This ideological crisis, in the forms it took within the dominant class itself, could be said to be at the roots of a factor which contributed further to the political crisis: the break between the political representatives of the bourgeoisie (the parties and politicians) and its ideological representatives (the ‘watchdogs’ and ‘ideological spokesmen’). The latter seemed to adopt and advocate fascism more radically, directly and openly than the former, and often, because of their attacks on ‘parties’ and ‘politicians’, came into sharp conflict with them. And it was not accidental that the bourgeoisie’s ties with its ‘ideological spokesmen’ proved the stronger.