alanjjohnstone
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
There can be the formal technical and academic application of words or their more popular common day usage.
Today, fascism is no longer associated with the archetypical state-corporatism signifying the classical depiction of 1920s 1930s fascism but now simply expresses the representation of extreme right-wing (and at times left) nationalism and racism.
Eco-fascism is another description of Malthusian influence within the environmental movement. Calling such proponents out for what they are, in reality
I think we can express the adoption of populist xenophobic anti-immigration views by the far-right as fascist, without any qualifying additions of neo-, post-, or quasi-fascism. It conveys the risk of a potential threat that is developing within the ecological movement.
Our objective is to communicate in terms that are understandable to our fellow workers.
We already do our utmost to preserve the authentic meaning of the words socialism and communism and capitalism, but our task will be impossible if we take upon ourselves the duty to preserve the origins of every political term which evolves into meaning something else.
Your wish is our command, Cde.Ste
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-pandemic-blame-profit-system.html
JH, this trend hasn’t been missed by our blog.
From Aug 2019
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2019/08/eco-fascisms-revival.htmlFrom May
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-eco-fascist-threat.html
From May
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/05/eco-fascism-in-glasgow.html
From April
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/04/eco-fascism-on-rise.htmlI was surprised by this statistic
As of Nov. 20, the number of US Covid-19 deaths in 2021 is higher than the total for 2020, The Wall Street Journal reports.
When anti-vax and climate denial unite
Again a promising result is that two people followed up a random leafletting, and perhaps it offers some insight into the appeal of QR to younger people rather than old fogeys like myself who are now of the generation that we once derided our older generation as being incapable of programming video recorders!
I watch with keen interest the future imaginative applications we make of QR.
Will we have it on the Socialist Standard so it can be bought via phone camera?
There is no need for any special committees, but I do hope those individual members with expertise in the applications continue to cooperate and produce innovative initiatives for us to incorporate.
My reference to New Ageism and anti-Science was about the conspiracies theories of Big Pharma put out by such websites as Dr Mercola and Natural News.
Their Big Pharma profiting theories is not the same as our anti-capitalist analysis of the pharmaceutical industry
We have to remember that vaccines are not the gold-mine revenue source it is made out to be in these conspiracies and not the main income of Big Pharma, albeit a regular one
Big Pharma vaccine profits – let’s do a financial review with facts
Long time ago I had a long exchange with an anti-MMT vaxxer on a progressive website who was convinced by Andrew Wakefield. This was a well-read and well-informed political activist otherwise. I ended the exchange when he claimed that smallpox had not been eradicated and there were still outbreaks disguised as other poxes from the same virus family. It is an example of the distrust you mention.
Similar to the mistrust of the American electoral system and the media with Trump won and fake news narratives,
Racist gets key job under Priti Patel
Priti Patel appoints far right sympathiser as counter-extremism tsar
It seems a lot of the discontent is against the Vaccine Passport regulations to enter restaurants and bars and other facilities. Not so much anti-vax. More about the cure being worse than the disease.
Politically the only groups to endorse the protests appear to be from the Right, presenting anti-Big Government libertarian arguments.
Perhaps there are some left parties involved but I so far have not seen reports of those. If leftists are participating it seems to be as individuals.
There are also a strong element the New Agers anti-Science promoting quack medicines and remedies.
My approach probably isn’t a popular one – where are the protests about equity in access to the vaccine for those in poor nations? Where are the demonstrations outside the Big Pharma offices highlighting their profiteering?
I’m flummoxed too about presenting a clear socialist message because there is a big mix of people involved.
On the environmentalists, it too is spreading to the right
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/11/green-fascism.html
After the Rittenhouse verdict, despite any personal indignance, Biden won’t challenge the NRA on gun laws. Nor will he question the legality of vigilantes policing protests.
Another point to note is that the anti-vaxxer anti-lockdown protests are not taking place in the countries where such restrictions are a serious threat to the welfare of the population who are more vulnerable to the poverty effects of the quarantine policy than probably the coronavirus.
Rather the demonstrations are occurring in the relatively prosperous countries of America, Europe and Australia, who are also privileged to have priority access to the vaccines.
I saw an interesting statistic. Of the 50 arrested, half of them were under the age of 18.
Is it the rebellion of youth?
I understand what you mean. But the boat people isn’t the main problem but legitimate air-travellers who come on visitors visas, find work and overstay.
My point is that the government is being deliberately misleading by misrepresenting genuine refugees as being economic migrants, to escape their obligations under international law and hoping that creating a lack of sympathy will permit more stringent controls such as off-shoring asylum claims to foreign lands as Australia has done. Out of sight, out of mind. We have all the evidence of the torture and abuses in the Libyan camps. And the intolerable conditions in the Greek camps.
Re-read the tone of Patel statement “single men…who are elbowing out the women and children, who are at risk and fleeing persecution.” How emotive is that?
I’m sure she is purposefully stoking hatred and fear using racist undertones for many Brits associate economic migrants with young African and Asian workers.
It is amazing how someone from a Ugandan-Asian family shows little understanding. As they say, the first up the rope-ladder of a sinking ship will often pull it up after them to stop others saving themselves.
But what can we expect from someone who had a PR job for the tobacco industry and then acquired a reputation of being a ministerial bully.
At my age, I remember many home secretaries but perhaps none as extreme as she is proving to be.
Here’s another Guardian article questioning the government claims.
The Home Office is covering up its own research into why refugees and asylum seekers travel to the UK because ministers “know their arguments don’t stand up,” charities claim.
Officials are refusing to release its evidence on whether so-called “pull factors” play a part in asylum seekers making journeys to the UK.
Sophie McCann, advocacy officer at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) UK explained “The reality is that ‘pull factors’ are a myth – people who are fleeing persecution or conflict don’t need any further incentive to look for safety. It is hard to see why the government would refuse to share evidence that supports its plans – the only conclusion to draw is that they know their arguments don’t stand up.”
You haven’t read our blog on the topic, have you?
Don’t fall for government misinformation.
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2021/11/boat-people-are-refugees.html
Priti Patel told the House of Lords last month: “All the data and evidence has shown this – that in the last 12 months alone, 70% of the individuals who have come to our country illegally via small boats are single men, who are effectively economic migrants. They are not genuine asylum seekers. These are the ones who are elbowing out the women and children, who are at risk and fleeing persecution.”
Yet data from her own department has concluded that 61% of migrants who travel by boat are likely to be allowed to stay after claiming asylum. According to the Home Office report, the majority of people crossing the Channel are likely to be recognised as being in need of protection at the initial decision stage.
If an asylum claim is refused by the Home Office at the initial decision stage, the applicant has a right of appeal to an independent tribunal. The report shows 59% of appeals are likely be allowed
The Refugee Council analysed Channel crossings and asylum outcomes between January 2020 and June 2021. The charity found that 91% of people who travelled by boat across the Channel came from 10 countries where human rights abuses and persecution were common. These were Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam, Kuwait, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Yemen.
These statistics apply to the Channel boat people, not the Libyan Mediterranean boats.
I should have made it clear in my earlier comment that the “wealthy” refugees were more common at the beginning of the refugee crisis when many professionals had to flee.
