Matthews has his moments, and this was one of them...

Well, I totally agree with you about the interregnum, but the fact that everything is possible doesn't make analysis of what's likely useless. You seem not to understand Gramsci or not to take him seriously other than this word, which is a pity.

First, let's put aside the "fascist" moniker, because it is a distraction. Fascism was a complex phenomenon. I would follow the Marxist analysis and see the core of fascism as a combination of three elements, a corporatist economy, a populist nationalist political culture, and a repressive state. But fascism was a lot more, and I seriously doubt that we will see the full monty again.

However, as for the three key elements, I think it is a mistake to ask whether "fascism" is possible. The core, which I will call for the sake of an argument, corpopulist militarism, is already here, and in many ways stronger than in actual fascism.

1. We have a state that is on a steady course of increased repressiveness since 1980 (and faster since 2001), with prisons the fastest growing industry, assassination, arbitrary detention and torture normal state actions, and war becoming normalized and permanent.

2. About corporatism, there is nothing to say, as corporations rule America today much tighter than they ruled Italy under fascism.

3. Populist nationalism, on a growth path, beginning with the fringes of the far right under Clinton, mainstream by Bush as all out support for war and attack on "liberals" and now renivigorated by Obama's skin color. The relative weakness of that populism, not in the sense of actual numbers, but in the sense that the state doesn't yet arms them and sends them to break bones of striking workers, is the most important difference we have.

Actual fascism required a much bigger increase in state power, and indeed a transfer of power from the business elite to the state. That transfer of power was of course accepted by the business elite because it was a bargain, because the alternative was the real threat of a working class revolution.

The biggest argument against that in the US is that it is utterly unnecessary. Why bother? What more control of politics corporations can have that they don't have already? So you have someone like Kucinich making noises. What would be the point of jailing him as a subversive? Gramsi was arrested because he was an effective leader of a revolutionary party with a real and militant working class behind him. He was dangerous. That is why they needed black shirts and violence and massive repression to keep the corporations in power. Kucinich has a cadre of smiling lemmings behind him. No offense, because they (we) are all very nice people, but the worse we can do is throw a cocktail party.

And it's not like there is no real repression, but the repression, which is no less violent than the fascist one, take place where it matters, in the global arena, and mostly against Islam, because Islam, unlike liberalism, is a real threat to corporate rule today, and Islam organizes sectors of the global working class and lumpenproletariat in ways that are both effective and radical.

So worrying about fascism in the US is worrying that they will finally take away our right to throw cocktail parties. There is nothing to worry about. Nobody cares.

Can that change? In principle, yes, if some of Obama's lemmings move further to the left, or if some of the teabaggers cross the Bering straight to the far left and start threatening corporatist control. Then we can conceivably be in a situation that would make increased repression inside the US necessary for corporate control.

If that would happen, it would be of course a good thing, for the absence of repression is not an indication of the benign nature of the system, but of the weakness of domestic opposition to corporatism.

But how likely is either scenario? Not very likely, and it seems every liberal in the US with a mehgaphone is doing his and her best to make sure it doesn't happen.

Pretty funny to try to point at the election of Brown as the reason markets began to fall, while ignoring that it was the financials that lead the collapse caused by Obama's attack on Goldman Sachs the day after the election. He wanted to recast himself as a populist and decided to attack Wall Street to win back support of voters. It was Obama himself that started the slide, not Brown.

Yep! Just like global warming and global cooling is what some people call WEATHER.
Some times 'the obvious' is overlooked by the folks with the pointy heads.
Like Professors Gore and Obama.

Many may think Jon's "worrying about the potential rise of fascism in this country" is ahistorical and alarmist. Think again, because there's a conspiracy afoot.

For the past 15-20 years the corporatist elites have carved out a New Class of workers and bound them closely to themselves. This New Class is composed of government workers -- especially, police, firemen, and other security personnel.

While globalization of goods production (China) and of services (India) has kept the real wages of most workers depressed, the elites have, year after year, awarded salary and benefit increases to these security workers well in excess of the rise in the cost of living.

The result? This New Class now earns significantly higher incomes and benefits than the average worker. When the revolution comes this New Class, evildoer's 21st century black shirts, will side with the elites as against their so-called fellow workers. There will be blood in the streets.

Liberals who support public employee unions are doing nothing but aiding the kleptocratic elite in providing them with an army which, out of self-interest, will loyally defend it.

McCain has this election in the bag - and thank goodness! He's what our country needs to get back on track, and to stop the wasteful spending, and get our economy moving again. Flake says he is an “enemy of the big spenders in Washington." and he's right.

Good information here. Not sure if McCain has things wrapped up? Most likely, but we will see.

Thanks. J
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This New Class now earns significantly higher incomes and benefits than the average worker.
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