[Classical] Fascism was interesting for a few reasons, some of them being its relationship to the labour movement:
- ᴉuᴉlossnW was a prominent socialist until their expulsion from the PSI for their nationalist views, and if we take them at their word in their last testament while captured by communists, they considered themself a socialist
- Fascism managed to bring other former Marxist communists into their ranks, notably Nicola Bombacci, a founding member of the Communist Party of Italy in 1921 until their expulsion for fascist views in 1927
- Fascism was economically a class-collaborationist ideology (specifically corporativism, from the Latin corpus, body)
Now, of course, we have the benefit of hindsight and can see what a disaster Italian fascism and its friends were and the name of ‘fascism’ is forever tainted. But theoretically a modern equivalent could similarly appeal to both nationalists and the socialist-leaning today in a similar way. Fascism doesn’t logically imply racism, nor does it necessarily exclude certain types of progressivism: see BUF gaining large support from women by being pro-suffrage, see environmentalism of eco-fascists, and consider some modern neofash parties adopting social democrat policy points.
With all this in mind, what were the early warning signs that Fascism was not going to be pro-worker, despite its rhetoric? How well do you believe socialists will be able to spot them?
Thanks for the detailed reply, it makes more sense to understand this from a global perspective, as an international effect of US mass media, the change in perceptions of African-Americans post-Civil Rights Era, and distinct from mere nationalism. Removing this issue from nationalism also resolves the paradox of why ‘White’ foreigners were treated so differently from ‘Black’ foreigners; the issue isn’t nation but negative Black stereotypes spread abroad.
I don’t have time right now to reply in-depth, but its worth mentioning even African-American media can often be very critical of the ‘gangster’ cultures too, some popular examples which come to mind are the comic strip The Boondocks (and the cartoon adaptation) and the pop rap song Gangsta’s Paradise lamenting the damage it causes. There are real cultural issues which are amplified by mass media, both news and entertainment. Obviously African-Americans aren’t the only group with negative cultures associated with them – consider rednecks and Latin gang cultures as other US examples – but unfortunately, as you’ve pointed out, the harmful and threatening gangsta culture has become the international face.
As a side note, it just surprises me that the horribly-exploitative colonizing nations, which can be understandably stereotyped as ‘White’, haven’t also had a similar racial demonization. I suspect its similar to here, where the rich haute thief with a smile is looked over but the poor petit thief is a brute.
In this regard, sadly, while it’s not nationalism (a sensible nationalist would if anything, dislike white westerners in particular and may even find common cause with other non-whites, particularly those who also aren’t western)… black stereotypes play only one small part in that IMO, and if anything probably a considerably lesser part than the obvious- white worship, white beauty standards, etc… the “post-colonial” mentality is all around us, and no part of the world is exactly exempt from that.
“White” foreigners, particularly those from the “wealthy/prestigious” west, have a particular premium- the kind that comes from having roamed about with extraterritoriality in most places, with enforced racial supremacy and with near-undisputed hegemony for centuries (how many centuries differs by region, but China has over a century of trauma for instance in this regard). I hear of the same, or very similar, treatment being given to Asians (east, south, west), to visibly mixed/non-white Latinos, etc… whiteness simply happens to be a currency in its own right, and not just in Asia, as far as I’ve very credibly heard second-hand, or seen online, the same goes for Africa and Latin America as well (LatAm having its own messed up racial hierarchies very similar in nature tbh).
In that same vein, western-ness has its own prestige as well; I imagine an African-American might, despite all the negative stereotypes, be seen in a much better light in Asia than an African from Africa or the Caribbean (not that people would dislike the African, necessarily/probably?) I certainly (often, not always) experienced better treatment with strangers for my own Canadian accent, despite being fully Asian.
And as this is regarding the treatment of black/white foreigners in Asia- if it helps, I don’t think the stereotypes carry over as much to black people (even tourists) in Asia, nor to black people who don’t present themselves as part of “gangsta culture.” African-Americans in Asia aren’t exactly likely to behave in such a manner, after all- so it really is a matter of white prestige (and on some level also colorism, which has a much longer history than colonialism in Asia and I don’t really think is tied to nationalism either).
Other than that- I’m aware of the Boondocks, while I’ve not watched it (eventually) I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the show’s clips, tbh. Their take on BET seems absolutely spot-on… IMO a very similar phenomenon is very visible (and widely complained about in the Asian diasporic community) against Asians in western media as well- though in its case it has none of the glamor or “self-made” culture or associated pride attached to it (fetishization of Asian women, emasculation of Asian men, and a serious otherization and blatant disdain for both) so it just pisses people off, those who don’t go all self-hating due to it, anyways. The (generally seen as, in practice 50/50 and still harmful) stereotypes and glamor/“self-made”/pride narrative comes in with the “model minority” myth instead.
That’s how it is all over the world and for most of history, I think… only education can solve it. And even those who have sympathy for those in poverty, and who are in the same lot, will naturally at least dislike, if not hate, those who do act like brutes (the haute thieves hire their own brutes- not all petite thieves are brutes on the other hand, hell I’d say many are more than justified in doing what they do if it’s the right targets). And brutes are always the most visible and immediately threatening lot, when they’re around…
Lumpen can be great people, and have great revolutionary, positive, community-building potential. Some of the greatest comrades, like Stalin, were first lumpen. But those who take from their community (their actual community- fellow proles, those who are struggling just the same) are at least scum on some level at the time of the act. Honest truth is I’ve done it before (if not much, and not in a long time), while I’d not say I had sticky fingers (kid me, maybe somewhat) there’s still a very strong self-taught impulse, or debatably, survival mechanism, that tells me not to let an opportunity slip by, that I have to “claw my way up” and “take what I want” etc… I’ve always had a strong sense of decency/morals/pride to go with it at least, but it is what it is.