tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post7919134759125229822..comments2023-12-22T08:44:24.389-05:00Comments on threewayfight: Insurgent Movement, Government Complicity, or Both?Matthew N Lyonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15664330735255207352noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post-84420875688071650082021-01-21T12:41:45.601-05:002021-01-21T12:41:45.601-05:00Not to rain on your whole parade, but I think this...Not to rain on your whole parade, but I think this dichotomy and confusion illustrates that there is no meaningful three-way fight to speak of. You say "What this means is that instead of just understanding this as a right-wing assault on “democracy,” it needs to be understood as both internal to our so-called democracy while simultaneously having elements that are insurgent and anti-state.", but the insurgent anti-state elements are essentially powerless once the state decides to stop letting them throw their play-time temper-tantrum. <br /><br />Fascists operate outside the state initially, but their goal is always to infiltrate the state and take over the reins of power. They may claim to want to burn it all down and institute some kind of libertarian minimal government, but those voices are definitely marginalized (if not outright silenced) once fascists have enough of a hold on the state to make those kinds of decisions. <br /><br />Humbly, from recent events and my own reading of Forces of Labor (Silver) and Labor's Untold Story (Boyer), I must suggest that the logic of the three-way fight is outdated. Certainly there are many factions throwing bows in this pit, but if we want to succeed, we have to stop doubling our enemies and start trying to double our allies. A three-way fight where (antifascist) economic labor movements and (antifascist) political socialist movements tag team the state/fascists has a lot better odds than a three-way fight where antifascists, drifting without an economic or political base, are outnumbered by the state and fascism combined (splits aside, they are always happy to team up against leftists). <br /><br />We all know fascism is capitalism in decay. As the state overextends itself, as representative 'democracy' fails to meet the needs of the people, and their wealth is sucked upwards, populist movements lead to revolutionary moments. I have never heard of a popular revolution that leads to genuine liberatory change, unless it was backed by a massive and PREEMPTIVE labor of socialist education, training, and resourcing. That's the difference between fascism and liberation; fascism -- even if well-intended -- comes from knee-jerk reactionaries who can't think past tomorrow, and get played; liberation comes from people who plan the long game, plan for decades and trees they will never sit in the shade of.<br /><br />Again, capitalism is fascism in decay. The established order fights to maintain its hold on power. But eventually the popular reactionary forces take over. Then they turn around an impose the worst tyranny and austerity, against the designated 'internal enemies', that they can. Calling them one and the same does not mean 'hoping they will smash each other' or that we have to back one up to attack the other. Fascism is late stage capitalism. They are the same damn thing. So why posit the struggle as a three-way fight, doubling our enemies and our challenges? Why not posit it as a three-way beat down from organized labor and organized socialism onto the capitalist/fascist state? <br /><br />Again, Forces of Labor and Labor's Untold Story make very clear the power of cooperation (well-known by corporations) and the urgent need for movements to find and build relationships with ALLIES. If we are going to enter a melee let's enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /><br />My apologies if your parade gear is wet. But we can warm up and dry off together. Let's make 2021 a year of alliances and advances!<br /><br />Solidarity,<br />A PNW comradeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post-62261301733497929922021-01-20T15:56:23.552-05:002021-01-20T15:56:23.552-05:00Thank you all for your comments. We wanted to star...Thank you all for your comments. We wanted to start by responding to some of Amanda's thoughtful questions. The comment around political amnesia is critiquing, as you said, "Those who say they are anti-police, but also can’t envision a world without them." We know that the larger ramifications of increased policing and repression won't end with arrests against the far right. It will allow the justification of further repression against the anti-police poles within BLM, and the anti-state left more broadly. On your second point regarding defining BLM, our main goal was to draw a line in the sand with antifascists who are likely to slide into liberalism in alignment with the state against the far right. As we said in our article, while fighting the far right needs to be part of our task at hand, the most strategic thing to do is focus on confronting the capitalist state that oppresses us in order to build a more liberatory society. That can't be done by fighting the far right alone.<br /><br />George, thanks for your comments. One thing that's important to note is that many White nationalists sat out the storming of the Capitol because of splits within the movement that partially emerged after the "Unite the Right" rally. WE do think there will continue to be splits within the far right in the wake of the Capitol Takeover, but also likely a further emboldened movement that will view this as a victory. <br /><br />Xloi and BeccaXloi & Beccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post-66408062281203672712021-01-15T21:09:12.677-05:002021-01-15T21:09:12.677-05:00The Charlottesville "Unite the Right" ra...The Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally was considered a disaster for the then alt-right because of the level of violence, the death of Heather Heyer and the resultant backlash. Will the "Stop the Steal" Capitol riot have similar catastrophic consequences for today's extremist right?Georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post-13258053746519792602021-01-15T13:59:00.779-05:002021-01-15T13:59:00.779-05:00Yes excellent analysis! Also a lot of points to un...Yes excellent analysis! Also a lot of points to unpack.. My main question is who are you referring to with amnesia? In the paragraph where you are talking about political amnesia you are discussing lawmakers who seek to strengthen the state against extremist forces. Of course lawmakers, even the woke ones, have always believed in this. Are you talking about the DSA element of the state showing their true allegiance to the state in moments like this? <br /><br />Or are you referring to BLM protesters as having amnesia? This makes sense to me. Because if I hear you correctly, you are calling out the more liberal elements of BLM. Those who say they are anti-police, but also can’t envision a world without them. I think this is the task at hand for radicals, but it seems harder to do right now since the right is getting all the attention. <br /><br />I think we need to focus on defining where BLM stands in the three way fight. Is BLM President (in all likelihood) Harris’ base, as she hoodwinks the BLM movement? Is BLM the Instagram influencers, and liberal pundits who looked down on the right wing insurrection as culturally inferior, and just focused on the viking guy, or the guy who tased his nuts to death (I mean fuck those guys, but the way Jimmy Kimmel, or pick a comedian, sounds when he makes fun of them I find problematic within the larger scope of things). Or is BLM the spontaneous insurrection we saw all summer long as the youth went toe to toe with the cops. Are these the people who are going in reverse? I don’t think they are, but I do think the Biden administration tries to pretend it has the answers Black America has been demanding for the past four years. We have to draw a line in between those who will continue to fight the police, and those who think you can end white supremacy without ending the American democratic system as we know it. <br /><br />If our pole does continue to go to war with the state as the right works out its inner contradictions and gains power, are we creating more space for the right to operate? Awesome question. I’m sure there’s tons of historical examples to pull from. But I think one thing is for sure, our pole needs to be more alert and more ready. Kenosha is a great example, as BLM fought the police this fascist fuck Kyle did what he did. The protests George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked obviously seem to be over for the time being. But if similar anti police movements start popping off again we need to be ready to protect each other from the far right. Philly is another example of how the far right marched with the police against BLM. So in a way, they are kinda making us fight them both simultaneously. Protect each other, and fuck the police.<br /><br />-Amanda Hugnkiss<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13622622.post-84046676841020242662021-01-14T08:57:36.410-05:002021-01-14T08:57:36.410-05:00Excellent analysis!Excellent analysis!Chipsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576332097091474513noreply@blogger.com