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Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
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At 10:49 07-06-13 -0400, Louis Proyect wrote:
>
This piece is absolutely outrageous!!
> I think that Diana Johnstone is a nitwit
>but am open to the idea that
her report is accurate.)
So was I, UNTIL I STARTED READING IT. I cannot think of the last time I saw
such a gross blaming of the victim! (Or come to think of it, did she also
blame the Bosnians for the siege of Sarajevo?) And even if the facts were
100% accurate, putting out such a statement within days of a comrade's
death at the hands of fascists, WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES is beyond
reprehensible. I can hardly believe I read this..
I'm not directly familiar with the antifas in France, but I expect they're
not unlike the AFA branches in neighboring countries, and I would NEVER
call them (or any other leftist activists, to speak of) "violent." They are
(by their own admission) "confrontational" and perhaps one could say
"ultraleft" or using inappropriate tactics or lacking a winning strategy
or.. or lot's of things that we could discuss. But blaming the victim
like this is guaranteed to prevent any such discussion; it reminds one of
the very worst of Stalinist back-stabbing.
This occurs in the wake of France passing a same-sex marriage bill which
intensely mobilized the French right-wing well beyond anything I can
recall, so these fascists were surely energized and apparently prepared to
show their more moderate catholic counterparts "how it's done." And
practically every leftist in France understands that context but now
we instead get treated to an analysis of "who started it." That is so off
the mark! If the issue is whether the AFA is engaging in unwarranted
"violence" then at least you could ask how many fascists they have killed
(zero) or badly injured (probably zero) versus the number of fascist
attacks against leftists, immigrants, and especially LGBT's during the last
months.
I'm also surprised to learn that Diana Johnstone is apparently the coroner
of Paris, in a position to know that the death was due to a chance
collision of Meric's head with a light pole and DEFINITELY NOT the blow
from the fascist's brass knuckles!! Is she also their lawyer? I cannot tell
you how embarrassed I would be for people to know that I am on a list where
such trash appears... though thankfully the author is NOT on this list, but
just got it placed here indirectly.
And finally, AFA's problem is not that they "blur the distinction between
left and right," but quite the opposite: that they HARDEN the distinction
in such a way that ordinary workers (etc.) do not feel welcome among the
left if they aren't willing to conform to the imperatives laid down by the
antifas in their zeal. But fortunately right now in France, there is a
great sympathy with the left, and rightful concern with the rise of
fascism, after this outrage. But true to form, Diana Johnstone sees any
cause which garners liberal/social-democratic support as toxic, and not
only flees but has to explain herself through victim-blaming, and worse.
Disgusting.
- Jeff
[Intentionally not clipped:]
>Comment by Diana Johnstone on the death of Clément Meric during
a
>confrontation in Paris between "antifas" (violent leftist
antifascists)
>and skinheads. The "antifas" appear to have provoked the
altercation.
>Their violent propaganda (some examples are at the bottom)
tends to blur
>the distinction between left and right, and in some cases
in Europe, the
>"antifas" have invoked slander and violent threats against
other
>leftists whose views they disagree with.
David
>
>=
>
>What happened on June 5? According
to many eye witnesses, a small group
>of "antifascist" militants
encountered by chance a small group of
>"skinheads" in a clothing store in
a main shopping area of Paris. The
>"antifas", whose main political
purpose in life seems to be to fight
>"fascists", insulted the skinheads by
calling them fascists. Later, the
>two groups met in the street. Things
got out of hand. One of the
>"fascists" struck antifa Clément Meric,
whose head violently struck a
>metal traffic post as he fell, causing a
fatal injury. He was only 18
>years old, a first year student at the elite
Sciences Po.
>The "skinheads" left the scene but were easily identified and
arrested.
>Not only the "antifa", but left politicians and media lept at
the chance
>to seize the illusion of living heroically in the 1930s. This
incident
>is denounced as proof of "the rise of fascism" which "must
be
>combatted", perhaps by banning far right groups such as the
Jeunesse
>Nationaliste Révolutionnaire which the skinheads in question
were "close
>to".
>
>Olivier Besancenot of the New Anticapitalist Party
and a whole chorus of
>leftist politicians and commentators proclaim that
th
