Fernando Alcoforado *
In its ascension, fascism in Brazil must go through four stages. In the first stage already fulfilled, the fascists gathered from the great social mobilization of June 2013 to fight for the construction of a new political, economic and social order replacing the bankrupt current political, economic and social order. Fascism supporters consider that the cause of Brazil’s current ills is related to corruption and the use of the state by parties with a communist tendency. The fascists seek to purify Brazilian society from the toxic influences of parties and political leaders, especially those linked to the PT (Workers Party) and its allies, who would be to blame for the unfortunate situation in which the Brazilian nation lives. Like Hitler’s old fascism in Germany and Mussolini’s in Italy, reason is rejected in favor of passionate emotion. In a second stage still in progress, the fascist movements are creating roots. The success of fascism results from the weakness of the liberal state, which, unable to solve the country’s problems, condemns the nation to disorder, economic and moral decline, and the lack of political consensus as it currently is in Brazil.
The advance of fascism in Brazil results from the fact that economic, social and political organization finds itself in complete disintegration. The inability of the Brazilian government and political institutions in general to offer effective responses to overcome the recessive economic crisis in which the Brazilian nation is suffering and to defuse rampant corruption in all the powers of the Republic today is contributing to the advancement of fascism as a solution to the problems of Brazil. The German sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf, who followed the terrible Nazi years in Berlin, wrote in 1985 a book called The Law and Order, when he stated that anarchy, defined as a general absence of respect for social norms, usually precedes totalitarian regimes. There is no way to dissociate this situation described by Dahrendorf from Brazil’s current grave situation where impunity is increasing and the basic values of civilization are completely weakened.
In the third stage of ascension of fascism in Brazil, an alliance between the conservative elite and the fascists is made when the transition to an openly fascist government begins. In Brazil, this alliance is already consummated with the support of the conservative elite to the candidate Bolsonaro to the Presidency of the Republic that has a proposal of typically fascist government. His speech is based on the explicit cult of order, state violence, authoritarian government practices, social disregard for vulnerable and fragile groups, and anti-communism. The Bolsonaro danger lies in oppression, machismo, homophobia, racism, hatred of the poor. History tells us that once this alliance between the conservative elite and the fascists is formed and succeeds in pursuit of power, there is no longer any way to stop it. The alliance between the conservative elite and the fascists can destroy the last vestiges of a democratic government in Brazil.
Geraldo Alckmin is the conservative elite’s preferred candidate to become president of the Republic in the October elections because he promises to privatize state assets, cut spending, and balance the government’s budget. His economic staff is highly respected and he has enough political support to approve reforms in Congress. However, he is in fourth or fifth place in the polls and is unlikely to pass the first round of the election on Oct. 7. It remains for the bankers Jair Bolsonaro as the most viable option against the leftist parties. The presidents and executives of Brazil’s top banks say they are comfortable with the choice of Bolsonaro’s top adviser, Paulo Guedes, advocate of a small state, free initiative and Social Security reform.
Since bringing Guedes to his campaign, Bolsonaro has shown enthusiasm for the idea of selling all state properties, defending the independence of the Central Bank and seeking approval of the reforms supported by the banking sector. Bolsonaro gained great support in Brazil saying that in the Presidency of the Republic would loosen the restrictions to the firearms and would give more power to the police. Authorities should have more lethal weapons, according to Bolsonaro, who argues that those who kill criminals should receive medals and not go to trial. The great appeal that the Bolsonaro has with the public in general is related to the rage against the traditional politicians and against the corruption. Research shows that he is supported mainly by middle and upper-class men.
In stage four of the ascension of fascism in Brazil, the conservative elite and the fascists would take complete control of the country with Bolsonaro’s victory in the October elections. Like Hitler and Mussolini, Bolsonaro could rise to power in Brazil by popular vote with the support of the conservative elite and broad segments of the population. In taking over, Hitler and Mussolini remained within the bounds of legality, but allowed illegalities out of it. Both were able to gain strategic support from the conservative elite and broad segments of the population who feared the leftist forces. The conservative elite thought that Hitler and Mussolini would be able to keep under control the most exalted right-wing extremists around them. The old German and Italian oligarchs thought that it would be possible to use Hitler and Mussolini to control the red radicals, to turn them into decorative figures, and the old establishment would rule in the shadow, as it had always done. They did not expect the popularity owner (Hitler and Mussolini) to take control of power on their own. The few remaining independent newspapers were muzzled by a series of press restrictions. The way was free for the Nazi dictatorship in Germany and fascist in Italy.
History has proven that the confrontation between the forces of left and right always results in right or left dictatorships. In Czarist Russia in 1917, China in 1949 and in Cuba in 1959 resulted in the establishment of left-wing dictatorships. From this confrontation between left and right forces in Italy and Germany, after the First World War, the fascist and Nazi right-wing dictatorships resulted. In Spain in 1936 resulted the right-wing Franco dictatorship and in Chile in 1973 resulted in Pinochet’s right-wing dictatorship. In Brazil, after the so-called Communist Intent in 1935, Getulio Vargas gave a self-coup in 1937 with the establishment of the dictatorship of the Estado Novo on the right and the government João Goulart was overthrown in 1964 that resulted in the right-wing military dictatorship that lasted for 21 years. The ascension of fascism is already a concrete fact, widespread, rooted and may become irreversible in Brazil at the present time. The only way to avoid the ascension of fascism and the establishment of a right-wing dictatorship in Brazil is the formation of a broad anti-fascist front with the support of the most capable candidate to defeat the fascist forces that support Bolsonaro in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
* Fernando Alcoforado, 78, holder of the CONFEA / CREA System Medal of Merit, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development by the University of Barcelona, university professor and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and planning of energy systems, is the author of 13 books addressing issues such as Globalization and Development, Brazilian Economy, Global Warming and Climate Change, The Factors that Condition Economic and Social Development, Energy in the world and The Great Scientific, Economic, and Social Revolutions that Changed the World.
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