--- Marvin Gandall <marvgandall at videotron.ca> wrote:
movement be
> reacting to? I don't think
> you're accounting for the depth of "white anxiety"
> in the US - and Europe,
> for that matter - where the far right has been
> fueled primarily by
> immigration from developing countires.
I do not see much evidence of it - there are pockets of bigotry, to be sure, but they are in the minority, most likely less than 10% of the population.
Fascism is not a response to immigration or more generally - a "foreign threat." Historically, fascist reaction was almost always directed at LOCAL minorities, Jews in Eastern Europe and Germany, Serbs, Croats, Muslims in x-Yugoslavia, Tootsies in Rwanda - etc. In most cases, there were two elements of such a reaction: (1) economic competition from a minority group that fueled resentment, and (2) a "go-ahead" from above (cf. "kill the cockroaches" broadcast in Rwanda, and similar government-sanctioned propaganda in x-Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe or Germany) to to act on those resesntments out, and 'settle the score' once and for all.
Both elements are necessary for an outbreak of fascist reaction: without econommic threat, the "go ahead" from above will fall od deaf ears; without the "go ahead" the resentment will not transform into a coordinated action.
I do not think that many US-sers, or for that matter Europeans feel economically threatened by immigrants. In fact, the opposite seems to be true, they benefit from cheap immigrant labor. So there is not much economic resentment, except perhaps in narrow pockets of society. Furthermore, I simply do not see the US or EU government giving the "go ahead." Even after 9/11 and even Bush strongly condemned mob violence against Muslims. They may use racial profiling and other "quiet" methods of discrimination - but I am pretty sure that no government or respectable political party in the US, Canada, or EU will openly encourage let alone abet fascist reaction. In fact, it is safe to bet on that.
Unfortunately, people who feel frustrated and powerless often use strong language and hyperboles to vent their frustrations. Hence we hear tirades from both the left and the right, which are built around the same theme - emotive speeches against a hatred scapegoat (fascists, racists, capitalists, or yuppies for the left, and immigrants, liberals,or minorities for the right.) In both cases, this amounts basically to spitting on asphalt - an expression of emotions that is rather inconsequential, and certainly not a forecast of things to come.
Wojtek
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