When it comes to the extremist violence and anti-democratic, even fascistic, designs of the far right, the threat goes much deeper than visible groups like the Proud Boys. Out of fear and a desire to protect those who are most vulnerable to these threats, some well-meaning allies have shown a troubling willingness to align themselves with repressive institutions like the FBI. But history has shown time and again that such institutions are not on the side of the progressive left or the working class, author and activist Shane Burley argues. In the first installment of this week’s Marc Steiner Show, Marc and Burley discuss the inner workings of the far right today and the need to counteract the reactionary threats it poses by organizing at the grassroots level and building robust community protection networks. Shane Burley is the author of Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse (AK Press, 2021) and Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It (AK Press, 2017). His work has appeared in a range of outlets including NBC News, Jacobin, Al Jazeera, The Baffler, The Daily Beast, Truthout, In These Times, and Protean magazine.

Tune in for new segments of The Marc Steiner Show every Tuesday and Friday on TRNN.

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Even when fighting the far right, the FBI is not your friend