This is so even when they are formal bourgeois democratic rights, although it would be better if the struggle can convert them into social democratic rights bearing in mind all the rights of working people.
The harm done by the simple "class against class" line, including at the period of time Michael quoted Stalin (1929), as well as the gross violations of socialist legality, weakened that struggle against fascist tendencies.
I can see the argument in the speech that Charles quoted from the rally
> The new fascist axis, Washington-London-Tel Aviv, is
> re-structuring the Middle East, using the terror of its
> weapons and the power of its lies.
.... arguably went over the top in agitational terms. The axis of Washington London Tel Aviv is crushing suicide terrorism and tearing through normal bourgeois conventions to do so. It is not fully fascist but I see Stannard has posted about DJ's being suspended for defending the right to free speech of the Dixie Chicks.
I usually bite my tongue, writing from England which has many sins, including hypocrisy, but I do get a sense that there is a fascist streak in US society. At least our media were more enquiring about the war.
I am generally sympathetic to the view that the risk of increasing fascism is always present, and the call for
> with the widest front of alliances to defend the
> formal bourgeois democracy and international law; very much
> as happened during the war of Iraq,
I heard yesterday that the entire telephone network in Germany can now officially be tapped. I do not know if that is true, but it would fit. We do not cut people's tongues out for slandering the president, but the Dixie Chicks may never broadcast again, if DJ's who play them, will never work again.
Chris Burford London