This legitimately isn’t meant to be a gotcha question or an attack on any political ideology. I just want to get a better understanding of why class consciousness is only applicable to the left, and the concept of populism (while it does seem to be increasingly applied to both sides of the political spectrum in certain cases) seems to be reserved as a term used for the right.
Regardless of historical ties (like class consciousness originating from Marxism) from my understanding (which admittedly is very basic for both concepts), populism doesn’t have to necessarily focus on class issues or class solidarity. However, when you look at the way somebody like Trump uses populism to target a voting base, it very clearly is doing this by promising the working class a way to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Or, by attacking the “educated elites” on the left (who he, and many on the right, also accuse of being “cultural Marxists”).
My very basic understanding of class consciousness, is the awareness individuals have regarding their place within a hierarchy of social classes and their common shared interests.
Again, I understand that populism doesn’t have to be used this way, but in Trump’s case, regardless of why and how a billionaire would need to define the “elite” to reach his voter base, Trump’s form of populism very much seems to rely on defining a class, and an “us vs them,” strategy that he promises will allow members of the working class to achieve a common interest.
I asked the question because I got into kind of a dumb argument with my husband about the definition of fascism and if fascist behavior can only be carried out by somebody with a right wing ideology.
Even though fascism as a movement is tied to right wing ideology, I do think there may be some utility in viewing fascist behavior, as something that can go beyond the clear boundaries of left/right/center without over using the term. In particular it seems like there is something about the use of tribalism as a justification that could be a useful first red flag to be on the lookout for in any political movement.
For example, when you look at Stalin’s regime, his ideology definitely wasn’t right wing, but he did have some really odd overlaps with right wing fascists, like the belief that the Soviet Union should prioritize socialism within it’s own borders over other communist countries. He claimed to support class consciousness, yet he also justified starvation and labor camps for agrarian peasants, because he did hold the hierarchical belief that they were less than human compared to his working class base in cities.
Interestingly, the word fascism apparently comes from fascio, the Italian word for bundle, as in bundles of people.
It’s odd that regardless of whether you’re talking about Stalin, or Hitler and Mussolini, there would be this overlap in that use of dangerous tribalism (bundling of a people) as justification for policies leading to the death of millions of innocents (who were expendable for simply not being part of that tribe/bundle) taking place under an autocratic ruler. On both the right and the left, the autocratic leader gained support by claiming their goal was simply to look out for the interests of the tribe/bundle above anything else at any cost.
It doesn’t really seem to matter if it’s called populism or class consciousness, and it’s not the ideas that are actually dangerous. The true danger is in their tribalistic use as a justification by any opportunistic leader who’s true goal is obtaining unchecked power and authority at any cost.
It’s particularly concerning to hear somebody like Nick Fuentes say that he admires Stalin. I feel like we should maybe question why somebody like Fuentes would admire what Stalin achieved, instead of just writing it off as an internet edgelord getting his ideologies mixed up. Maybe we should consider that there is something about Stalin that fits more broadly into the concerning aspects of human behavior and the increasing fascination with anti-democratic nationalism, fascism, and authoritarianism by younger generations that goes beyond any single (current political ideology) on the left or right. If you wouldn’t say it’s Stalin’s behavior that appeals to a self described fascist like Fuentes, then what is it?