<nettime> beat fascism (reflexions)

[Rinaldo Rasa <rinaldo@gpnet.it>]

Timothy K. Gallaher writ:
>When you are 18 or 20 you are stupid.

I love this Timothy's sentence, this sentence is comparable to
the sound of one hand clapping (Hakuin's koan). I think I
understand what the sentence meant. At first let me say that
i feel myself stupid beginnig from the infancy to today. During
the twenty (i hope that this post isnt tapped by the secret
service) i was close to became a leftist terrorist. On that time
the stupidity was hidden, denied. I must thanks first some friends
and my stupidity that nothing happened. The violence in that
age is greatly understimated, the violent behaviour is recognized
as common behaviour, not implied _really_ the death of persons.
But in some way that was right fighting against the rude fascist
people. Perhaps like most ordinary people I am a character 
describet by Dostevski or Cechov. I must admitt that to read
Jack Kerouac's works (On the Road) had disseminated the doubt
about my self authenticity. Now at 48 years old i feel truly
and abismal stupid, i really can't to really hate anyone. Only
it is very worth to dig the Gallaher's sentence, for now i am out
of breath thinking of the deep thought it represent. For istance
i was unable to re-read the episode of "Trainspotting" when the
baby died, or i feel myself very depressed by "Kaddish" or even
"Howl", i think at twenty my threshold acceptance of this nihilism
was very high. Now i exorte the good people to study in depth
the Gallaher's sentence.


Jack Shea writ:
>The term "fascist" has its origins in the Roman Empire (an axe "fasciti"
>with several rods bound around it, symbolizing the strength and
>centrality of the state and the unity of the people gathered round it).
>Emperor Constantine made Christianity Rome's central state religion in
>325 when he realized the advantages of having an army composed of
>soldier-slaves who believed in eternal life after death.  Don't think
>"Jesus" here for "Christian", by the way.  Certain Roman Christians in
>this era were the ones who had the bright idea of what might be called
>"snuff drama", where Greek plays were produced with actual murders
>onstage.  Kind of hyper-realistic as opposed to virtual, you know? 
>Roman Christianity then pumped out some interesting theological
>doctrines, some even more interesting popes, most notably the Borgia
>dynasty whose murderous exploits are recounted in any number of
>histories of the period and a state-within-a-state with finances second
>to none.   To say nothing of its highly efficient death squads (the
>Inquisition, slaughter of the Cathars, Albigensians, etc.)   And then in
>the 20th century Mussolini urged the Italian people to reconnect with
>their ancient conquering glories under the banner and label of
>"fascism", which they did until the bitter end when it became necessary
>to hang Mussolini upside down from a lamppost and cut him in half with
>machine-gun fire.  Bizarre recapitulation of St. Peter's death upside
>down on a cross.
>
>Italy is where "fascism" has its etymological and symbolic home, not
>Tibet.  I'm not saying Italy is/was the only nation to espouse the
>principles of "fascism".  Far from it.  Every empire and many nations
>practice a variation on the theme.  Nor am I saying that Tibetan
>governments / religions were not without major flaws.  But to suggest
>that the Tibetans, a tiny landlocked nation of herders with a uniquely
>pacifist culture and religion, whose culture and civilization has been
>effectively destroyed by The Axe of China, are to be held responsible as
>the inspiration and model for 20th century politically organized mass
>murder in the West!!!  It is too crazy to be believed!
>
>The connection between fascism and the beats doesn't exist because
>fascism equates with mass murder, suppression of the individual voice,
>unquestioning adoration of the state, etc., all beat antitheses.  The
>connection between the beats and so-called "oriental" religions does and
>did exist, in the personality-forms of Jack Kerouac (who wept when he
>killed a mouse), Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder.  Kerouac abandoned
>Buddhism in favor of the church of alcohol (but also wrote Dharma Bums
>and Some of the Dharma), Ginsberg embraced Chogyam Trungpa's secular
>interpretations of Buddhist thought and practice, and Gary Snyder is a
>clear-thinking Zen buddhist family man involved in effective grassroots
>political action, mostly in environmental work on the west coast.

I hope Jack Shea is listenig. I agree that fascism have
to do with the ancient romans. But the crazy side of the matter
is the german ideology carried by adolf hitler. If i can put
my 2 cents to the origin of the term fascism i opt for two roots
"fascio" in italian language (mainly in the past century 1800's)
could be translated in english as "union". Before the "Fasci di
Combattimento" = "Union of Fighters" the original appellation
of the fascist movement i must reffered to a previous organization
called "Fasci". That was the "Fasci Siciliani" in Sicily at the
end of 1800's the sulfurs miners workers (socialist) have a long
series of strikes against the capitalist exploitation. This was
like the Trade Unions in England or Knights of Labor in Us of America
the fight was for bread and in Sicily and in the History of the
Italian Workers Movement is a milestone. Benito Mussolini, was an
socialist agitator and was a leader of the Italian Socialist Party
until 1915 when he switch his position in support of the war in
order to reinvigorate the blood of young generation. The term
"Fasci" in itself have a good appreciation before the damned connotation
given from Mussolini. By the way the Nazi = National Socialism, but
it is very hard to found any connections with Hitler and Socialism.
during the post WWI in german the communists were Rosa Luxemburg
Spartacus and the School of Frankfurther, i do not have any idea
that Hitler was on this side. On contrary! So Hitler ideologically
haven't any background and found his aryan origin as a deeply origin
that the roman-greek culture searching in truly mithological root.
More bloody, charming and totalitarian than the fascim. Remember
that in Italy there's was a civil war against the Nazi-Fascism as
was in  France, but not in Germany neither in Japan. It is a minor
sin for Ezra Pound to declare himself fascit not nazist. Of course
on the other hand Celine declared himself nazist. . . Pound was really
better than Celine because he know that the origin of "fascism" have
a little to do with the minute people the same he saw in venetian
gondolas or in the squeros. The exposure of the corpse of Benito
Mussolini and Claretta Petacci (her lover) was an inhuman event,
i agree.

greetings by rinaldo from italy.
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