Post-Fascism, a New Totalitarian Ideology, Now Spreading 'Especially in Russia and the US,' Pastukhov Says

 Paul Goble

    Staunton, Mar. 7 -- Neither Putin nor Trump is a fascist in the classical sense, and neither in fact are neo-fascists, Vladimir Pastukhov says. Moreover, the regimes that Putin has established and that Trump is working to create cannot be called by either of those terms. Instead, both the ideology of the two is better labeled post-fascist.

    Their new totalitarian ideologies, the London-based Russian analyst says, "do not directly follow from nor are they directly connected with the fascist ideas of the last century.  But they are related to them. Their chief distinguishing feature is their undisguised hostility to democracy and readiness to throw out the entire legacy of liberalism" (t.me/v_pastukhov/1423 reposted at echofm.online/opinions/rozhdenie-postfashizma).

    In this, they "differ from numerous right-wing conservative movements, even those ost radical of these," Pastukhov continues. "They do'nt fit into modern democracy, they want to destroy it and replace it with a new (old) political system based on leaderism and the simulation of corporate governance."

    Another distinguishing feature of post-fascism, he says, is is "duality." These systems "don't look like fascist ones." Instead, they combine "right-wing populism with a touch of leftism" and their leaders show "a complete ideological omnivorousness," ready to take on the appearance of being all things to all people.

    But at the same time, internally, they do have an ideology that is quite similar to those of fascist states. And that makes comparisons between them and fascist regimes inevitable. However, in both Russia and the US, these ideologies are not made "official," a choice that allows their leaders to move about more easily than their predecessors.

    Those at the top of thee systems clearly seek to avoid declaraing an ideology, "even tough the institutions of power and the circle of leaders around themare liberally stuffed with 'agends of influence' who do subscribe to this ideology." In that respect, he says, these systems resemble the way the Masonic lodges acted in the 19th century but without any formal structures.

    Another way to look at this, Pastukhov says, is "to imagine that Hindenburg did not cede power to Hitler but merely became more sympathetic to the ideas of National Socialism and had become an ideological puppet in the hands of the Nazi Party while continually at least formally to rule Germany."

    The London-based Russian analyst says that in his opinion, "both Putin and Trump are advanced Hindenburgs, leaders who shine with reflected ideological light."