[mobglob-discuss] Towards McCarthyism: The G8 and beyond

[Macdonald Stainsby]

----- Original Message -----
From: "rick" <rickm at sprint.ca>

> "Towards McCarthyism" would be a more appropriate title for Mac's thread,
> and i do have something to say about letting other people do your thinking
> for you, about fear, courage of your convictions, faith and trust in the
> body of social activists, but i have to run off for work.
>
> peace
> rick

So there is actually some logic behind this, and so people know why Rick feels
it needed to take such shots, I found him in Calgary distributing the newspapaer
the "Radical"- that has constantly promoted David Icke (anti-semite, loon), has
run full articles by well-known Neo-Nazi Paul Fromm, where he blamed the WTC
bombings on our horribly lax immigration policies, where Gordon Watson the
anti-abortion terrorist of women has had a chance to rant his filth, and had
many further connections to the far right. This is another example of what is
happening in our movement here. We want to have the ability to have people not
white feel safe and comfortable working with mobglab, and right now it is
overwhelmingly white. THis kind of racism can lead (and always does) to further
fascism; it is time enough is said about that and people decide how to deal with
it.

I have known Rick, although admittedly not well, for a couple of years and was
personally extremely disappointed and shocked to see him carrying such racist
filth at the "Showdown at the Hoe-down". We have to make it clear to our future
allies that, yes, we are going to defend your right not to be involved in an
organisation that tolerates "Jewish conspiracy" or "immigration is killing the
country" or other such stuff to be representative of us.

I too have an unbound faith in a community of activists, I have a strong belief
that only a strong, respectful and tolerant movement has any chance. We to be
diverse, promoting and accepting the best from each and every facet of our
movement. When we allow in racists (or simply apologists) we eliminate
diversity, create a space where only (certain) whites feel comfortable, give
absolutely no respect to either the future victims of racism nor ourselves when
we claim to oppose it and we are only tolerant of the intolerant. I have a faith
that only activists themselves can speak up for each other- that is why we are
going to have be very uncomppromising on how we deal with fascism in all of it's
ugliness. It's just as important for white folks to oppose this and not leave it
to Jews, Pakistanis, etc. as it is for men to oppose sexist behaviours and not
wait for the women to take the lead.

"Freedom of ideas" is always the last refuge of the anti-semitic, sexist,
homophobe- because it is the only argument that works to attempt to defend the
indefensible. We are being turned into a target market for the far right: do we
want to wait until it's too late, not just for the organisation, but for the
very life of someone we know? I wish, I only really wish, that was a rhetorical
question. Unfortunately, history says otherwise.

Macdonald