Can we still talk about antifascism? This is a surprising question coming from a media outlet fiercely opposed to dictatorships and all forms of fascism. Yet, for many years now, there has been a growing disinterest in actions denouncing this ideology. Worse still, antifascism is considered antidemocratic... Everyone supposedly has the right to speak! Except when this "everyone" aims to destroy other ideas, or even individuals, through violence. Stéfanie Prezioso invites us to Discover Antifascism in her book published by Éditions Sociales. We have already presented several works from the "Les Propédeutiques" collection, which focuses on analyzing thirteen texts in their context and offering readers avenues for further exploration, beyond formulas and slogans.
What kind of fascism are we talking about? To combat it, we must first understand what we are talking about. Adopting a definitive definition is difficult. One could consider it to be opposed to the humanism of the Enlightenment and its universal values, but Stéfanie Prezioso draws on texts by activists who sought to "fight the factors that made it possible, to eradicate its material roots," as Daniel Guérin writes. For them, there is a clear link between the fight against fascism and the overthrow of capitalism (see Daniel Guérin's "Fascism and Big Capital"). Who are we fighting against? Is fascism the other? Is it capitalism's safety net? As early as 1920, it demonstrated its capacity to adapt to different countries and peoples. According to Luigi Fabbri, in 1922, it was "a 'preventive counter-revolution' when revolution was no longer on the agenda." He intends to destroy the workers' movement under the guise of a capitalist crisis. He triumphs through paramilitary violence and state repression, combining conservatism and modernity. For most of the authors cited in the book, the question of unity in the struggle is fundamental. It is an endless fight; Brecht was right. It's worth noting that the author refers to anarchist writers-she mentions a text by Emma Goldman-but also to communists like Antonio Gramsci, a victim of Italian fascism.
It is an endless fight.
She uses examples to illustrate this escalation. In Italy, the violence stems, in the aftermath of the First World War, from the economic and social crisis, the disintegration of Italian society (a low level of civilization, according to Gramsci), and an extreme confusion of social forces that cannot stem a raging river. The rise to power of fascism combined the physical attack on democratic institutions (the Bologna city council in November 1920), the weakness of the liberals and the king, and the symbolic March on Rome. Racial hatred provided scapegoats for economic hardship (Jews, foreigners).
How could this ideology be combated? For the anarchist Argo Secondari, the Arditi del Popolo, an armed defense group for the working classes composed of various factions within the labor movement, had to mobilize and take up arms. Gramsci shared this view, but the communists remained opposed to unity (see *La peste brune*, Daniel Guérin, Ed. Syllepse and Libertalia, 2025). Some developed the idea of marching separately but striking together.
The mobilization of intellectuals was slow to materialize, as was the formation of a Popular Front, for which France would serve as the testing ground. Failure was inevitable. Of particular note is a very interesting text by Wilhelm Reich on the obsession with racial purity, the cult of the family, and the passion for order. A text by Emma Goldman denounces the contempt shown towards women. She calls on them to liberate themselves, to fight against the internalization of male domination, highlighting the role of the Mujeres Libres (Free Women).
All the texts mentioned stem from the diverse sensibilities of the labor movement. For further reading, Stéfanie Prezioso provides a bibliography in the same vein. Mobilization is still relevant today; Daniel Guérin emphasizes "the extraordinary enduring power of fascism, which owes much to the complacency of its adversaries."
* Stéfanie Prezioso
Discovering Antifascism
Les éditions sociales, 2025
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8831
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Link: (en) France, Monde Libertaire - IDEAS AND STRUGGLES: Discovering Antifascism (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]
Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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