lorge Gomoudai was killed in Dresden at the beginning of April, as part of an 'open hunting season' on foreigners. Since then, no night has passed in the 'new, democraticand peace-loving Germany' without an assaul or a fire-bombing.
Nonetheless, German police recently announced that no ac tion could be taken against neonazi organisations, because there is no evidence of any or. ganised involvement But recent polls show a worrying rise in support for the racist right in Germany. More Bird of west Germans, and nearly a quarter of cast Germans consider themselves sympathetic. One in ten would vote or them.
The neo-nazis are gaining There may ganised in far right consider themselves fascists.
But the wave of fascist attacks is not entirely a reflection of a new phenomenon. In June 1989, Marger Honecker, the ex-l'renident of East Germany's wife, Proclaimed that 'the seeds that the educationalists of our country have sown have borne fruit. She spoke too soon. Even then, 6% of cast German youth identified with the radical right. Rather than education, it is the reality of autontarian east cor many that has borne fruit.
Now no hostel for asvlumseekers, foreigners or immigrants is safe from assault or harassment. Before it was fre quent - now it is constant. The wave of arson and murder may fade away - but it will be back, Yes! I want to become a Socialist Outlook , supporter O 11 want more information about Socialist Outlook O i I want to take an order of ........... copies of Socialist I Outlook to sell O Name: .... Address: Page 2 : Oct. 26, 1991 No. 10 because it reflects the reality of German society today. problem must be tackled from Reactionary and extreme richt opinion is clearly to be tolerated by the establishment. And a militant fascist mass movement is a real possibility today. A few thousands could become some tens of thousands with a bit of organisation.
What are the roots of the rise of the radical right?
In east Germany. stairsisti has left behind an ideological democracy is losing exception of the imtel with the ligentsia. Established parties have lost any real base among Germany's youth; their youth organisations attract only the career conscious yuppies. The unions, despite a larger paper do little to fire their enthusiasm.
It is the sense of powerlessness, strengthened by decline of social security, that sondarity and democracy: predominates. In reality whoever is old or ill doesn't stand a chance. Unless you sprint in the factory, you sacked. The experience is dog eat dog' and the moral is capitalism. These are the roots f the problem, exacerbated by he lack of an alternativ Unification took the radical right by surprise and disorien ated it. This was particularly of the west German Republikaner, who had tracted more than 2 million votes in the 1981 European elections.
quarrels i then interna reduced their membership to less than 15,000. But more recently, the party has bounced Bitter fruits of Stalinism: East German fascist youth back, and now declares over 25,000 members. They may not have the potential for the mass rallies of the early "80s, but they are nonetheless far and away the strongest force on the tool cal right, other than in the cast.
Attempts by the Nationalist Party (NPD) and l'eople's Union (DVU) to join forces with the German were meanwhile a spectacular failure. Rather than creating a new mass party, grouplet was spawned.
Theseorganisations, based in the petit bourgeoisie, have not been able to reach out to new sections of society. They remain primarily electoral fronts, rather than real political parties. Their electorate is worrying arge - but largely passive ut it is they, along with th bility' to the campaign o for against Germany s black and immigrant population. The unhesitating hounding of those ecking asylum provokes and rengthens the prevailing reas tion.
And this climate has rice to a new breed of fascist roupto those discussed above ions have anative care and youth, rather than worrying about electoral fronts. Between them, these skinhead-based groups probably organise some 3,000 youth Disorganised they may be. but they are dangerous. A leadng cast German police officer varned in May of the coming wave of terror, organised reality, an active kernel of organisers has moved among the skinheads, encouraging further action and trying to build an orsanisaton One thing is certain - their resonance is greater than it has ever been in recent years. For the first timesince the end of the nazis, Germany once again has a militant fascist movement. The horror provoked by this wave of violence has given rise to demonstrations all over Germany. strengthened. And the basis has been created for a song, mas anti-fascist movement. But the tactics of the fascists "The fascist threat cannot be beaten back solely through the protests and legal measures so dear to the hearts of the liberals and reformist left. What we needs a astra broad mass nevement against must be answered directly. The militant fascist groups are heading straight for the working dass vouth - and that is precisely what the left must do.
The fascist threat cannot be beaten back solely through the protests and legal measures so and reformist left. When one group is banned, a new one will be formed a day later.
What we need is a lasting broad mass movement against the fascists. We need to organise in every town and city -meetings, demonstrations, propaganda. We need, above all, to counter the hatred of forwith against unemployment and for the right to housing.
This article was abridged Revolutionary Socialist Group (GRS), supporters of the Fourth Intemational in cast Germany.
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