askchapo

The Stalin line is a reference to the role that social democrats play in fascism. Under this framing, fascism is a political formation in defense of capitalism and the capitalist state against socialist revolution, which is basically correct: fascists gain power from factions of the bourgeoisie because they organize and do violence against the most revolutionary socialists. The strength of that reaction is proportional to the perceived threat.

Social democrats also protect capitalism and the capitalist state against revolutionary socialists. Their goal is to achieve reforms that materially benefit the wider public while leaving capitalists fundamentally in charge of everything. They perceive revolutionary socialists as a barrier to this project and reveal the fascistic nature of this urge: they use what state powers to oppress revolutionary socialists. They sic the cops on your protest. They fund the cops that those to their right sic on your protest. They produce anticommunist messaging lest the public sympathize. They legitimate the capitalist state they supposedly seek to reform. Fascism is just an uglier form of these things, a stronger anticommunist reaction. And liberalism is throughout.