I’ve written before about how the radical right exaggerates and distorts both centrist liberal as well as actual left wing ideas in part by attempting to conflate the two, but also by misrepresenting varieties of leftism and liberalism. The radical right has returned (if indeed they ever left) to the smear tactics of the McCarthy era in which the label of “Marxist” or “Neo-Marxist” is applied via guilt by association, while never addressing what “Marxism” or “Neo-Marxism” actually are, or why their arguments are valid or invalid. Then because some who actually do call themselves Marxist support some positions taken by centrist liberals, or because some centrist liberals may take the time to actually attempt to understand what Marxists are actually saying, centrist liberal causes are conflated with Marxist organizations. This kind of attack is exemplified in a recent piece accusing the No Kings Protests of fronting for “Marxism and Molotov Cocktails.” Authorship and origin of the article is not reported in the previous citation, but with a few clicks of the mouse I was able to determine that the article was originally written by Mike Howell, President of an organization called Oversight Project and initially published in Blaze Media. The article itself is based on an investigation conducted by the same organization and published in a report by the same organization.
The “evidence” that is used to support the allegation that the No Kings protests are organized by Marxists and Marxist sympathizers is based on nothing other than analysis of social media follows by organizers of the No Kings Protests . In other words, the Oversight Project devoted significant time and energy into finding the names of those most closely associated with the No Kings movement and then investigated the social media accounts that they follow. Their conclusion is based on the fact that among the multiple people and organizations that the organizers of No Kings follow are included both revolutionary Marxist organizations as well as Democratic Socialists of America.*
The allegations of the Oversight Project should be rejected as unfounded smears.Being either unwilling, unable, or both, to actually address the real issues behind the No Kings protests, the people at the Oversight Project must resort to making an entirely fictitious association of the No Kings movement with Molotov cocktails and reporting on the social media accounts followed by its organizers. The first point is an absolute lie, the latter is absurd: people can obviously follow all kinds of organizations and individuals on social media without necessarily agreeing with those organizations and individuals.
It should be noted, that the No Kings protests, which have attracted hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, has been entirely peaceful and non violent. Not one single Molotov cocktail has been thrown. And notably, among the slogans alleged to be prominent at the No Kings protests and its web site in the above cited article, I was not able to locate the actual slogans alleged to be prominent. The No Kings website also explicitly states its commitment to non-violence. Its focus has been on protesting the unconstitutional abuses of executive power by the current sitting President, Donald Trump. Pretty radical stuff I’d say, no doubt reflecting the sentiments of violent revolutionaries on such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton on the limits to Executive Power.
Such points however, are lost on the Neo-McCarthyist radical right, who in spite of the end of the Soviet Union, seek to revive the Red Scare of old. The tactic and goal of what was known as “red baiting” back in the bad old days of the height of the Cold War was never about addressing the actual shortcomings and problems of Stalinism and Stalinist organizations. The tactic was always intended to cut off any significant discussion of controversial issues or political theory and to ensure that the ideals of Democratic Socialism could not receive a hearing. Moreover, the actual target always went far beyond aiming at Socialists or Socialism, to aim at discrediting even the mildest reforms of the Capitalist System such as The New Deal or The Great Society. Thus one starts with the atrocities of Stalin and Mao, which should indeed be condemned and falsely associates and conflates Democratic Socialists with Stalinism. Thus because Democratic Socialists, as well as others on the Socialist Left, support some of the same kinds of social programs supported by centrist liberals, or because on some occasions Centrist Liberals receive qualified support from Democratic Socialists, or heavens forbid, are able to find issues where constructive engagement is possible, Centrist Liberals are thus held to be guilty of the crimes of Stalin or of Stalinist organizations. Every political idea or politician even marginally to the left of the current Republican Party who addresses the problem of inequality or oppression is then labeled as a Neo-Marxist. And this entire enterprise is undertaken with no effort whatsoever to even attempt to address what Marxism or Social Liberalism as political philosophies actually are.
*Disclaimer: I am not currently a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), though I have long identified myself as generally sympathetic to its ideals. DSA is not a political party: it is a multi-tendency organization that aims to influence the Democratic Party, a strategy with which I disagree while also taking issue with some of the tendencies within DSA. Though I have friends and associates who participate in the No Kings Protests, I am not a participant in the No Kings protests, among other reasons, due to its association with the Democratic Party.
Citizen Rat 