Franco is still dead…

Franco is still dead…
By Scott Horton

… but his spirit seems to have inspired a courtroom drama in Madrid the past few weeks. Baltasar Garzón—the crusading investigative judge who once sought the arrest of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, probed crimes against humanity in Central America, exposed massive corruption in public-works projects in Spain, and tried to open the lid on the mass killings of the Franco era—was himself placed in the dock, accused of misuse of his judicial powers. In the end little was left to chance in the rush to destroy him, an effort that brought into alignment the many powerful figures he had offended: the now-governing conservative Partido Popular, which was richly embarrassed by the corruption disclosures of the Garzón-led Gürtel investigation; the United States government, which was angered by his pursuit of a torture investigation focusing on Guantánamo and was openly working for his removal; the heirs of the Franco era, who were whipped into a state of hysteria about the prospect of an investigation into the mass murders of that era.

Even Spain’s leftists and liberals seemed uneasy with the quixotic and sometimes politically tin-eared jurist. Only a ragtag group of human-rights advocates and bar associations from around the Hispanic world stood with Garzón, remembering how he had stood with them against the atrocity crimes of dictatorships, which the polite and the powerful preferred simply to ignore. Now Garzón stands convicted of abuse of power, in comically politicized proceedings that he is not permitted to appeal.
…

Adolf Hitler was a fan of Mickey Mouse

Who would have thought?

Zitat aus Goebbels’ Tagebuch, vom 20.12.1937:

Ich schenke dem Führer 12 Micky-Maus-Filme zu Weihnachten! Er freut sich sehr darüber. Ist ganz glücklich über diesen Schatz.

Goebbels's Diary from 20th December 1937:

I gave the Führer 12 Mickey-Mouse movies for christmas! He was very pleased about that. Is very happy about this treasure.

Well, the fascists know good propaganda for the masses, when they see it.

The Militarization of Our Police

Repost of a classic, due to recent events:

The Militarization of Our Police

The doorstep of fascism

Fascism in power is the open, terroristic dictatorship of the most reactionary, the most chauvinistic, the most imperialistic elements of finance capitalism.
Georgi Dimitrov, for the Communist Third International

So, when I read things like the following, I get a very bad feeling:

Already there are rumors floating about that parts of the german industry are determined to give massive financial support for such a thing as a "NNP" [Neo-National Party].

(Gerüchtehalber gibt es bereits konkrete Zusagen aus der deutschen Industrie für massive Finanzunterstützung für so etwas wie eine NNP.)

They aren't in power, and they aren't committed to a open, terroristic dictatorship – yet.

Principiis obsta – Resist the beginnings!

Quotes from a bygone era

You must remember that our Soviet land is impoverished after many years of trial and suffering and has no Socialist France or Socialist England as neighbours to keep us with their highly developed technology and highly developed industry. Bear that in mind! We must remember that at present all their highly developed technology and industry belong to the capitalists who are fighting us.
Lenin, 1921

The lesson of that victory [over fascism in WWII] was that Soviet citizens must still heed Lenin's warning of 1921.
Andrei Grechko after World War II

Oh, the times are long gone. Capitalism has crushed the Soviet Union. As Andrei Grechko wisely said (probably after the Prague 1968): "Liberalization and democratization are in essence counter-revolution."

Genuine Chums

In subsequent discussions Halifax ignored Eden's reservations and indicated clearly to Hitler that German designs on Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia and Poland were not regarded as illegitimate by the British, but that only peaceful processes of change would be acceptable. Writing to Baldwin on the subject of the conversation between Karl Burckhardt (the League of Nations' Commissioner of Danzig) and Hitler, Halifax said: "Nationalism and Racialism is a powerful force but I can't feel that it's either unnatural or immoral!. I cannot myself doubt that these fellows are genuine haters of Communism, etc.! And I daresay if we were in their position we might feel the same!"

Over 30 Million in East Europe people were murdered by these "genuine haters of Communism" – and Halifax aided and abetted it.