Morning Comrades and welcome back to the regular scheduled program, unless assorted, seemingly countless problems surrounding ourselves go sideways. They will, that’s to be sure, mostly for us and whilst the last few weeks of relative downtime have somewhat restored some energy reserves, these coming months will be a test of a resolve, optimism and adhering to strategies with enough discipline to not succumb to the realities of the 21st Century Era of Fascism.
I have hinted at this reality over the last few dispatches and to be absolutely clear, fascism isn’t coming, it is here and whether or not we want to, we do have to deal with it. Yet, and at the same time, there are still too many voices around us that either have no problem with this reality, feel as if they are not affected by this reality or don’t see it as such. Truthfully, it is a combination of the above, generally speaking and addressing that is something I have only ever read in History books, especially those dealing with Europe and to a certain degree North America in the 1920/30s.
First and foremost, the reason to oppose Fascism, putting aside all moralised ideals of heroism is that the end result of this ideology is always war, death and destruction. For anyone not included in the 1%’er club and none of us are in it. There a million other reason to oppose this extremist reality but ultimately, it boils down to it being a death cult of the billionaire class and the we have progressed past the point of adhering to their greed.
But to confront the reality of existing in and under 21st Fascism that will affect us all in one way another I wanted to touch upon an analogy and Niemöller’s infamous poem again, the one we ended 2024 with. The analogy of the frog in boiling water best explains the past 20 some years, especially the post 9/11 experience. Combine Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine” theory to the last 2 decades with the “Imperial Boomerang” thesis you can take the idea of the frog in boiling water analogy to come to the understanding of why so many people here in the West still don’t accept the fact that whatever we were sold as the pinnacle of democratic freedom is nothing but lie to the working classes and are willing participants of this particular era of Fascism. From the bootlickers defending corporations, politicians and billionaires to corporations destroying the planet for quarterly bonus’ and financing those in power to allow them to do so free from harm, to para-military police states across the entire west, massively manipulating media empires from MSM to Social Media, to the old style of street thugs excercising violence to create the illusion of a white, pseudo-christian, no-questions-asked picket fence suburban nightmare, it feels as if we are surrounded by hordes of people comfortable with those realities. The answer to why is big, but predominately these people do not feel threatened by this and furthermore possibly believe that they can profit enough from it all to not be affected by it in the long run.
Ah, the comforting embrace of Western fascism—a system so considerate that it spares the affluent, white middle and upper classes from any immediate discomfort. After all, why worry about the erosion of democratic norms or the rise of authoritarianism when one's stock portfolio is flourishing? It's akin to lounging in a warm bath, blissfully unaware that the temperature is inching toward a boil.
The "boiling frog" metaphor illustrates this gradual acclimatisation to encroaching danger. As noted in a discussion on the metaphor's relevance, "The boiling frog story is generally offered as a metaphor cautioning people to be aware of even gradual change lest they suffer eventual undesirable consequences.
Similarly, Martin Niemöller's poignant poem "First They Came" serves as a timeless reminder of the perils of complacency in the face of escalating oppression. Niemöller reflects on the consequences of inaction:
First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
This progression mirrors the strategic patience inherent in totalitarian right-wing movements. They often initiate their agendas by targeting marginalised groups, confident that the privileged will remain silent, ensconced in their perceived immunity. However, as the Overton Window—the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream—shifts rightward, the encroachments on freedom become increasingly audacious, eventually ensnaring those who once felt secure.
Hannah Arendt's analysis of totalitarianism underscores this incremental erosion of freedoms. She observed that such regimes do not abruptly impose tyranny; instead, they gradually dismantle democratic institutions, normalising repression through a series of small, seemingly innocuous steps. Arendt noted, "Totalitarianism became this century's curse only because it so terrifyingly took care of its problems."
Side Note in regards to Arendt: Irrespective of the fact that she was a racist piece of shit, her work on totalitarianism remains worthy of study.
Michiko Kakutani continued to explore these dynamics. In "How Autocrats Weaponize Chaos," the author discusses how modern autocrats exploit crises to consolidate power, often with the tacit approval of those who believe themselves unaffected. The article notes, "Autocrats thrive by amplifying fear and discontent, using propaganda and nostalgia to attract support, while undermining institutions and democratic processes.
Moreover, the phenomenon of the "extremism of the centre" highlights how middle-class complacency can inadvertently facilitate the rise of authoritarian movements. This concept lays bare that when the middle class perceives its status as threatened, it will support extremist policies that promise stability, thereby enabling the gradual erosion of democratic norms.
In essence, the privileged classes may initially perceive fascism as a distant threat, irrelevant to their insulated lives. However, history and contemporary analyses reveal that authoritarian regimes methodically expand their reach, eventually imperiling the very individuals who once deemed themselves untouchable. The frog, content in its warm bath, may not notice the rising heat until escape is impossible.
That is the reality we are entering 2025 with.
Anyone that has been here for some time will know that we have spent the last 5 years speaking on this reality and I believe there are over 100 dispatches on here from those five years on how to factually organise and fight this bullshit on the ground, all of which are free to access as of now.
Of course we have to acknowledge, as we have done since day one, that our international reality our ruling class’ have caused, from the genocides in Palestine to Sudan, the violent expansion of Israel to the semi-soft powers conducted throughout Central and South America to the ever increasing manufactured tensions between our Empire and China are increasingly being combined into the capitalist conclusion of another all encompassing war and as always we have to and will stand firm against this continued mass-slaughter for their profit. Yet, and also additionally, in order to positively work towards our strategic goal, liberation from capitalism, we have to include to the tactical reality that we exist under Fascism. More importantly even than that understanding is then that we have act accordingly. It is not that we can still carve out niche’s of relative safety to pretend safety and experimentation in identity and boredom, the 90s have been over for well over 30 years, we have to soberly accept the reality that we operate in a very hostile environment and act accordingly.
When I wrote that The Beginning is Now, this is what I was referring to and as unsettling this may come across, or defeatist, it is the exact opposite. As Gramsci so aptly stated:
"I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will."
More detailed and this is always the part that is equally if not more important to the above, as Gramsci wrote these words on toilet paper that was smuggled into his prison, as his teeth had rotted away and he couldn’t eat solid food anymore:
"You must realize that I am far from feeling beaten…it seems to me that… a man out to be deeply convinced that the source of his own moral force is in himself — his very energy and will, the iron coherence of ends and means — that he never falls into those vulgar, banal moods, pessimism and optimism. My own state of mind synthesises these two feelings and transcends them: my mind is pessimistic, but my will is optimistic. Whatever the situation, I imagine the worst that could happen in order to summon up all my reserves and will power to overcome every obstacle."
The beginning is now.
Yours, warmly,
V