The Anatomy of a Purge: The Left Must Resist Demonization – Truth-Out

Police patrol the scene at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park following a mass shooting in Alexandria, Virginia, June 14, 2017. (Photo: Al Drago / The New York Times)

In the immediate aftermath of theAlexandria shootingon June 14, theNew York TimesandVice Newsjoined therising chorusofright-wingoutragewith two pieces denouncing growing "left-wing extremism." They failed to mention, of course, therising tideofbloodsheddue to attacks byfar-right activistsbeforeandsinceTrump's inauguration, the current president'sownendorsementofviolenceon thecampaign trailor the long history of right-wing forces urging their followers to embraceSecond Amendmentremediesas a solution to politics they oppose. On the surface, these shoddy pieces seem driven by a desire for hits, but lurking behind these words is the very real possibility of a new political panic targeting US progressive and left organizing and action.

Throughout US history, the forces of the left have suffered from numerous political purges, usually referred to as panics or scares, each of which were incited by incidents like the Scalise shooting. The first example was thesuppression of the US Socialist Party and the Industrial Workers of the Worldfor their opposition to US participation in the First World War in the First Red Scare. This position was hardly unique to the left, withantiwar sentiment enjoying broadsupportin US society. The Wilson administration responded harshly with the notoriousEspionage and Sedition Acts, giving the state the tools needed to smash organized opposition. These effortsculminated in the brutal Palmer Raids, spearheaded by the FBI, which broke the back of the US left as punishment for their opposition to the war and radical actions, such asthe Seattle GeneralStrike.

Similar fear-mongering was used to brutal effect during the late 1940s and 1950s with the Second Red Scare, better known asMcCarthyism. Using the trials ofAlger Hiss,theRosenbergs, and the wave ofstrikesand labor actions of 1946, including theOakland GeneralStrike, as fuel, a new blaze was ignited.Many lost their jobs or were driven out ofthe country,radical elements of the labor movement were purged, and once again, the organized left was forced underground.

A similar push was attempted, with more limited impact, starting in the late 1980s and 1990s to tar the environmentalist movement withthebrush of terrorismduring theGreen Scare.

Viewed with these recent examples of anti-left suppression in mind,the reaction to the Scalise shooting presents a very real threat to left and progressive activism. As was the case in past panics, there is a rising tide of progressive sentiment with increasing strength and traction. BetweenBlack Lives Matter,the climate change movementand theFight for $15, grassroots action is advancing with an energy, cohesion and fury unseen in decades. Resistance to the forces of the far right, similarly, is increasingly galvanized and determined as shown bythe airport shutdowns,opposition to the anti-Sharia marchand growingAntifa action. Evenlocal and state governments are openly defying the federal governmentover the Paris climate deal.

In light of this,the Russia investigations that refuseto go away,Trump's failureto pass Trumpcare, implementhis infrastructureplanorbuild his wall,the current administrationandCongress' growing unpopularity,it should be no surprise theright will try to use Alexandriato justify decisively crushing all opposition. From their perspective, they arebesetby foeson all sideswho stand in the wayof "Making America Great Again." Nothing would be a more effective distraction with the bonus of eliminating all obstacles to their goals than firing up a new panic to consume their enemies.

In these times, it is absolutely critical those engaged in progressive and leftist organizing push back hard, fast and aggressively against any attempts at initiating a political purge. We must push back against false claims and exaggerations asserting leftist violence is somehow a greater threat than the proven, increasing wave of far-right violence. We need to educate our communities in effective civil disobedience tactics, defense against the far right and effectively thwarting malicious prosecution. We must also educate people in what we are fighting for, continue our work, expand our coalitions and refuse to be cowed by any attempts by the powerful to intimidate us. As every day since January 20, 2017, has shown, mass resistance is working. If we mobilize support, refuse to cooperate with abuses of authority and stand together, we can stop the new political panic before it starts.

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The Anatomy of a Purge: The Left Must Resist Demonization - Truth-Out