Beating the Fascists: The authorised history of Anti-Fascist Action

[love detective]

I went to a different hair cutting shop a few years ago and the woman asked me what kind of style I wanted so I said just the same kind of style as it is at the moment, she looked confused, took a few steps back and surveyed me from various angles and then said, but it's not in any style at the moment sir

 

[past caring]

When I met JR, style is not how I would describe his look...

Stones, glasshouses, etc......

I went to a different hair cutting shop a few years ago and the woman asked me what kind of style I wanted so I said just the same kind of style as it is at the moment, she looked confused, took a few steps back and surveyed me from various angles and then said, but it's not in any style at the moment sir

It's a barbers you'll be wanting then.

 

[past caring]

I went to a different hair cutting shop a few years ago and the woman asked me what kind of style I wanted so I said just the same kind of style as it is at the moment, she looked confused, took a few steps back and surveyed me from various angles and then said, but it's not in any style at the moment sir

Anyway, that's still some way better than my last visit to a "hair cutting shop" - I got re-directed to the tattooist's next door to get a rabbit tattooed on my head.

 

[Fedayn]

Anyway, that's still some way better than my last visit to a "hair cutting shop" - I got re-directed to the tattooist's next door to get a rabbit tattooed on my head.

Will anyone supply the punchline.......???

 

[trevhagl]

looking forward to it as well. Still don't know what to wear. I always took stick for the sharpness of my threads, amongst many other things, all quite legitimate. Giving the 'Just for Men' an outing, cos 'the best is yet to come.'. Can still get into the stuff that I adorned fifteen years ago. The scouse git should be down, obviously re-stating that they started the whole casual dresser thing and asking me if Joe R is still wearing that green flight jacket.

well I certainly am Oi! Oi!

 

[trevhagl]

I went to a different hair cutting shop a few years ago and the woman asked me what kind of style I wanted so I said just the same kind of style as it is at the moment, she looked confused, took a few steps back and surveyed me from various angles and then said, but it's not in any style at the moment sir

you need a proper blokes cut, £17 shears 4 years ago done about 200 haircuts and still going strong

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Stones, glasshouses, etc......



It's a barbers you'll be wanting then.

Helly Hansen jacket.

 

[trevhagl]

Come, come, dear boy... the flight jacket was, like, sooooooooo 1980's. JR always had his own version of sartorial eloquence and carried it off flawlessly... as CJ was oft wont to relate... and Carl definitely had style...

i have a green one AND a burgundy one!! Oi Oi!

 

[Citizen66]

Will anyone supply the punchline.......???

He's called Warren?

 

[past caring]

No you plum, it would look like a hare from a distance.

 

[love detective]

I was going to ask what business you had in the hair cutting shop

There was a review of the book in the latest issue of Freedom - scanned copy of it here (PDF)

 

[Citizen66]

No you plum, it would look like a hare from a distance.

 

[LiamO]

It took you 400 pages to cover 15 years of Red Action having punchups with fascists.

I didn't say anything much about the Red Action book. If you really want an assessment of it here's one for you:

Some moderately interesting historical detail and a few interesting but not very worked out political arguments, surrounded by far too much tedious hooligan-lit machismo.

(Now watch as the usual crowd of embittered middle aged men have a collective prolapse from sheer rage.)

Personally I see these comments of yet one more example of a prissy lefty bending reality to suit his theory - once more in direct contradiction of the empiricism and indeed the marxism he would profess.

Others may consider them fair comment. I would be interested in exploring the rationale behind that kind of view - if it can be done in any way respectfully - but suspect that would prove far beyond Mr Irritating. Anyone else care to take up his dropped baton?

 

[The39thStep]

Personally I see these comments of yet one more example of a prissy lefty bending reality to suit his theory - once more in direct contradiction of the empiricism and indeed the marxism he would profess.

Others may consider them fair comment. I would be interested in the exploring rationale behind that kind of view - if it can be done in any way respectfully - but suspect that would prove far beyond Mr Irritating. Anyone else care to take up his dropped baton?

I am bit put off on his age-ism as well

 

[LiamO]

I am bit put off on his age-ism as well

Yes, rather old chap. Damned young whipper-snappers.

I also suspect that actually meeting, in real life, any of the 'embittered middle aged men' he refers to would indeed induce an instant prolapse in young Nigel.

 

[articul8]

Actually, Joe, my view that the book is overstuffed with hooligan-lit cliches of the "Dave landed one on the big skinhead so hard he fell back on top of two his mates" / "they looked a tasty crew" variety has precisely fuck all to do with my views of AFA or of physical force anti-fascism in general. The way in which the book glories in associations with "old school villains" (ie anti-working class parasites) isn't exactly attractive either.

I can appreciate that it might not be the worst example of this kind of writing, but I'm reading the book now and know exactly what he means. I know that there were/are some serious people involved in this tradition. But there is a macho-hobbyistic element to the enthusiasm that comes out too.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I also suspect that actually meeting, in real life, any of the 'embittered middle aged men' he refers to would indeed induce an instant prolapse in young Nigel.

Strangely enough, a recurring theme in the book is that those who politically disagree with Red Action are found wanting when it comes to physical confrontation. It might be suggested that this fixation says more about the people casting the aspersions than they perhaps intended.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

What I said in the other thread:

...There are also problems with it, and one of those problem is that the political arguments are often buried in page after page of hooligan-lit descriptions of winning fights against "tasty crews" and some fascist skinhead "taking a kicking". I can understand why some of that stuff is in there, but it gets very tiresome after a while. Another problem I had with it was the mostly positive portrayal of both "old school villains" and apolitical or semi-political football hooligans, more stuff which is pretty common in the hooligan-lit genre but which is a bit bizarre in a political context.

What an (overwhelmingly postive) review just posted on Freedom's own site says:

If you want to read it for the violence it competes well with any of the Cass Pennant [West Ham hooligan and author] pulp but really that would be a waste. A waste of all the blood (and there is lots) and sweat that was lost in the making of this book.

 

[Citizen66]

A book about violently opposing the far right has lots about violence in the narrative shocker.

 

[The39thStep]

If we could create an alternative history I wonder what Nigel's strategy would have been had he been in England in the same period that AFA operated?

 

[Louis MacNeice]

The accounts of violence may well jar with readers (and titilate them) in direct proportion to thier distance from that violence. For those involved in the physical confrontation, an account of AFA without it, and an account that didn't take some pride in such an effectively employed tactic, wouldn't be credible.

Louis (and before anybody else says it an arm chair warrior) MacNeice

 

[trevhagl]

Actually, Joe, my view that the book is overstuffed with hooligan-lit cliches of the "Dave landed one on the big skinhead so hard he fell back on top of two his mates" / "they looked a tasty crew" variety has precisely fuck all to do with my views of AFA or of physical force anti-fascism in general. The way in which the book glories in associations with "old school villains" (ie anti-working class parasites) isn't exactly attractive either.


dunno who wrote the above but i bet it's a fuck of a lot more interesting than boring academic posturing , roll on Xmas!!

 

[Blagsta]

I do find the uncritical portrayal of Dessie Noonan a bit odd, given RA's stance on drug dealers. I'm sure he was a handy comrade, but he was also someone involved in anti-social and anti-working class crime.

 

[Fedayn]

The accounts of violence may well jar with readers (and titilate them) in direct proportion to thier distance from that violence. For those involved in the physical confrontation, an account of AFA without it, and an account that didn't take some pride in such an effectively employed tactic, wouldn't be credible.

Louis (and before anybody else says it an arm chair warrior) MacNeice

Quite, what is also at odds with Nigels criticisms is the habit of the Militant leadership in 1993 of actually applauding and basking in the activities of the Away Team (until it wasn't politic) and others such as the constant references to the Brick Lane mobilisation and even going as far as rather crude computer generated graphics at the Wembley Arena Rally in 1993 showing an 'anti fascist fist' punching into a building to highlight the May 8th Demo. The rather internally critical remarks aimed at Lynn Walsh, by some in the leadership of the then ML, who at a meeting the night before the May 8th demo, opined that 'we're not here for a punch up'.

 

[The39thStep]

I do find the uncritical portrayal of Dessie Noonan a bit odd, given RA's stance on drug dealers. I'm sure he was a handy comrade, but he was also someone involved in anti-social and anti-working class crime.

How sure are you that Dessie was a drug dealer and that he was involved in anti social and anti working class crime Blagsta? If you have evidence that he was then at what stage and to what degree?

 

[Blagsta]

are you trying to say he wasn't a gangster?

 

[Blagsta]

i'm only going by what's available on the net btw. I never knew the man. If you're telling me he wasn't a gangster then fine, but there's a lot more people saying he was. Some discussion of this issue in the book wouldn't have gone amiss imo

 

[Demu]

are you trying to say he wasn't a gangster?

Are you trying to say that his involvement in anti fascism over 20 years should not be aired? Perhaps you have been watching too many Donal MacIntyre programmes.

 

[dennisr]

Quite, what is also at odds with Nigels criticisms is the habit of the Militant leadership in 1993 of actually applauding and basking in the activities of the Away Team

were we in the same organisation?

 

[Demu]

i'm only going by what's available on the net btw. I never knew the man. If you're telling me he wasn't a gangster then fine, but there's a lot more people saying he was. Some discussion of this issue in the book wouldn't have gone amiss imo

What else is it you want to know?