Module 3: Unmasking Fascism
We've explored the core tenets and historical examples of fascism, and we've seen how it manifests today. Now, it's crucial to understand the foundations upon which much of fascist ideology rests. These are not just "add-ons" or incidental features; they are deeply intertwined and essential to understanding the nature of fascism. These foundations are: white supremacy, colonialism, and anti-Blackness.
A. White Supremacy: A Central Tenet:
White supremacy is not just about individual prejudice or hate groups; it's a system of beliefs and practices that asserts the inherent superiority of people defined as "white" and justifies their dominance over other racial groups. It's a hierarchical worldview that places white people at the top and other groups in descending order of supposed inferiority.
Fascism and White Supremacy: Many, though not all, fascist movements are explicitly white supremacist. They draw on racist pseudo-science and historical narratives to justify their claims of racial superiority and their calls for racial purity. The Nazis, for example, built their entire ideology on the myth of Aryan racial superiority.
Beyond Explicit Hate: It's important to understand that white supremacy can exist even when it's not explicitly stated. It can be embedded in institutions, policies, and cultural norms, creating systemic advantages for white people and disadvantages for people of color.
B. Colonialism: The Precedent for Domination:
Colonialism – the practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically1 – provided a historical and ideological precedent for fascism.
Key Features of Colonialism:
Domination and Exploitation: Colonial powers used military force and economic coercion to dominate and exploit colonized peoples.
Dehumanization: Colonized peoples were often dehumanized and portrayed as "savages" or "inferiors" to justify their subjugation.
Resource Extraction: Colonial powers extracted resources from colonized lands, enriching themselves at the expense of the indigenous populations.
Imposition of Culture: Colonial powers often imposed their own culture, language, and religion on colonized peoples, suppressing indigenous cultures.
Fascism's Connection to Colonialism: Fascist ideologies often draw on the same logic of domination, dehumanization, and exploitation that characterized colonialism. They see the world as a struggle for survival between different groups, and they believe that their own group has the right to dominate others. The concept of "living space" (Lebensraum) in Nazi ideology, for example, was directly inspired by colonial expansion.
C. Anti-Blackness: A Specific and Virulent Form of Racism:
Anti-Blackness is a particularly virulent and pervasive form of racism that targets Black people. It's a system of beliefs, attitudes, and practices that devalue, dehumanize, and marginalize Black people. It is the bedrock.
Historical Roots: Anti-Blackness is deeply rooted in the history of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Black people were enslaved and brutalized for centuries, and this legacy continues to shape the way Black people are perceived and treated today.
Manifestations of Anti-Blackness:
Stereotypes: Pervasive negative stereotypes about Black people as lazy, unintelligent, criminal, or hypersexual.
Microaggressions: Subtle, everyday expressions of anti-Black bias.
Systemic Disparities: Disproportionate rates of poverty, incarceration, police brutality, and health disparities among Black people.
Fascism and Anti-Blackness: Many fascist movements, particularly those rooted in white supremacy, are explicitly anti-Black. They see Black people as a threat to racial purity and national identity. Even in fascist movements that don't explicitly target Black people, the underlying logic of racial hierarchy and domination often reinforces anti-Blackness.
D. Deconstructing the Colonial Narrative of "Discovery":
A key element in understanding the historical roots of white supremacy and its connection to fascism is to critically examine the narratives that have been used to justify colonialism. One of the most pervasive and damaging of these is the narrative of "discovery."
The Narrative of "Discovery": This narrative portrays European explorers as heroic figures who "discovered" new lands and brought civilization to "primitive" peoples. It's a story of bravery, adventure, and progress, often depicted in textbooks, museums, and popular culture. Columbus Day, for example.
Examples:
The "discovery" of America by Christopher Columbus.
The "exploration" of Africa and Asia by European powers.
The "settlement" of Australia and New Zealand.
Deconstructing the Narrative:
Whose Perspective? The narrative of "discovery" is told from the perspective of the colonizers, not the colonized. It completely ignores the fact that these lands were already inhabited by thriving civilizations with their own rich histories, cultures, and knowledge systems.
Erasing Indigenous Peoples: The concept of "discovery" implies that these lands were empty or uninhabited, effectively erasing the existence and rights of Indigenous peoples. It treats them as passive objects, rather than active agents in their own history.
Justifying Violence and Exploitation: The narrative of "discovery" was used to justify the violence, dispossession, and exploitation that characterized colonialism. It presented colonization as a benevolent act of bringing "civilization" to "backward" peoples, rather than a brutal system of domination.
Who Benefits? The narrative of "discovery" serves the interests of the colonizers, legitimizing their claims to land and resources and reinforcing their sense of superiority. It creates a heroic narrative that masks the reality of conquest and oppression.
The Lasting Impact: The narrative of "discovery" continues to shape our understanding of history and the world today. It contributes to:
Eurocentrism: The tendency to view the world from a European perspective, centering European history and culture while marginalizing or ignoring other perspectives.
White Supremacy: The belief that white people and their cultures are superior to others.
Denial of Indigenous Rights: The ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights and self-determination is often undermined by the lingering effects of this narrative.
By deconstructing the narrative of "discovery," we can begin to challenge the historical justifications for colonialism and white supremacy and to develop a more accurate and just understanding of the past. We must acknowledge that "discovery" came with genocide. This is essential for dismantling the foundations of fascist ideology, which often draws on these same historical narratives to promote its own agenda of domination and exclusion.
Understanding the deep connections between fascism, white supremacy, colonialism, and anti-Blackness is essential for effectively challenging this dangerous ideology. It's not enough to simply condemn individual acts of prejudice; we must also dismantle the systems of oppression that give rise to fascism and other forms of hate. This requires a commitment to anti-racism, decolonization, and the building of a truly equitable and just world.