Correcting assorted errors of fact by Charles Brown:
The militias continued to grow through 1997, two years after the OKC bombing.
That there were power struggles within the Michigan militias over the issue of racism and antisemitism demonstrates that there was a split within the movement, thus saying some militia members were leaning toward fascism and some were not is in fact accurate.
The support for the German Nazis came not from the 1% big bad booghies, but from large numbers of middle class voters.
Fascism can exist as a social movement as well as a state regime.
Misplaced hysteria over impending fascism and "fascist" groups by liberals and CP types results in collaboration with government repression. It happened in the 1940s and it is happening now. Brown scares result in the passage of repressive legislation. Most recently the 1996 legislation that is being used against Arabs and Muslims. Also the government repression applauded when used against the militias is now being used against anti-globalization demonstrators. Can conspiracy or RIco indictments be far behind?
I do not like the vigilante militias and am not apologizing for them. To claim I support them in any way is reprehensible. All I am saying is that as awful as they are, they are not all armed neonazi terrorists.
McVeigh was never in any militia.
No one in a militia group appears to have been involved in the bombing. Terry Nichols brother once attended a milita meeting in Michigan. Nichols filed some "Patriot" type legal documents. McVeigh and Nichols sold survivalist trinkets at gun shows attended by some militia types. I don't like guilt by association.
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CB: The KKK in the 1920's were proto-fascists in the way Hitler and his grouping were. The only reason they weren't full blown fascists is that they didn't take state power. You can't wait until proto-fascists take state power to identify them , because then it's too late. Same with the militias today. You can't wait until they get powerful enough to really be state power fascists. There is not premature anti-fascism. Get it ?
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Yes, Charles, I get it. I have spent the last 25 years working against right-wing groups and government repression. If you read "Right-Wing Populism in America" you will see the detailed arguments against guilt by association, hysterial Brown Scares, and collaboration with government repression against the right. The latter tendency results in laws being turned around and being used against the left. Government repression should be opposed no matter what the political pedigree of the targets. The militias were never abouit to take state poewr. Clinton had state power and used the hysteria over the militias to pass even more repressive legislation and to get public support for increased surveillance and use of informers. Now all of this is being turned against the left.
Charles--people like you are responsible for this.
-Chip Berlet
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Charles Brown
> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 10:52 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: RE: Defining Fascism
>
<<SNIP>>