Jeremy Stangroom

There are a few clowns floating around making the banally obvious point that passive acquiescence to the Nazis in the 1930s just played into their hands. Of course. And do did street fighting, you ahistorical loons! The Nazis thrived on street fighting.

There are other alternatives, you know, between passivity and street fighting. It is just about possible to develop a more sophisticated strategy to counter the threat of extremism than larping your way around Portland attacking people who may or may not be journalists.

Extremism flourishes in situations where the norms of political life breakdown. It flourishes - as does populism - if you don't seek to incorporate as many people as possible within your political projects. It flourishes if the institutions of civic society are delegitimized.