Fight the Right with right on your side

Some seek to stop the growth of right-wing, neo-fascist white supremacist hate-group ideas by fists and boots, hoping to restrict them from being expressed. Attacking such a strategy as being counter-productive and anti-democratic risks socialists being accused of being apologists to racists.

  This article by Janet Contrusi on Dissident Voice came to the attention of SOYMB blog and it is well worth a read. 

Some extracts

"First, as a tactic violence can, at best, bring short-term gains, but those have to be weighed against long-term consequences. In other words, we don’t want to win the battle but lose the war."

"Violence, it seems, provided free publicity for the fascists...And the fascists were quick to make the best of their notoriety. They cast themselves in the role of victim and hammered home the charge that the Left was interfering with their right to free speech and assembly."

"What does work [is] swamping their propaganda with truth. This requires a long-term organizing strategy beyond the occasional demonstration or peace march"