Miscellaneous
The real radical activism: The wonderful Peter Tatchell was at the “anti-war” rally in London last weekend. As Terry Glavin puts it, Tatchell’s “tireless international solidarity work and campaigns for gender equality and gay rights have set the gold standard for principled and militant left-wing activism in Britain, struck a boldly dissenting note at today's stoppist jamboree in London.” Read Terry and Peter’s e-mail exchange on Afghanistan.
Anti-capitalism (and antisemitism): Read this long and thought-provoking analysis of Occupy Wall Street by Ross Wolfe. Marxist-Humanist Seth Weiss at New Jewish Resistance on the protests being “marred by anti-Semitism”, and Daniel Sieradski (ie. “Orthodox Anarchist”) on Antisemitism at Occupy Wall Street: Image vs. Reality, both via Contested Terrain. [Added: OWS and the Fed by Bill Weinberg.] A superb Isaac Deutscher quote on Marxism as a labour-saving device at Facing the War, a blog which seems to be finally getting its feet and is one to watch.
Israel, Palestine, Anti-Zionism and antisemitism: A fascinating article by Kasim Hafeez, a British Muslim, on his journey from anti-Zionist antisemitism to Zionism. I wouldn’t have thought Alan Dershowitz could win over anyone not already converted, but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t get Hafeez’s criticism of the UJS’s pro-Palestinian/pro-Israel Liberation campaign, but well worth reading. Hafeez runs theIsraelcampaign.org. Another fascinating article by Iranian journalist Amir Taheri on Palestine as a cause not a nation. And a mildly amusing story on the keffiyeh industry.
No Blacks, no dogs, no Irish: In the 1990s, it was a staple of militant anti-fascism that British fascism was intimately connected to the Loyalist movement, and that British fascism could not be understood without reference to Loyalism. Since AFA was wound up, the dominant forms of anti-fascism have been a mixture of liberal populism, Stalinist nostalgia, and mechanistic ortho-Trotskyism, and the importance of Loyalism and of anti-Catholic racism is rarely recognised. In that light, I was interested in this post at Hope Not Hate on the BNP in Ireland.
Hat tipping: Some of the above links via Elder of Ziyon; some others via various folks on Twitter.
Comments
Good summary, but you get the impression that's not the way many would see themselves.
Are you familiar with the Platypus Affiliated Society? I noticed that you've linked to the Israel-Palestine forum we hosted (the transcript of which I edited for publication). My political orientation is generally identical with the main points of their critique. We were founded by students of Moishe Postone in Chicago.
Mod, indeed Skid has been active lately, in a personally malicious manner. I find it irritating having to moderate comments, especially right now I am so busy both at work and at home, and that it interrupts the possibility of actual conversations, but I've kept out a fair amount of ad hom viciousness, EDL racism, and just plain spam. There are longer comments still awaiting moderation, because I need to digest them before approving or not, so apologies to anyone stuck there.
5.00pm to 6.00pm
From Casa Pound to Anders Behring Breivik: Looking at recent developments in European fascism
From black-bloc autonomist nationalists in Germany to 'third millennium fascist' squatters in Italy to suit-wearing Nazis in Sweden, the last twenty years has seen huge developments and shifts in the Neo-fascist scene. No longer can Nazis be simply identified by shaved heads, Swastikas and steel-capped boots. Some are even turning to Gramsci, Lenin and international anti-imperialist struggles for inspiration. Paul Hull, a veteran anti-fascist and trade unionist of over ten years in Sweden will discuss the evolution of Neo-Nazi theories and tactics in Northern Europe and will offer suggestions on how the modern militant anti-fascist movement can adapt to these changes.
More:
http://anarchistbookfair.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122005291238827
"The theatrical dimension of Occupy Wall Street: A brief excursus on the 'carnivalesque' in politics"