State Violence Against Black Americans Paves Way for US Fascism
In a stark analysis, scholar Jason Stanley argues that the arbitrary killings and legal practices long directed at Black Americans in the United States have created a fertile ground for the rise of fascism. Drawing on historical parallels, he emphasizes that fascism often emerges when tactics used against marginalized groups are expanded to the broader population, a phenomenon he links to current events in cities like Minneapolis.
The Imperial Boomerang Thesis in American Context
Stanley references Aimé Césaire's Discourse on Colonialism, which posits that fascism results from applying colonial tactics to domestic populations. In the US, this translates to viewing Black Americans as an internally colonized group, with recent street violence exemplifying what scholars term the imperial boomerang thesis. He notes that as arbitrary violence, once confined to Black communities, spreads to others—including white protesters—it signals a national emergency, yet this pattern is not new but deeply entrenched.
Fascism's Expansion and Intensification
The article highlights that fascism does not merely extend existing oppressive practices but intensifies them, stripping away pretenses. Stanley points to the US government's current policies, which he describes as rooted in white supremacy, including arrests of journalists and targeted campaigns against Black individuals and immigrants. He warns that under fascism, conditions worsen for all, with rollbacks in healthcare and rights benefiting only the elite, while attacks on LGBTQ+ acceptance escalate from exceptions to widespread assaults.
Call to Abolish ICE and DHS
Stanley asserts that responding to fascism requires dismantling the structures that enabled it, notably America's legacy of legal violence against Black populations through mass incarceration. He identifies the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the most immediate step. Founded post-9/11, DHS has historically infringed on civil rights, making it a tool for autocrats. He concludes that any politician opposing this abolition is complicit in the rise of American fascism, urging a comprehensive rather than piecemeal approach to quell the fires of oppression.
