In this text, before having further recourse to it, I am introducing the
term "fascism" both in general and more specifically in the Slovak context.
The image of a fascist in usually associated with a caricature of a
brutal man in a brown uniform, black high boots and a truncheon. This
image belongs to other times when the fascists did not have to keep
discrete about their nature. Today, a fascist is more likely to wear
a nice cravate and to operate from his keyboard. Rare are fascists
who display their adherence to a fascist ideology openly.
Historically, the fascism is a reactionary movement in the epoch after
the WWI. In its primitive form, it was based on rejection of social
theories whose fundaments were resumed in "The Social Contract" by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau of Geneva. These social theories are sometimes
called "Modernisme" because they are opposing the old social theories
established since Niccolo Machiavelli.
The response to the Rousseau, to the Declaration des droits de l'homme
et du citoyen after the Frech Revolution, to the US Declaration of
Independence, US Constitution, by Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche,
and many others, resulted in an intellectual "bouillon" which brought
Marxism, classical socialism, national socialism and fascism, communism,
but also modern liberalism, modern conservativism and many forms of
modern social contracts and capitalist participatory democracy.
What the fascists are reacting against in particular are the social
theories of the French Revolution and the principles declared in forms
of slogans:
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.
Liberte - freedom of thinking, freedom of speech and of opinion,
no oppressive government intervention in the daily lives of the
citizen, no illicit searches and seizures, secret of communication,
guarantees of the privacy, no intimidation, violence, prosecution or
arrest for opposants, and where the majority rules but cannot
terrorise the minority which retains unalienable rights.
The contemporary Slovak tragedy connotation is obvious.
Egalite - in the sense of civic equality, while people differ, they
all should stand equal in the eyes of the law and to have the same
rights, the same obligations and the same chances for all purposes
for all citizen.
To put it into Slovak context, all the people have to pay the same
taxes if they realise the same revenue. Or, all the people have to
get equal chance in a public action, such as voucher privatisation.
Or, noone is above the law and noone may stay impunished because his
criminal deed is overriden by his political affiliation. Or, simply
that the laws and the Constitution will be respected by the government.
Fraternite - that all the people are a part of humanity that has to
be respected and cherished at a level above the law.
In the Slovak context, that means the political culture (or the lack
thereof), hat noone will be attacked, slandered, badmouthed because
of his racial, national or political appartenance (real of supposed).
That the opposition will not be devil-painted, the President not
scapegoated and that the opposants not beaten. That the hate propaganda
will not get support in State-run newspapers, TV, and radio. Of course
it means much, much more... elsewhere.
The support of fascism comes primarily from desperate people, whose
anxiety facing the chaos (that characterises a democratic society),
economic anxiety, social anxiety, existential frustration, but very
often intellectual and moral deficiency, are throwing into the maelstrom
of hate philosophy. Inherent inefficiency of a democratically organised
society in their perception will be hiding the auto-corrective features
and these people, desoriented, will prefer a strong hand to protect
them from the freedom, offering them a parallel reality with no need
to think.
"Fascism is reaction," said Mussolini. In Italy, fascists have proudly
called themselfs by this name. In Spain, the fascism lacked the national
and racial connotation, but this has been very developed in the German
fascism, called nazism for its national orientation and its national-
socialist roots, nationalism, racism and racialism that eventually
brought the holocaust, the most horrible tragedy the humanity ever
experienced.
While not all nationalist movements are fascist, in Slovakia, the clero-
fascist movement was among the strongest pronounced ones in Europe. For
the Catholic hierarchy, embracing the fascism was the mean to get back
the control of the social values after the secular Czech influence on
the society. In Slovakia, the racialist fascism brought the "Jewish
Decrees" and eventually the deportations. Yet there were many brave
individual Catholic priests who spoke out and acted against the
deportation of Jews.
Vatican also protested: after the article from the SME daily
of 30 August 1996, "Vatikan a vojnova republika" by Marian Lesko,
when in october 1941 the Slovak President Mgr. Tiso said in Povazska
Bystrica that "social principles of Pope Encyclics and the principles
of the national socialism are identical... only those who did not
compare them may pretend the contrary", the Pius XII revoked Tiso from
the "Prelati Domestici" list. Also in 1941, Vatican protested against
the racial laws. In March 1942, Mgr Burzio was asked to intervene to
stop the transportations. His reply: I am not sure whether a [diplomatic]
intervention can stop ... fools. And there are two fools: Tuka, who
ordered it, and Tiso, a priest, who lets him do. In Fall 1944, when
Vatican protested against the terror against civilians, Tiso answered
that "Czechs and Jews have who for five years lived well, joined the
rebels". The article (in Slovak) can be found at URL
http://savba.savba.sk/logos/news/sme/data/index300896.html#39
After the war, an important part of the fascist Slovak emigration went
to Canada. They continue to be active, promoting extreme nationalism,
racial and national hate. Their views are naive and understanding of
the current Slovak issues frozen somewhere at the post-war level.
After the split of Czechoslovakia, Slovak fascists abroad are known for
their points of view supporting the government minority policy and some are
loudly welcoming restrictions of the civic freedom in today's Slovakia,
run by a red-brown nationalist coalition.
Many people are calling the their publication, Kanadsky Slovak, to be
nationalist and extremist. They also have a mailing list Slovak-L (on the
listserv of the University of Buffalo, NY), gatewayed to USENET newsgroups
as bit.listserv.slovak-l. Listowner of Slovak-L maling list, Mr. Frajkor,
is an Associate Professor at the University of Carleton, Ottawa, member of
the editorial board of the Kanadsky Slovak.
What are the principal characteristics of the contemporary Slovak fascism?
Extreme nationalism. Historical mission that comes from the big history
that Slovaks did not have. Continuity with the Slovak State 1939-45 and
with Great Moravia, defunct a thousand years ago.
Violence and threat of violence, racket, State-organised crime, all that
as means to impose the views on others and to strenghten the central
power.
Reliance on a leader, autocratic form of government, cult of personality
of a charismatic Fuhrer.
Corporatism and creation of a "national capitalogenous layer of loyal
entrepreneurs" (authentical expression). Privatisation of the State
property for symbolic amounts into hands of a few hundred privileged,
composed of members of the former communist ruling class, apparatchiks
and StB agents.
Abandon of any ideology in drive to grab and keep the power. Random
walking political "strategy", unlimited opportunism. No values in
politics, except the Law of the Stronger.
Continuing to feed the "regulated hate" among the population and
maintaining the state of "revolution psychosis", conspiration theories,
deshumanisation of the enemy (Magyars, Czechs, Jews, the President,
opposition, intellectuals...) to eventual scapegoating and witch hunts.
The self image of being a superior race or nation is clearly present
with one interesting Slovak specificity, "poor little us", whining about
the past injustices and thousand-year oppression.
Adoration of symbols: bonfires, shepherd instruments (valaska), Devin hill,
etc., romantism a la 19th century.
Reaction against the values of liberalism and Western democracy.
On the individual level, a Slovak fascist is characterised, in addition
to the above above picture:
Irrational, emotional adoration of the Nation. "Uncomfortable" facts
are ignored and the picture of parallel reality interpolated from the
"positive" facts. There also are "our facts" and "their facts", to be
ignored and fought against. "Our facts" don't even have to be facts,
hearsay is accepted.
Ignorance outweighted by arrogance, self-sufficiency, hostility to the
rationality.
Absence of scruples, ethics, replaced by tribal dialectics. A lie is not
a lie, a crime is not a crime, if committed in the interest of the Nation.
The person who dares to disagree or even to think cannot be of our
magnificent tribe.
Fear of discussion. Discussion means the need look for facts and need
to think, staying on the level of emotional hatred being easier.
The various concrete expressions of the above symptomes will be described
on the Slovak-L list. In order to prevent Mr. Frajkor from censuring them,
they will be crossposted also to soc.culture.czecho-slovak .
Roman Kanala
(No copyright. Feel free to use where appropriate. Sorry for my poor English.)
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REWARD of up to 10,000 USD for information leading to
the recovery of the customized 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
(VIN:1J4GZ78Y8PC689943,engineID#:3TMSTK5.2T060393689943,License
plate:Ontario 123 SYP)stolen in Warsaw(Al.Szucha), Poland, on
August 24, 1995, at approximately 1130 hrs local time.
This truck was parked on Al. Szucha, a street on Embassy Row,
just opposite the Vatican Mission and the guarded government
complex (Building of the Council of Ministers) and under the
noses of several soldiers patrolling the street. It was gone
in 10 minutes.
This vehicle was metallic blue in colour, with champagne
leather upholstery. It had a powered sunroof and was extensively
modified for off-road use. Its 5.2 litre V-8 engine was altered
to put out approx. 350 hp. Characteristic visible modifications
included: an external high performance oil filter (Racor),
an auxiliary oil pump (PreLuber Marine-5000), Jacobs' OmniPak,
Borla stainless steel exhaust system (headers and CAT-aft),
a raised(4")and independently regulated(variable pressure in
the front and rear)suspension system (Rancho RS9000), 30"x12.5"
all-terrain tires (Dick Cepek, model CK653R) mounted on 15"x9"
polished cast-aluminum wheels (Progressive, model 57), a black
grille and brush guard with rear light protectors (Go Rhino),
a black steel porthole Safari roofrack (Con-Ferr, 39"x53"x4",
model G-9823), a golden colour steel rear axle truss bar
(Con-Ferr) under the rear axle differential, a Class IV frame
mounted hitch bar, winch harness receptacles in the front and
rear, a Global Positioning System (Eagle AccuTrail) white dome-
shaped satellite antenna permanently mounted on the roof between
the front windshield and the sunroof with the computer console
in the cabin, Air Band Navcom ICOM IC-A21 transceiver, two sets
of rectangular fog and terrain lamps (Dick Cepek C-808 and water
resistant Hella 115 Road Star) attached to the brush guard above
and below, two round 6" auxiliary lamps (Hella 500) attached to
the tailgate on either side of the rear license plate(within the
license plate well), smoke coloured plastic air deflectors (GTS
OmniGard and AeroWing) mounted in the front and rear.
Detailed description of this vehicle, including photographs,
is available on the Stolen Web Page at
http://www.rtt.ab.ca/rtt/personal/polishjp.htm
Anyone, who has information about this theft or knows the
present whereabouts of this truck, is asked to contact
Wild Fire International (Canada) at tel./fax: 403-885-5273,
send E-mail to  or write to WFI,
P.O. Box 181, Blackfalds, Alberta T0M 0J0, Canada.
All contacts will be held in strict confidence.
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