I think that pretty much spells out the difference.
this would be a quite devasting spelling out, if it weren't for the fact that it's lazy stereotyping, innacurate, and an excuse for sitting on your arse doing nowt.
There is more to life than being a headless chicken chasing the wrong end of the pantomine horse in manchester belboid,
when you were involved in 'street' anti-fascism you might have run around like a headless chicken, but that's no reason to asssume anyone else did the other week. No need for it whatsoever, calmly watching where EDLers were gathering, following them and taking a few pics is all pretty easy - even for old farts like me n you. Or should we just have ignored them? That wouldn't have done much good, would it?
and then complaining that the Police (who presumably from the 'anti fascists' views were there to protect the fascists ) weren't being beastly enough to them.
oh dear oh dear, have you not read the thread, or are you just being deliberately dishonest? You choose to concentrate on the sixty odd seconds of the police swinging out at the racists, whilst ignoring the five hours they allowed them to wander the streets in groups chanting racist slogans and intimidating non-white shoppers. I know you have rejected the marxist view of the state these days, but quite why you should see the need to defend the police so much, i dont know.
Let's be clear, the activities of those anti-fascists who weren't held by the police in Piccasdilly Square certainly didn't deal any knock-out blow to the EDL, or send them away with their tales between their legs, but it did something that used to be a central part of such work. It got the racists to
expose themsevles. The nazi salutes, racist chanting and anti
all muslim placards exposed the lie that they are not a bunch of racist arseholes. The existence of two black people on the demo would not - to the vast majority of people - outweigh the blatant racism on display.
You, meanwhile, thought no one should do owt on the day. Which would have left them with an even clearer victory, which would have allowed them to walk the streets even more confidently. And would have left them cockier for next time, more likely to involve themselves in the racist violence so many of them are clearly missing.
All in all, you can sit back n be as smug as you like, but it achieves fuck all, and allows the racists a free ride.
I don't think no immigration controls is necessarily a principle of a pro working class left and whilst I agree in supporting workers abroad and international solidarity I think if we had focussed on events that local working class communities thought important rather than what the left did then the left wouldn't be as weak as its is .
demands for the free movement of labour have been a part of the socialist movement for decades, at the very least. If it is rejected, we accpet that bosses can determine where people can work, whereas it should be workers determining that. And there is no need to put forward your false dichotomy of supporting the free movement of labour
or focussing on local issues, it is perfectly possible to do both. As we should.
Ps Ginger beer is my best hang over medicine
I'll bear that in mind, would it still work if you'd been drinking a ginger spiced beer tho...???
