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Fighting Fascism: Communist Resistance to the Nazis, 1928-1933
John K, January 7, 2019
The failure of the German left to unite against Hitler is often used as a warning to those who fail to build unity with liberals in order to stop the far-right. Why did the German Communists and Social-Democrats not unite against the Nazis? John K argues not all blame can be placed on the Communists for their failure to build a proper united front, as their uneasy relationship with the Social-Democrats was based on the treacherous behavior of the Social-Democrats themselves. We publish this despite believing that the reductionist and ultra-left politics promoted by the Stalin-dominated Comintern deserve heavy critique and that ultimately the party made major strategic and political errors in leading the working class with its lack of democratic flexibility and exercise. Read Article.
Brick by Brick: An Appeal to Strength
CLR Gainz, January 23, 2019
CLR Gainz argues that the left needs physical as well as mental strength if we are going to be victorious in making revolution and defeating reaction. Reading: Cliff Connolly. Read Article.
Why Define Fascism?: In Defence of Making Distinctions
Jacob Smith, June 16, 2019
Jacob Smith argues that if the left wishes to take fascism seriously we shouldn't use the term lightly but with precision. Read Article.
Criticism and Self-Criticism: Red Guards or Iron Guards?
Konstantin Sverdlov, October 17, 2019
As socialists, we need to have each other's backs. We all have our differences and they are often of a serious nature. Yet in the end, we should aim to be on the same side of the barricades. The task of building a better world leaves no time for the narcissism of small differences endlessly dividing our own camp. But who exactly is in our own camp? What happens when a group crosses the line and ends up on the other side of the barricades? An example of a group that has done this is the combination of front groups and collectives associated with the organization Red Guards Austin, or Committee for the Reconstitution of the Communist Party USA. Konstantin Sverdlov argues that groups like the Red Guards have fully crossed the line to the point where they deserve to be treated as if they are class enemies just like fascists. By violently attacking other leftist organizations the Red Guards have joined the camp of the class enemy. We must point our guns at the enemy, not at those who fight at our side, even if they use methods we find ineffective or ideologies we find misguided. Yesterday was the anniversary of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. John Brown knew to take aim at the slaveocracy, not the moderate Republicans with reformist views. In this sense, we must be like John Brown. Read Article.
Letter from a French Prison by Antonin Bernanos
Joe Hayns, May 15, 2020
This essay, written by anti-fascist militant Antonin Bernanos while in a French prison, provides an important perspective on the relation between the state and organized fascism in France. Bernanos was arrested in April 2019 and released mid-November. Translation and introduction by Joe Hayns. Read Article.
Anti-Postone: Translator's Preface
Maciej Zurowski, January 23, 2022
In this, the preface to Cosmonaut Press’s Anti-Postone by Michael Sommer, translator Maciej Zurowski explains the importance of Sommer’s text to the contemporary left. While the book is largely directed against broad sections of the German antifascist movement, Zurowski argues that a fallacious theory of antisemitism can be easily weaponized in other contexts against leftists and anti-imperialists. Anti-Postone, which includes this preface, along with a lengthy introduction by Mike Macnair and Sommer’s essay, has now been printed and is available for purchase on Amazon and in the Cosmonaut webstore. Read Article.
Did We See This One Before?: Rachel Maddow’s 'Prequel'
Hank Kennedy, March 20, 2024
Hank Kennedy reviews 'Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism' a new book on U.S. fascism and anti-fascism by MSNBC television host and political commentator, Rachel Maddow, arguing that key omissions and inaccuracies undermine Maddow's analysis of U.S. fascist movements. Read Article.
