Third Short Quiz – Chapters 4-6 + Conclusion and Appendices A & B

[johnkarls]

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Chapter 4 – Five Historical Lessons for Anti-Fascists

1. Is Mark Bray’s first “historical lesson” (p.131 concluding sentence) that “fascism has gained entry to the halls of power not by smashing down the gates, but by convincing the gatekeepers to politely swing them open”???

2. Is Mark Bray once again displaying his ignorance of history since, as we have studied many times, Hitler was wildly popular with the entire German population because –

The Treaty of Versailles, officially concluding World War I, imposed impossible reparations against Germany at the insistence of the French. Which the French mercilessly continued to enforce periodically for many years by continuing to invade militarily and pillage Germany’s industrial heartland (aka “The Rhineland” because it was centered on the Rhine River) -- taking back to France vehicles, railroad rolling stock, and anything of value that could be packed into them -- until, 17.5 years after the 11/11/2018 end of World War I, when Adolf Hitler called a halt on 3/7/1936 to the French pillaging by “re-occupying the Rhineland” with German troops -- which made Hitler wildly popular in Germany!!!

3. Does his second “historical lesson” purporting to involve analysis of whether something was “fascist” in the period between World Wars I and II strike you as odd since --

(A) As we have already noted in the first two Short Quizzes, his analyses of whether something in general, and President Trump in particular, are fascist – are laughable!!!

(B) On p. 135, does he claim that “according to most historians” General Franco in Spain was “not technically fascist”??? What’s the matter with this guy (i.e., Bray)??? Even if Bray never read “Homage to Catalonia” about personally fighting against Franco in the Spanish Civil War by Eric Arthur Blair WHO SOMETIMES USED THE “PEN NAME” OF GEORGE ORWELL, didn’t Bray ever see the 1942 Hollywood movie “Casablanca” starring Humphrey Bogart???

4. Is there any reason to dispute Bray’s third “historical lesson” that during the period between World Wars I and II that the socialist and communist leadership were slower than their “rank and file” to assess the threat of fascism and ADVOCATE MILITANT RESPONSES???

5. Or any reason to dispute his fourth “historical lesson” that fascism “steals from the left ideology, strategy, imagery, and culture”??? Other than the fact that “the left” didn’t patent or copyright or trademark those ideas if, indeed, they were even generated by “the left”???

6. Does Bray’s fifth “historical lesson” claim that fascism wasn’t popular, ignore the fact that Hitler was wildly popular by calling a halt to 17.5 years of French invasions/pillaging (ref. Q-2)???


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Chapter 5 – “So Much For The Tolerant Left!”: “No Platform” and Free Speech

7. Is Chapter 5 divided into 5 sections, each of which is headed by a question --

• How Free Is “Free Speech”?
• Are Anti-Fascists Anti-Free Speech?
• Do Anti-Fascists Agree That “No Platforming” Fascists, That Is, Disrupting Their Public Organizing, Violates Their Freedom Of Speech?
• What About The “Slippery Slope? [NB: this is a common phrase in American jurisprudence]
• Doesn’t “No Platforming” Fascists Erode Free Speech In A Way That Hurts The Left More Than The Right?

8. Is Mark Bray difficult to take seriously vis-à-vis free speech because –

• He is not an attorney and frequently doesn’t know what he’s talking about???
• He advocates violence throughout his The Antifa Handbook and, at least in the U.S., advocating violence is NOT protected free speech.

[Re advocating violence being “outside the pale,” please see the last substantive section of the Original Proposal entitled “Observations on Rutger’s Statement Re ‘Free Speech’” at viewtopic.php?f=884&t=2736&sid=ccfe532e ... fbaf8a7eb7]


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Chapter 6 – Strategy, (Non)Violence, and Everyday Anti-Fascism

9. Do pp. 167-203 have no section headlines, tacked onto the end of which are pp. 203-206 which are entitled “Everyday Anti-Fascism???

10. Do pp. 167-203 which are then presumably about “Strategy, (Non)Violence” – advocate violence??? Under what conditions if indeed, there are any limits???

11. Is it ironic that the only illustrations in Chapter 6 (pp. 176 & 199) both pertain to Madrid when Mark Bray argued on p. 135 that Spain was “not technically” fascist (ref. Q-3)???

12. Does at least the first half of his “Everyday Anti-Fascism” section (pp. 203-206) comprise an anti-Pres. Trump rant???

13. Is this anti-Pres. Trump rant an echo of Mark Bray’s anti-Trump rant in his Introduction about which the following Questions of the Second Short Quiz were all answered affirmatively --

• Does his first paragraph list examples of alleged “fascism” by President Trump as including (A) “chants of ‘Build That Wall’” by middle schoolers in Michigan while ignoring that illegal immigration was condemned by every Democrat President until Pres. Biden, and (B) zillions of alleged examples of anti-Semitism by Pres. Trump even though he is widely recognized by Israelis and their Prime Minister as the best friend Israel ever had in the White House???
• Indeed, aren’t Pres. Trump’s own daughter Ivanka and her children (Trump’s grandchildren) Jewish???
• Does Mark Bray say (p. xxiv) – “This book…..is an unabashedly call to arms …..to contextualize opposition to Trump…..”???
• Does he say further on p. xxiv – “Antifa…..argues that militant anti-fascism is a reasonable, historically informed response to the fascist threat that…..has become especially menacing in recent years”???? Does Mark Bray even listen to himself – “militant” is “reasonable”???

With the second question explained – “Ivanka converted to Judaism when she married Jared Kushner in 2009 (long before the 2017 publication of The Antifa Handbook) so their three children are also Jewish.”


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Conclusion: Goodnight White Pride (Or Whiteness Is Indefensible)

14. Is this a “conclusion” summing up everything that has gone before???

15. Or is it a brand-new allegation of what, in Mark Bray’s non-humble opinion, can constitute fascism???

16. If “Whiteness Is Indefensible,” what does Mark Bray want white people to do – get a tattoo covering every iota of their skin???

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Appendix A: Advice From The Anti-Fascists Of The Past And Present To Those Of The Future

17. Does Appendix A contain 10 pages of such advice???

18. Has what Mark Bray said from his Intro to his Conclusion inspired you to take additional inspiration from these 10 pages of advice???

19. BTW, do your remember that Q&A-19 of the First Short Quiz pointed out that one of the “talking points” of Mark Bray’s defenders was that Antifa can NOT be a “Terrorist Organization” because it is not an “Organization”???

20. Is Mark Bray de facto calling his defenders “liars” when he quotes “Antifa Nebraska” on p. 219, and “Ant-Fascist Network, U.K.” on p. 220???

21. And to cap it off, by quoting “Antifa International” (p. 213) as urging --

“Get in touch with anti-fascist groups in a city near you, or in your country, or any antifa (apparently from context, a reference to a single human being) anywhere that you respect and ask them how they did it!”


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Appendix B: Select Works On North American And European Anti-Fascism

22. Does this Appendix comprise, inter alia, a list of beaucoup publications on Anti-Fascism in 12 different countries???

23. Does this further “put the lie” to Mark Bray apologists who claim that Antifa can NOT be a “Terrorist Organization” because it is not an “Organization”???