised and demonised Muslims and/or Arabs.

Put simply Liberalism - consent = fascism.

Nazis, everywhere, get 'em off!

EDL founder (and chief funder) likes to fantasise about ghettoising, torturing and killing 'liberal twits' (including Nick Clegg and the Archbishop of Canterbury). Is this what liberals mean by not agreeing you but defending to the death your right to say such things?

There are people out there itching to murder us, but every step we take to defend ourselves gets stymied, by the police, by the press, by Searchlight, by Hopeless Hate, by the Labour party and so on. When will Alex Callinicos be given softball interviews on Newsnight? Never, of course. We're forced to fight with one hand tied behind our backs. It's a wonder we've kept the nazis at bay for so long.