This has little to do with “inevitability” but the fact that Western neoliberalism has won the Cold War.
It is indeed rooted in materialism, and what we’re describing here is the objective process under which fascism takes hold of Europe.
Every step along the way, from the center left alliance with fascists to crush communist movements in the 1910-s-20s, to the post-war European center left embarking on a class collaborationist project with capital, under the guise of Keynesian social democracy, because they wanted so desperately to distance themselves from the “horrors of Stalinism”, during which the temporary truce raised the living standards of the working class for about 30 years, until its own inevitable defeat by neoliberalism in the 1970s and the frantic embrace of neoliberalism by the social democratic parties themselves. And let’s not forget that the social democrats fully participated in neutering and weeding out the radical left wing factions throughout the Cold War. Not surprising at all that Europe went full neoliberalism immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union, with their austerity program and the dismantling of social programs across the board.
Like, none of this is even controversial. Many would agree that European social democracy worked only because they were afraid of the Soviet Union agitating the discontent suffered by their own working class. I don’t even have to convince you of the consequences. Every single European social democratic country (including the Nordic social democracy) has gone reactionary, and has elected or is in the process of electing their far right reactionary governments. I don’t even have to convince you of that because it is already happening right before our eyes.
Again, this is simply the objective process under which the confluence of Western imperialism, anti-communism, social democracy and neoliberalism ultimately give way to fascism. And if the status quo is not dramatically changed, their motions would continue as certain as the celestial bodies moving through the galaxy. And the fact is, neoliberalism won the Cold War, and the status quo has been preserved.
This has little to do with “inevitability” but the fact that Western neoliberalism has won the Cold War.
It is indeed rooted in materialism, and what we’re describing here is the objective process under which fascism takes hold of Europe.
Every step along the way, from the center left alliance with fascists to crush communist movements in the 1910-s-20s, to the post-war European center left embarking on a class collaborationist project with capital, under the guise of Keynesian social democracy, because they wanted so desperately to distance themselves from the “horrors of Stalinism”, during which the temporary truce raised the living standards of the working class for about 30 years, until its own inevitable defeat by neoliberalism in the 1970s and the frantic embrace of neoliberalism by the social democratic parties themselves. And let’s not forget that the social democrats fully participated in neutering and weeding out the radical left wing factions throughout the Cold War. Not surprising at all that Europe went full neoliberalism immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union, with their austerity program and the dismantling of social programs across the board.
Like, none of this is even controversial. Many would agree that European social democracy worked only because they were afraid of the Soviet Union agitating the discontent suffered by their own working class. I don’t even have to convince you of the consequences. Every single European social democratic country (including the Nordic social democracy) has gone reactionary, and has elected or is in the process of electing their far right reactionary governments. I don’t even have to convince you of that because it is already happening right before our eyes.
Again, this is simply the objective process under which the confluence of Western imperialism, anti-communism, social democracy and neoliberalism ultimately give way to fascism. And if the status quo is not dramatically changed, their motions would continue as certain as the celestial bodies moving through the galaxy. And the fact is, neoliberalism won the Cold War, and the status quo has been preserved.