The harder they come

Here are some of the things I read or watched this week:

Who gets it wrong and who gets it right about Iran
Jeff W: Some propagandists and apologists for theocratic authoritarianism in Iran. Includes a useful taxonomy of the regime's useful idiots:

(a) people who actively sympathize with the Iranian regime on ideological grounds, whether those are based on theocratic authoritarianism, pseudo-progressive anti-"imperialism", or some combination of the two;

(b) actual paid employees of the regime's propaganda organs, such as PressTV; and

(c) self-styled foreign-policy "realists" whose whitewashing of and apologetics for the Iranian regime are not based on ideological sympathies (except, in some but not all cases, shared hostility toward Israel and toward real or alleged "Zionists"), but who merely regard the democratic opposition in Iran as a complicating irritation and wish it would just go away.

Against Islamism, for human rights.
Eric Lee's resolution for Amnesty. Gita Sahgal on NDTV. A right-wing libertarian defence of Sahgal. Gilles Kepel's "French Lessons In Londonistan" (via Paul Stott).

Lewisham's fascist  gran
Neo-Nazi Tess Culnane is standing for BNP mayor of Lewisham.

Against liberal multiculturalism
Kenan Malik: "Multiculturalism undermines diversity".

Against the liberal anti-fascism of the SWP and UAF
Slack Andy on the SWP and the EDL in Edinburgh, and the SWP's track record. Durruti02 says Indymedia's liberal anti-fascism isn't working. Launch of Scottish Anti-Fascist Alliance.

Total Politics and No Platform
Paul and co of TCF take Iain Dale to task over his intention to run an interview with BNP fuhrer Nick Griffin in Total Politics magazine. My instinct is to join their boycott, but Phil's post here gives me pause for thought.Also read Paul's interview with Denis MacShane.

Against stupid forms of "radical" politics
Journeyman on why riots are not revolutions.

For global justice
Eric Lee's new blog at Amnesty website.

Clarity and confusion
Nearly a year old, but this post from the Fat Man is highly recommended for anyone concerned with the sort of issues this post relates to.

Police infiltation in the anti-fascist movement
I have added lots of comments to my post on "Officer A".

African clubs in Israel
Via History is Made at Night - which I realise I haven't visited since I changed my layout, and now notice I inadvertantly stole his. I will find a new one!

Soundtrack: Jimmy Cliff "The Harder They Come"