From: Jonny Axelsson <jonnya@ifi.uio.no>
Subject: RAF, the autonome movement, and street fights
        09:29:29 GMT
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Cc: jonnya
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
        <1992Jul20.121719.6938@iti.org> <4669@sersun1.essex.ac.uk>
        <1992Jul26.092929.8313@oracle.us.oracle.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 12:03:10 GMT
Originator: jonnya@butleren.ifi.uio.no

After reading the messages of autonome forum and the comments thereof,
I felt the urge to dump some of my own. There are three subjects I
want to fertilize: RAF, the autonomes, and street fights. Since I am
not and have never been a member or supporter of the RAF, am not an
autonome, and have never struck a blow in any street fight, I feel
superbly qualified.

RAF
One thing I found interesting about RAF was the discrepancy between
the official (almost BildZeitung-ese) truth and what I gather was
closer to the real events, and the methods used by the democratic
state of FRG was educating. In this the RAF was successful. FRG became
a far less pleasant country, overwhelming the direct effect of the RAF
(they never killed more than a tiny fraction of what, say, the
autobahn did). Another victory for RAF.

Yes, and the above discrepancy made a lot of otherwise sensible people
support what was in reality a bunch of authoritarian lunatics. The
best you can say of them was that "they were blinded by their own
responsibility", to nick a phrase explaining why the young, idealistic
East European communist did their best to assassinate their own
society.

AUTONOMES
I wonder if there is to be an American autonome movement, I've always
thought of it as a European phenomena that doesn't export very well,
the social structures just seem to be too different.

The autonomes are based on punk, radical, and self-reliance ideas,
evolved from the squatters. It is a very vital movement too, rather
going for action than words. I could easily enthuse about the
autonomes for several Ks, but I also have some bad feelings on it.

As the movement has grown more international, more organized, more
powerful even, it has grown more dogmatic. While intensively
democratic, there is ironically little room for dissent. And while
it is very alive, I fear it will implode under the mass of
increasingly unreal politics worthy of the Trotskists. It may be the
70's all over again.

STREET FIGHTS
I was tempted to flame a bit ("Hey, scumbag, *you* are talking
40's/50's, *not* 20's/30's), but I realised that you speak as one who
has never experienced a neo-fascist rampage.

Neither communism nor fascism engenders much sympathy, but that was
not the subject. While both ideologies are repulsive, there is a very
notable difference between fascists and communists (or any other
radical)(*) on the street.

While also radical demonstrations may be violent, they attack symbols
of authority (like police or embassy windows), fascists attack people
on the street. I've seen bystanders at radical demonstrations spout
often impressively right-wing opinions (more than many people on the
net would dare) immediately been attacked by several demonstrators
*verbally* (with arguments even :). At a fascist demonstration
bystanders of different opinions would be pulped, just as they would
had they been of the wrong race, of wrong sexual preference, or if
they just didn't look right.

I don't think beating up fascists will stop racism, but in cities with
radical dominance fascists are held in check. At least in cities with
a strong autonome/violent radical presence gypsies, queers, immigrants
and jews can walk safer than what they would happen. A more
conventional solution might be better, but it just won't happen, at
least not in the short run.

(*) Just for the record, communists are here in a minority. Especially
the autonomes are active, but there are also anarchists, radicals and
non-radicals in the more acute anti-racistic work. 

Jonny Axelsson