Listening to the ⁦ @Mickcliff⁩ interview the 1st thing that jumps out is his US alt-right mispronunciation of AntiFa. They do that to avoid saying anti fascist because there is a shorter way of saying anti anti fascism it speaks of lack of research https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-echo-chamber-podcast/id1301985342#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Ftortoiseshack.ie%2F%3Fp%3D6948

his analysis could not be shallower, I saw violence so nothing else matters, both are the same. The excuse he was writing a colour piece so couldn’t be expected to have an analysis is or done research is laughable.

For instance he seems entirely unaware that conspiracy theories are central to fascism. He then falls into ‘who next’ slippery slope arguments put out by the far right but who anti fascists are very clear in rejecting. Again no research here except perhaps far right YT

So far there is no discussion of the Garda in facilitating the previous fascist violence - here he has no excuse, policing is something he does research. The lack of commentary about the same small group of fascists attacking people with weapons week after week invites no comment

Complete nonsense about his online critics ‘contracting thugs’ to attack the fascists. This is as misleading as you can get, apart from anything else no one with an identifiable online account would be unwise to identify themselves as having been there.

This idea of anti fascists as ‘contracted thugs’ is a dog whistle to straight up alt-right propaganda in which AntFa are paid for by the Democrats & George Soros. Lots of politics & lobbying does have paid organisers, militant anti fascism never has.

His name not argument is a slippery slope argument over and over. It doesn’t apply, anti fascism is not a program for power, it evaporates when the fascists are defeated - most AntiFa are very happy to instead use that time for community & workplace organising

We know this already from Ireland - Fascists were violently drawn off the streets of Dublin in early 2017. Militant Anti fascism didn’t move on the other right wingers, it essentially stood down for 3 years & reformed when the threat became serious again

He keeps referencing the chance of fascists becoming a political force as if that is the only threat. They have spent 2 years fire bombing direct provision centers, a TDs car & physically attacked many people that we know of. Probably many unknown racist & homophobic attacks too

And all this with Garda impunity, probably because they are ‘protecting sources’ in the fascist ranks. This violence is the work of a small group, many already with extensive criminal records, all of whom are easy to identify. Should they just be allowed to attempt to terrorize?

The current violence is put to him at end, he falls back on saying how horrible this is which is to depoliticize the fascist strategy of encouraging & perhaps organizing these attacks. He says we can’t know that but we can know that fascists at the Dail are on video attacking