One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
The natural state of mankind is chaos and selfishness. That is the conclusion I have come to after the election of Bolsonaro to the Brazilian presidency, and the rise of neo-fascist groups just about everywhere in the world. Most of these groups are really authoritarian, rather than simply fascist. They embrace the free market, mostly in their own interests, while they promote love of country above all other things. The most striking similarity with the old fascist way of thinking is the hatred of equality and individualism.
Their rise in these later years, might be seen as a reaction to the increase in personal and political freedoms embraced by the West since the end of the Second World War. Like previous fascism, most of these movements are spurred by fear and hatred of change, and loss of privilege. Whether they succeed or not in their design, depends on how much those who have the least privilege fight to be able to better their lot. At the moment, political apathy seems to be gaining the day for these extreme groups.
Spain, too, is acquiring some of these groups. One might argue that the Partido Popular, with its neoliberal ways of thinking, is neo-fascist. Of late, under new leadership, it seems to be leaning even further to the right, giving out nationalist arguments that really make no sense. Last month, Pablo Casado, its leader, said, "Si no fuera por el PP, España no sería lo que venía siendo durante cinco siglos." (If it weren't for the PP, Spain wouldn't be what it has been during five centuries.) It's a statement worthy of the rhetorical clumsiness of his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, who gave out some pearls during his presidency. His appeal to a national pride is now being upped by a previously little-known party that is now garnering even more followers, Vox.
Vox appeared about four years ago, and owes most of its values to previous fascist groups that survived Franco's death. Most of what it promotes would take Spain back to the time of the dictatorship, at least politically and socially. Vox calls for the abolition of the autonomous communities, with all that infers. Everything would be once again decided in Madrid, from education to the health system, to the judiciary. The only official language would be Castilian, and the others would become optional. Regional political parties would be banned. Emphasis would be placed on teaching about Spain's grandeur and its heroes. Taxes would be slashed, mostly on the rich. Immigration would become limited, and the borders completely closed against the boats of illegal immigrants, who would automatically be shipped back to their place of origen. The "healthy moral family" would be encouraged, with money given to the family on the birth of a child, the amount going up with each subsequent child; abortion would become illegal. Battered women would have no legal protections. While Spain would still remain in Europe, it would negotiate with the Union on betterments, and would insist on regaining national rights to talk with other countries on agreements, without the intervention of the Union. A party to be afraid of.
Ciudadanos is another newish, rightist party that sits more or less between the PP and Vox. It doesn't seem to have a voice of its own, and will appropriate ideas of one or the other that seem more attractive. Socially and politically, it's not as extreme as Vox, though it also wants a more centrist Spain, only without dismantling the autonomies. Economically, it's quite neoliberal. Believers in extreme capitalism would fall in love with it. It argues it would cut taxes, though it doesn't specify for whom. Ciudadanos is cut from much the same cloth as the Partido Popular, with whom it agrees on free markets. Above all, it wants a united Spain, with the centralization of some things, though not all, and the use of Castilian as the vehicular language in every region that all would be obliged to use officially.
The upheaval caused by the Socialist's plans to disinter Franco from the Valle de los Caídos, is making these parties much more vocal. Television is also giving very fine prime time to some of these, such as Vox, and to smaller, even more extreme groups, such as Movimiento por España. When the Socialist government announced it would seek to remove Franco's body from the basilica he created and where he is venerated, the leader of the Movimiento, a shouting and rude woman, was interviewed ad nauseam by a few television stations. Apparently, she had started a hashtag, #elvallenosetoca, with which she and her followers voiced their disagreement over the decision. The truth is, if she hadn't been interviewed, few would even have known of their existence. The Spanish media would do well to take note of the lesson learned by the Americans and the Brazilians. In those countries, the media interviewed and gave ample air time to the two extremist candidates, Trump and Bolsonaro. In doing, so, their views were legitimized.
It seems that in the last seventy years, the world has taken one step forward and two steps back. From trying to bring about a lasting social justice, however slowly, it now seems bent on destroying what it has accomplished, and sliding back into the privileged gardens and stinking ghettos. We seem intent on forgetting our history, and foregoing our future. While the powers that be encourage us to be happy as we are, with all our little toys, and tell us that if we work hard enough we can have it all, they take away the little we have that make us distinct men and women. We are content to give up concepts that we are told won't give us the toys we want. Only those of us that are directly affected complain. There will come a day when we won't be allowed to complain. Then, the day we won't be allowed to exist. Do we really want to wait for that to happen?
Their rise in these later years, might be seen as a reaction to the increase in personal and political freedoms embraced by the West since the end of the Second World War. Like previous fascism, most of these movements are spurred by fear and hatred of change, and loss of privilege. Whether they succeed or not in their design, depends on how much those who have the least privilege fight to be able to better their lot. At the moment, political apathy seems to be gaining the day for these extreme groups.
Spain, too, is acquiring some of these groups. One might argue that the Partido Popular, with its neoliberal ways of thinking, is neo-fascist. Of late, under new leadership, it seems to be leaning even further to the right, giving out nationalist arguments that really make no sense. Last month, Pablo Casado, its leader, said, "Si no fuera por el PP, España no sería lo que venía siendo durante cinco siglos." (If it weren't for the PP, Spain wouldn't be what it has been during five centuries.) It's a statement worthy of the rhetorical clumsiness of his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, who gave out some pearls during his presidency. His appeal to a national pride is now being upped by a previously little-known party that is now garnering even more followers, Vox.
Vox appeared about four years ago, and owes most of its values to previous fascist groups that survived Franco's death. Most of what it promotes would take Spain back to the time of the dictatorship, at least politically and socially. Vox calls for the abolition of the autonomous communities, with all that infers. Everything would be once again decided in Madrid, from education to the health system, to the judiciary. The only official language would be Castilian, and the others would become optional. Regional political parties would be banned. Emphasis would be placed on teaching about Spain's grandeur and its heroes. Taxes would be slashed, mostly on the rich. Immigration would become limited, and the borders completely closed against the boats of illegal immigrants, who would automatically be shipped back to their place of origen. The "healthy moral family" would be encouraged, with money given to the family on the birth of a child, the amount going up with each subsequent child; abortion would become illegal. Battered women would have no legal protections. While Spain would still remain in Europe, it would negotiate with the Union on betterments, and would insist on regaining national rights to talk with other countries on agreements, without the intervention of the Union. A party to be afraid of.
Ciudadanos is another newish, rightist party that sits more or less between the PP and Vox. It doesn't seem to have a voice of its own, and will appropriate ideas of one or the other that seem more attractive. Socially and politically, it's not as extreme as Vox, though it also wants a more centrist Spain, only without dismantling the autonomies. Economically, it's quite neoliberal. Believers in extreme capitalism would fall in love with it. It argues it would cut taxes, though it doesn't specify for whom. Ciudadanos is cut from much the same cloth as the Partido Popular, with whom it agrees on free markets. Above all, it wants a united Spain, with the centralization of some things, though not all, and the use of Castilian as the vehicular language in every region that all would be obliged to use officially.
The upheaval caused by the Socialist's plans to disinter Franco from the Valle de los Caídos, is making these parties much more vocal. Television is also giving very fine prime time to some of these, such as Vox, and to smaller, even more extreme groups, such as Movimiento por España. When the Socialist government announced it would seek to remove Franco's body from the basilica he created and where he is venerated, the leader of the Movimiento, a shouting and rude woman, was interviewed ad nauseam by a few television stations. Apparently, she had started a hashtag, #elvallenosetoca, with which she and her followers voiced their disagreement over the decision. The truth is, if she hadn't been interviewed, few would even have known of their existence. The Spanish media would do well to take note of the lesson learned by the Americans and the Brazilians. In those countries, the media interviewed and gave ample air time to the two extremist candidates, Trump and Bolsonaro. In doing, so, their views were legitimized.
It seems that in the last seventy years, the world has taken one step forward and two steps back. From trying to bring about a lasting social justice, however slowly, it now seems bent on destroying what it has accomplished, and sliding back into the privileged gardens and stinking ghettos. We seem intent on forgetting our history, and foregoing our future. While the powers that be encourage us to be happy as we are, with all our little toys, and tell us that if we work hard enough we can have it all, they take away the little we have that make us distinct men and women. We are content to give up concepts that we are told won't give us the toys we want. Only those of us that are directly affected complain. There will come a day when we won't be allowed to complain. Then, the day we won't be allowed to exist. Do we really want to wait for that to happen?
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