[mobglob-discuss] Kick Nazis Out of Our Movement

[Garth Mullins]

Ridding Ourselves of the Infestation of Fascists and Racists 
Garth Mullins

Members of the far right are infiltrating our movement and even Mob Glob. 
Overt nazis like AGAN – the group of Edmonton fascist skin heads affiliated 
with the US National Alliance that came to “cause trouble” an anti-G8 actions 
in Calgary should NOT be debated, they should be kicked out of our events, 
and prevented from organizing themselves (physically if necessary). 

In Vancouver, we are dealing not with overt fascists, but with a soft-peddled 
racism such as the right wing of the Reform party in the early ‘90s.

Here, there is some gray area. 

The far-right sympathizers and individuals with associations to far-right 
groups that have infiltrated our movement do not wear swastikas on their 
sleeves, and do not espouse fascist views. However, the creeping racism of 
the far right must be halted. These people need to be exposed and their 
organizational affiliations and politics explained to the rest of the 
movement. We must then arm ourselves with principles and basis of unity that 
exclude such people. 

This does not mean a witch-hunt for people who merely parrot the shit they 
have been taught all their lives – education must be part of what we do. What 
it means is when we come across organized racists that are infiltrating our 
movement and trying to recruit from it, we must have mechanisms to get them 
out. 

We must challenge racists and remove racism. Nazis must be ejected from 
anything we do immediately. However, “nazi” or ”fascist” refers to a very 
specific political phenomenon. We do not debate Nazis, or holocaust deniers 
or any such activity – it merely gives them a platform to spew their bigoted 
views from and added legitimacy. Nazis tend to use the “free speech” defense. 
Unfortunately, fascists do not just use speech as a method of debate, but 
rather an instrument of organization. Further, free speech is one of the 
first things the fascist program would remove. 

Rather than doing this on an individual-by-individual basis, I think we need 
to come up with some organizational forms that structurally exclude this 
element.

When fascists stick up their heads, we do not sit down and debate them, we 
remove them and their ability to organize from our communities through 
political, of if necessary physical confrontation. Anti racist activists in 
Halifax did not sit down to have a civil chat with neo-nazis Paul Fromm et 
al, the got in the streets and acted to prevent their meeting at the Holiday 
Inn. The continued to patrol the streets that night to ensure that frustrated 
nazi skins were not able to commit hate crimes.

Nazis and some soft organized racists oppose globalization because they 
believe that it is dominated by a conspiracy of Jewish bankers and 
financiers. Other fascists oppose the rise of the global capitalist class 
because it is organized around the accumulation of capital, rather than the 
supremacy of the white race

In Canada, there is a militant anti racist tradition. Many veterans of combat 
with the Heritage Front, Church of the Creator and other violent fascist 
groups are now involved in the anti-corporate globalization movement. We need 
to reach out to groups like Anti-Racist Action and build coalitions. 

By definition, one cannot fight corporate rule, or the relations of power 
that govern capitalism without also fighting sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. 
Our movement is opposed to oppression and exploitation in principle and 
practice. But just because we wish it to be does not make it so. The movement 
exists in a broader society, and thus will reflect all of that society’s 
worst attributes. The challenge for progressives is not only to try to change 
the world, but our communities and each one of us as well. Identifying 
oppression and privilege is a starting point – unlearning it is a life long 
process. We change as we struggle. Part of building a movement is combating 
racism and sexism within. 

Regardless of the presence of nazis, or softer organized racists, our 
movement must build an anti-oppression analysis and practice or remain Wonder 
Bread white and testosterone fueled. 

 


Macdonald Stainsby <mstainsby at dojo.tao.ca> said:

> Chris Shaw <csshawlab at hotmail.com> said:
> Radio's 'Brownbagger' 
> > tomorrow Monday 14 July at 12:00 noon. It's time to clear the air and 
> there 
> > is no better way than for members of this list to question and/or 
> confront 
> > Topham to provide a full explanation of his personal social/political 
> views 
> > and editorial policy.
> 
> 
> 
> This does not clear up anything. The problem is that Topham denies the 
> anti-Semitic nature of David Icke, for one example.
> 
> I have asked him directly and he simply says Icke is a man full of love.
> 
> Great.
> 
> It is more important, again, to look at the racist bilge that has 
> appeared in the paper than it is to concern yourself with how he talks.
> 
> Macdonald
> 
> Deeds are what matters, not the words used to describe them.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> mobglob-discuss mailing list
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> http://resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/mobglob-discuss
> 



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