I had an article in Damage Magazine, published 17 December 2020, arguing that our dreams of impending fascist doom are complicit with our immobilisation. Instead of coming up with alternatives to our really existing low-grade dystopia, we fantasise about barbarians just over the hill. This leads us to ally with centrists, further delaying the building of alternatives.
The article was written well before the Capitol Hill riot, which prompted much debate about whether this proved that Trump was indeed a fascist, or leading a fascist movement – as well as to whether the events that day represented a failed coup.
I think it should be clear, now that Trump has left office, that the answer to the above is ‘no’. That isn’t to say some present that day weren’t neofascists; undoubtedly some were. And there were others of the non-fascist far right as well. That doesn’t merit the movement being labelled fascist. And the idea that was a coup would come as a surprise to many around the world with experience of actual coups.
Anthroposcenic 