"Where did this come from?" politicians of the capitalist parties across Europe ask of the coalition government in Austria that includes the Freedom Party. The party is a fascist group that thrives on demagogic attacks on government corruption and incompetence, as well as immigrant bashing and other Austrian nationalist themes.

For some time fascist currents have been developing in bourgeois politics. It is the crisis of capitalism itself and the course of the ruling parties set up in most countries coming out of World War II that is the seedbed of fascism.

The attacks on the coalition government by the conservative and social democratic parties in Europe and the United States are ineffective. Jörg Haider, the central figure in the Freedom Party, simply takes the attack and turns it with his usual demagogy to expose the bankruptcy of these parties.

Workers and farmers have to deal with parallel figures and parties in every imperialist country--whether it be Pauline Hanson in Australia, Jean-Marie Le Pen in France, or Patrick Buchanan in the United States. Their appearance, and the hearing they gain, indicate the relative weakening of the capitalist system. In this period, their electoral successes and other gains are often temporary, and the governments they help form are weak. But the traditional ruling parties of the capitalists are losing authority.

These rightists are deadly enemies of the interests of working people. The capitalists will turn to them to save their system with bloodshed and hysteria when the crisis of their system--and the threat posed to their rule by the struggles of working people--become far enough advanced.

Only the working class and its allies among farmers and the oppressed can deal a permanent knockout blow to such virulent formations by organizing to seize power from the capitalists and leading all working people and the oppressed to overturn capitalist property relations.

This line of march--the course of the Cuban, Russian, and other socialist revolutions--is counterposed to placing any confidence in imperialist "democracy," including calling on imperialist governments to take diplomatic action against Austria.

Working people and young fighters can read and discuss the books of the international working-class movement at the same time as they join anticapitalist struggles that break out. In particular, the Pathfinder titles The Changing Face of U.S. Politics and Capitalism's World Disorder provide invaluable material for those who want to build the working-class vanguard today, in preparation for the battles to come.  
 
 
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