06) FASCIST TERROR STRIKES AGAIN

People's Voice Editorial

     The horrifying news from Norway makes it clear again that the ideology of fascism remains a significant danger in every "developed" capitalist country. Any idea that the Anders Breiviks of the world are a "handful of disturbed individuals" is naive, to say the least. Far from being isolated, 21st century fascists thrive in the hothouse atmosphere of anti-communism, white supremacy, xenophobia, militarism, and fundamentalist bigotry. Extremist ideas are nurtured in the environment of a ruling class drive to destroy every hard-won gain achieved by working people. In this situation, individual fascists often lash out in a murderous fashion. Whether or not such actions can be directly tied to particular statements by a media outlet or politician, the overall tenor of bourgeois rhetoric fans the flames of violence.

     On July 22, most mass media outlets initially pointed at "Muslims," even though the Oslo bombing was eerily reminiscent of the Oklahoma City attack by white racists. As the facts emerged, the media played dumb, talking about Norway's resistance against the Nazis, even though thousands of Norwegian fascists volunteered for Hitler's Wehrmacht and the far right remains active today.

     A similar situation could easily erupt in Canada, where neo-Nazis openly parade through city streets, attacking innocent people and inciting bloodshed. In Calgary, for example, anti-racist activists are repeatedly threatened and assaulted, while police refuse to "take sides." The fact is that fascism is a ruling class ideology, aimed at dividing working people. Our response to the attack in Norway must be to unite against the fascist threat in our own country, including the ultra-right forces high inside the Conservative Party as well as the Nazi thugs in our streets.

(The above article is from the August 1-31, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)