David Renton is a barrister and historian and the author of The New Authoritarians: Convergence on the Right.
The catastrophic descent of interwar Europe into fascist rule may not be repeatable in today’s world. But a different form of reactionary politics could still take shape and prove to be just as harmful.
Donald Trump has threatened to ban “Antifa” as a terrorist organization. But you can’t ban a set of ideas. As long as we face the threat of a violent, authoritarian right, anti-fascism will remain an essential force.
Today’s far right is little more than an incoherent collection of provocations. But if it grows and attains more power, it will employ the consistent ideology and clear goals of traditional fascism. That’s the danger the Left has to combat today.
Steve Bannon’s organizing model relied on an army of street brawlers and online cranks. The success of Le Pen and Farage in the European election shows something different: the far right is going mainstream.
It’s not clear that a Leave vote would make our tasks on the Left any easier.
Syriza is divided over whether Greece should leave the eurozone — and at what cost.
Its critics are being proven wrong. Syriza hasn’t been demobilizing movements, but helping them grow.