Because I’m not familiar with the politics of Poland, I’ve been reluctant to report that last Saturday an estimated 60,000 nationalists & supremacists marched chanting slogans against both Muslims & Jews & calling for a white Europe. Since fascists from all over Europe converged for the march, it’s not certain what their strength is in Poland. Whatever it is, it’s a threat & a political problem to all of us. But of course, the rise of fascist forces requires full analysis, not glib scaremongering.

There is growing political polarization internationally, not just in Poland. Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, & fascist forces gained strength in that polarization with obfuscations about Syria. They convinced many antiwar activists, Palestinian supporters, & most socialists to support the Assad dictatorship & Syrian & Russian bombing of civilians in the name of defending Syrian national sovereignty. The most fundamental principles of solidarity & opposition to war were abandoned & replaced by repugnant, simple-minded but mostly Islamophobic & anti-Semitic scare tactics denying the Syrian revolution against Assad. Drawing on the most hateful stereotypes, fascist ideologues twisted a social revolution against brutal dictatorship into Islamist head-choppers & scheming Zionists & thereby joined forces with the counter-revolution which includes the US, Syria, Russia, Iran, Israel, Hezbollah.

Now these same fascist forces that support Assad’s dictatorship are supporting the Burmese junta in the Rohingya genocide, Duterte’s death squads & war against Muslims, Maduro’s repression against dissent in Venezuela, the Sri Lankan military against the Tamils, & they mock all protests against Trump’s policies as just liberals–as if there is something politically lowbrow about being liberal rather than libertarian or outright fascist.

There is only one way to reverse the growth & increased confidence of these social forces based on hate & that is to out-mobilize them & chase their cowardly asses back under their rocks. We have nothing to fear if we stand steadfast with the oppressed; if we accept no racist apologetics for war & oppose all military interventions; if we are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone, regardless of their politics, who is willing to fight for justice.