Could it happen here? FASCIST TAKE-OVER...?

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 13

Could it happen here? FASCIST TAKE-OVER...?

By

GLENN HASZARD

The National Front managed to keep to the edge of the fierce street fighting that took place recently in London and Birmingham, but on both occasions it was the Front, by the very repugnance of its aims, which was really centre stage.

Some historians and sociologists have tried to link the rise of fascist organisations with economic factors and have posed the question: Is democracy about to die in Britain? The consensus of opinion in "The Times’* Literary Supplement’s survey of academics was that Britain’s democratic traditions were strong enough to withstand such pressure and that democracy would live on. But what about in New Zealand? Is it possible that we could see here the emergence of a strong fascist political party, and ultimately the demise of democracy? New Zealand does have an emerging organisation which has extreme Rightwing tendencies; another National Front. One of its leaders, Mr B. Thompson, of Ashburton was in Britain during the street fighting last month. He was reported in "The Press” as having said that the local group

intended forming a political party in New Zealand along the lines of the British party. Another local leader, Mr D. J. Crawford, of Christchurch, pointed to crime among Pacific Islanders as being the spark that could set alight flames of vio-

lence as the “white community takes some action to defend itself.” According to Dr K. P. Clements, lecturer on sociology at the University of Canterbury, there are four essential factors associated with the rise of fascism: 1. It occurs only in response to economic and social crises, which are part and parcel of capitalist societies. 2. These crises are complex and little understood. Yet people feel their effects and are hurt by them. “The average person tries to simplify them through fascist-type solutions. This is where stereotypes occur. Problems are blamed on easilyidentifiable objects such as trade unions or immigrant groups.” 3. What the fascist offers is strong leadership and ideals which generate emotional sympathy, such as nationalism or patriotism. These are easy answers to complex prob-

lems, but appeal to people grasping for solutions.

4. There is no evidence that New Zealand is resistant to fascism. “On the contrary,” Dr Clements adds, “most evidence suggests that New Zealanders are quite susceptible to and that the conditions are ripe for, fascism. As the economic conditions deteriorate a very real probability arises that the economic crisis will degenerate into a social crisis. We may get more racial conflict if unemployment increases.” Dr Bill Mandel, a Reader in history at the National University at Canberra in Australia, said in a radio interview on “Checkpoint” on August 29, that he thought the time was particularly ripe now for a resurgence of Fascism in the Western democracies. He said that Fascism sprang from Western industrial capitalist society itself, and in that sense the time was always ripe. But it was even more ripe now, with the growth of unemployment and high inflation.

However, due to the excesses of Fascism during the Second World War, the movement had suffered what he called "artificial diminution” in

popularity. People felt a sense of guilt about Fascism — but now these feelings were beginning to diminish. “Fascism has to be seen at something more than an ideology of the crackpot radical right. What we are tending to get in society is some basic Fascist ideas infiltrating into the thinking of middle-of-the road or Right-wing parties,” said Dr Mandel. He pointed to trends to suppress trade union activity, ideas of what might be done about state direction of the economy, and ideas on what to do about “the intrusion into homogeneous societies of aliens.”

Fascist ideas and nationalism and class conflict are beginning to be accepted, under the counter as it were, by "respectable parties,” said Dr Mandel.

Dr Clements agrees. “We have already got a highly developed Government apparatus which at the moment is not used malevolently. But given the circumstances it could be used malevolently.” It is this which is probably a bigger threat to democracy in New Zealand than a conflict between extremist parties or an outbreak of race riots.