William Robinson — Crisis of Humanity: Global Capitalism Breeds 21st Century Fascism

The problem:

We are witnessing transitions from social-welfare states to social-control states around the world.

Contemporary capitalism and its characteristics:

Among the qualitative shifts that have taken place in the capitalist system in the face of globalization in recent decades, there are four I want to underscore. 

• First is the rise of truly transnational capital and the integration of every country into a new globalized production and financial system. 
• Second is the appearance of a new transnational capitalist class (TCC). This is a class group grounded in new global circuits of accumulation rather than the older national circuits. 
• Third is the rise of what I term transnational state apparatuses. 
• And fourth is the appearance of novel relations of inequality and domination in global society, including an increasing importance of transnational social and class inequalities relative to North-South inequalities....

The response to the global financial crisis: the players:

One is what we could call "reformism from above." This reformism is aimed at stabilizing the system, at saving the system from itself and from more radical responses from below.... 

A second response is popular, grass-roots and leftist resistance from below. As social and political conflict escalates around the world, there appears to be a mounting global revolt....

Yet another response is what I term 21st century fascism. The ultra-right is an insurgent force in many countries. In broad strokes, this project seeks to fuse reactionary political power with transnational capital and to organize a mass base among historically privileged sectors of the global working class.... It involves militarism, extreme masculinization, homophobia, racism and a racist mobilization against scapegoats, which includes the search for scapegoats (such as immigrant workers and, in the West, Muslims).

Contemporary neo-fascism exhibits familiar characteristic of previous fascistic episodes.

Twenty-first century fascism evokes mystifying ideologies, often involving race/culture supremacy and xenophobia, embracing an idealized and mythical past. Neo-fascist culture normalizes and glamorizes warfare and social violence, indeed, generates a fascination with domination that is even portrayed as heroic.

The Issue:

It is important to stress that the need for dominant groups around the world to secure widespread, organized mass social control of the world's surplus population and rebellious forces from below gives a powerful impulse to projects of 21st century fascism.... With this in mind, let us conclude with five points for ongoing debate with regard to policing global capitalism.

The New Road to Serfdom:

From social consent to social control to social coercion by a police state in service of global capitalism made necessary by the contradictions inherent in global capitalism resulting from privilege and inequality.

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Crisis of Humanity: Global Capitalism Breeds 21st Century Fascism
William Robinson