I AM not and have never been a fascist, just as I am not and have never been a communist. As an Anarchist who prefers to remain above and beyond the centennial fratricide practised by both sides, therefore, I would say that I have a distinct advantage in that I am capable of perceiving the realities that most people operating within this endlessly regurgitated dichotomy often miss. Allow me to explain.

When it comes to the recent Right-wing revival, my friends and acquaintances on the Left have a strong tendency to exaggerate or misinterpret their own plight. In England, there are those who imagine that Reform UK is a dangerous ‘Far Right’ entity and that it presents a huge threat to democracy (or at least what people have come to accept as democracy). Similarly, my Left-wing friends here in Portugal regularly accuse Chega – now the largest opposition party – of being a ‘fascist’ organisation. Both interpretations are fundamentally incorrect, even though I do accept that each of these parties contains sizeable elements that actively promote or encourage racism and fascism.

In truth, however, if you are Left-wing then the sudden rise of Reform UK and Chega should be a cause to celebrate. Not because they have edged past you in the polls, as if that ever mattered, but simply because they are state pressure valves that are designed to nullify the very tendencies that you oppose.

Naturally, I view the Leftist parties in exactly the same fashion. They are forms of controlled opposition designed to keep the Stalinist, Trotskyist and Maoist tendencies on a tight leash. So take heart, my Leftist friends, your perceived opponents on the other side of the barricades are not as strong as you think they are and the party leaders and intelligence agencies will misdirect and destroy them in the way that they always have. At the same time, the real fascists – if they are serious about their objectives – would do well to remember that fact.