The 23-year-old French man was attacked while providing what his supporters said was security for a protest against an appearance by hard-left MEP Rima Hassan at an event in Lyon. 'Hatred that kills has no place in our country,' the French president said on Saturday.
Here’s why I tolerate violence towards fascists (and nobody else, including child molesters, serial rapists, etc.)
Fascists condone violence against groups they fear. That includes you and I, as people who are not fascists.
Fascist rhetoric is insidious and makes sense to a lot of people, because a lot of people like their thinking done for them.
Fascists, left unchallenged, will gradually take over large enough sections of society to gain power. We’ve seen this happen many many times in history, not just in Nazi Germany. We’re seeing it in real time now.
Words are not enough to dissuade the fascists, nor are prison sentences. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf in prison. Fascists have stock answers to terminate thought on every issue. They ignore nuance and play to their supporters’ prejudices.
Fascists need to be afraid to be fascists, that is the only way to suppress them. Tolerating them leads to them taking power. Unlike sex offenders/serial killers/fraudsters etc who do what they do for individual reasons, the fascist’s goal is to twist the social narrative and seize power through othering of groups who will eventually be exterminated. Criminal sanctions are too difficult to bring to bear on fascism, as they (fascists) aren’t hindered by prison sentences, in fact they often play the victim and use their “persecution” as evidence that their chosen outgroup (Jews/immigrants/Tutsi/whatever) is controlling the legal system.
The answer? They need to be afraid to be fascists, shunned by society and in fear of their personal safety if they attempt to spread their message. It’s critical for us all to perpetuate this fear. By punching Nazis, or tolerating those that do, at the very least.