By way of reply...

The phony anarchist responsible for the fake 'Yarra National Anarchists' blog - Geelong teenager Scott Harrison - is upset.

Because his blog was upset.

Supposedly, his blog was the "victim of hackers".

Boo hoo.

Naturally, Scott provides no evidence for this claim.

Neither does he acknowledge the fact that his blog was once administered by some brown-shirt called 'David' - from Richmond - and another called 'Andreas' - from Tasmania! In other words, the 'Yarra National Anarchists' @ wordpress.com are frauds. They (that is, he) lie on two counts: one, they are not anarchists; and two, they are not active (unless you count planting pumpkin seeds, eating, drinking, and being shooed away from a trade union rally as purposeful activity).

Of course, in addition to Australia, "national anarchist" groups are inactive in a small number of other countries - Germany, Holland, Portugal, the UK and the US - but hugely active in their imaginations. As a result of this weakness, "national anarchists" are known to attempt to attach themselves to 'activists', or 'causes', or 'issues' - or just about any body or any thing, for that matter - they pretend to agree with. In terms of their organisational structure, however, the "national anarchists" are forced to rely upon their comrades on the far right for support (as evidenced by their appearance at an APEC rally in 2007). This naturally includes groups and individuals who violently assault others, terrorise families, and vandalise shops and homes, simply because of their horribly mistaken belief that they, like the "national anarchists", belong to a Master Race.

What motivates their attacks?

"National anarchism" evolved out of the far right. Thus a resurgent anarchist movement attracts the attention not only of authorities and leftists, but "White nationalists" as well.

The preferred activity of "White nationalists" is to chatter online. (In this sense - as in so many others - they are very similar to their comrades in the "national anarchist" movement.) 'Stormfront' is one major forum, and "national anarchists" find a natural home there. In fact, just about anybody that identifies as 'White' and who hates Jews is welcome on 'Stormfront'. Opposition to racial, sexual and social equality; the free movement of peoples; homosexuality; feminism; and other 'progressive' ideas are among other common traits.

Both groups also tend to cry a lot when correctly labelled (racist, sexist, homophobic, and so on).

"White nationalists" claim - or perhaps aim - to be the political representation of the White nation (race). They attempt to justify their irrational brand of politics, and their sporadic use of violence, by claiming that they act in the interests of Whites as a whole. These interests are, they claim, under attack.

In reality, such claims have a history, as do the individuals and groups which advance them. Anti-fascists are familiar with this history, which they have studied, and object, sometimes militantly, to bricks being thrown at elderly folk for being the 'wrong' colour, women being attacked and forced to seek refuge in their homes because they are of another ethnicity or religion, or workers being discriminated against because of their sexual preference. Racist and fascist thugs, both today and yesterday, have been, will be, and should be resisted: that some dress in anarchist drag is irrelevant to this task.

The ideas of 'freedom of speech' and 'freedom of association', rejected by "national anarchists", are ones that they nevertheless try to hide behind when their ignorance and stupidity is confronted. Thus, while on the one hand being perfectly 'free' to spout nonsense, on the other hand they demand protection from the anti-fascist monsters that haunt their imaginations. It is perhaps indicative of the level of emotional and psychological maturity of its adherents that "national anarchists" behave so childishly when let loose in the realms of political debate and discussion.

Who benefits?

Ostensibly, the far right. When a far-right group poses as being 'anti-globalisation', for example, it attempts to attach itself to a popular cause. This phenomenon was noted in the late '90s by, among others, the Dutch group De Fabel van de illegaal ('Together with the New Right against globalisation?', October 1998). Success in such matters can be tricky, however, and thus far the attempt has been largely unsuccessful. Of the "national anarchists" in particular, they are universally shunned by anarchists and the left, but do, at least, have the merit of being the butt of a new series of jokes for anti-fascists.

What can be done?

In theory, "national anarchists" are willing to work with and to support anybody willing to tolerate their nonsense. In practice, this is a relatively small circle, almost entirely confined to the far right. One exception is the bizarro Libyan dictator Gaddafi, and his Green Book, which "national anarchists" have been trumpeting for some time.

We do not blame racist white teenagers for having the illusions that they do. The Australian state was built on a White foundation, and being insecure, these teenagers wish to return to it - like a baby who resists being weaned. We also understand that some of these teenagers feel marginalised, surrounded by what seems to them to be the impregnable fortress of adulthood, a world which they have trouble in analysing and understanding, and which they feel most comfortable referring to as simply 'The System'. We know something of how they feel, and can relate. However, the boys and girls who think that being a racist, while calling oneself an anarchist, is either big or clever, will discover - perhaps painfully - that in reality this is not the case.

If you know any teenagers that have been caught up in "national anarchist" or other racist, right-wing circles, let them know that they can join in the struggle for social justice and environmental sustainability if they want, but that they need to work together with other people if they - and we - are going to succeed. Give them the opportunity to see that explaining - let alone resolving - their personal crises by way of their racist beliefs isn’t going to make their lives any better, and that scapegoating other races for their own weaknesses really isn’t going to defeat 'The System', it merely reinforces it.

Only united, will we never be defeated!