FeedThe ‘The BNP Can’t Be Fascist Because It Is Nationalist’ Myth
January 1, 2000 in 1MU Mythbuster - Fascist Myths Exposed
The Myth
The BNP is a nationalist party and therefore not fascist as nationalism and fascism are different ideologies.
The Truth
Another delusion that the Far Right display is the expression that “We’re not Nazis, we’re nationalists” and the belief that they are right wing and the Nazis were ’socialists’. Hence the claim that Labour have more in common with the Nazis than they do.
Reality check.
Fascism/Nazism is ultra-nationalism and state-controlled capitalism. It’s a centrist ideology in opposition to both socialism and free-market capitalism. It adopts policies from both, but essentially is a state with capitalist industries that are run according to the will of the government. A popular misconception is that fascism/Nazism and Communism are the same because the economy is state-controlled in both cases. However under fascism/Nazism the businesses are still privately owned and make profits, whereas with Communism all businesses become property of the state.
In saying they are nationalists, which they undoubtedly are, they are proving nothing beyond ascribing to an ideology that puts the nation above all other concerns. That can be practically anywhere on the political spectrum and what were the Nazis if not nationalists? Anyone who says the Nazis weren’t nationalists needs their head examining.
I’ve seen cases of them insisting that nationalism has always been right-wing – tell that to Gandhi!
What of Franco and his Nacionales (Nationalists), was he not a fascist?
If they are correct and they are far right wing in terms of economics, they’d probably want less nationalism, less public ownership and more capitalism. Hardly what the BNP stands for.
© One Million United
January 4th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Let people lable themselves, don’t do it for them.
Cracking article full of truths, but the BNP don’t describe themselves as Fascists – others do. Franco never described himself as Fascist – others did. It has become a slur used by third parties and it’s no wonder groups don’t want to call themselves such – note socialists, Fabians, and communists have no problem calling themselves by the correct title.