Reading Ocalan: the nation-state and fascism
So this is Australia today - PM Turnbull makes another security announcement, from Holsworthy army base. This is an official photo, not a joke, not even a re-enactment of Star Wars! Link to news item We've been reading the works of Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK leader in solitary confinement in Turkey. Here is a brief section on the link between the nation-state - ANY nation-state - and fascism. Consider its relevance to Australia:
Essentially, the nation-state is a militarily structured entity. Nation states are ultimately the product of all kinds of internal and external warfare. None of the existing nation states came into existence all by itself. Invariably they have a record of war.
This process is not limited to their founding phase but rather builds on the militarisation of the entire society. The civil leadership of the state is only an accessory of the military apparatus. Liberal democracies even outdo this by painting their militaristic structures in democratic and liberal colours.
However this doesn't keep them from seeking authoritarian solutions at the highpoint of a crisis caused by the system itself.
The fascist exercise of power is the nature of the nation-state. Fascism is the purest form of the nation-state.
