My issue with antifa is the leftist unity marxists that occupy it. If it were just anarchists (and by anarchists I don't mean marxist autonomists) then I would be cool with it. In fact, one of the greatest political OGs of the 20th century (Samuel Konkin) suggested libertarians/anarchists formulate anti-fascist networks to deal with grotesque statism.
Because I'm deeply certain that Marxist-Leninism is pretty much the opposite of what my moral and strategical values are, I'm pretty much not a fan of leftist unity. I would consider myself a Democratic Socialist with radical left ideas (maybe something of an Anarcho-Pacifist) but a complete disregard for overly dogmatic Marxism, ML, MLM etc. Each time an ML regime was installed it turned into Red Fascism and being Antifa, I have to apply this to anyone. Especially if it's a totalitarian capitalist state that has nothing to do with egalitarianism.
wow! i did not realize social value systems and politics had become so granularized. how in the world is anyone supposed to know what group, as you've described, they belong in? i'm not dissing on ya but man, that's a lot of different labels of thought to try and filter through.
I mean, from my expierence there's really only three types of people that join antifa. They're either anarchists, left-libertarians, or marxists. I guess a few social democrats as well, but they're a minority.
Yeah left unity is a dead-in-the-water approach. It'll turn totalitarian every single time because the revolution can't progress pass the nationalization phase. It's funny that actually existing "communist" countries always turn into the very thing they hate the most, which is State-Capitalism.
Yeah, tyranny and enslavement of the workers. Same thing with Castro's Cuba. I don't really get behind the support of this stuff from tons of leftists. Then you get those people saying that those are in a minority, but I actually seem to notice the symbolics of a lot. It's one of the leftist movement's biggest current flaws IMO. But I still definitely am a leftist myself.
Yeah I'm not really thrilled about either side anymore. My personal views have always been closely related to the laissez-faire views that Karl Hess and Rothbard were preaching in the late 60s early70s. Which are actually quite leftist in comparison to most current day libertarians. However there's no real place for these views on the left-right political spectrum anymore. Now days, particularly in the anarchist circles, you're either in the "tax is theft" camp or the "rent is theft" camp.
I have to believe that in the future the left will incorporate more nuanced views. I think there's always potential to influence things in a positive manner. One way or the other, if it's just within your personal social circle.
How the hell the money/powers can keep all these idiot voters choosing one of two options when there us such a plurality of thought, I do not understand. It is so ridiculous that a country of 330million people should be ruled by any single ideology. The socialist basically have a socialist state, California, why push it on the other 49 states when people are fleeing California as a result? As an Anarchist I'd be happy with a plot of land that isn't subject to any statism, much less an ideal plot like California.
Taking a page from Max Stirner, the "left" and the "right" are spooks. They are ghosts in the minds of those who want to believe.
Hey. So here's the thing. Fascism has transformed in our days. It is not exactly what it was during WW2 but it's rhetoric, goals and source is the same. Anti- fascism is also transforming. This is how politics and societies work and always have. At this point in history, it's extremely counter productive being TOO critical to anti fascists because while you do that, fascism rises more. It's not just in the usa, it's world-wide. Venezuela, Argentina. the UK, Greece, Turkey and so on. The thing with the states ,as some sociologist said, I think it was Tilly.. can't remember.. so the thing is.. all social revolutions come to start from the states, so far. Anyone reading this, please ponder on all that a bit. In a few decades historians, political scientists and the next generations WILL judge us for the side we peaked and we will live the concequences, good or bad. Unfortunately (or not ) our time being able to stay in the grey zone is up. I know it sound fatalistic and I hate to say that I agree with such a thing, but the world is indeed changing right now. It's a turn. Like 9/11 for example. The world was never the same after 9/11. Security became a major thing and everything changed. So now it's another historical turn. Anyone who doesn't realize that lives in a bubble or is too self absorbed? Or ignorant on international politics? It doesn't matter who doesn't get it, what matter is wheather they will realize that or not and how many. What matters is that changes are happening very rapidly, in all levels, and capitalism has proved a bubble within a bubble, serving a few. And the narrative that you can have the american dream that capitalism offered is false. The last decades prove this. The covid crisis proved this. The economical recession proved this. The fact that during the covid crisis the billionaires got even wealthier PROVES THIS. I don't have the time to offer bibliography but you can look it up. The environment is getting destroed, our rights are being stolen and fascist rhetoric and policies are trying to dominate. I'm not trying to stress or judge anyone and I'm also very very busy with my exams right now, but I felt that I needed to write down a few words on this. The world is changing and we do need to pick a side. The luxury of being ignorant, apolitical and still in the shadow of the cold war and west's fear of socialism (which failed in many levels back then, I agree completely) has run out. It's not enough to not be a fascist nowdays, you have to be anti-fascist. Because fascism has risen back from the dead, of course not in the same form like so many decades back and antifas have also changed accordingly. I repeat. It's a historical turn. Please ponder on that and realize that and act according to your consience, courage, critical thinking... or what have you. That's my two cents. I would also suggest to you all, to check out opendemorcacy.net . It's a critical thinking ,non biased (because it's academic oriented and doesn't serve any politician's or party's propaganda) news platform. I know violence is terrible... and I've been through riots and .. well what can I say , I understand the skeptism. But please ,check this out . And if you think the states or any of the countries I mentioned before (which are just a few of the lot) don't check out ALL of them (and I mean all 12 of them not just a few ), when my exams are done, which is in a month I will come back and write down a couple major examples for each of the signs. The 12 Early Warning Signs of Fascism | Washington Monthly cheers
I don't think it's that simple. I don't think that it's simply divided into "fascist" and "anti-fascist", and that if you support the one, you diminsh the other. ANTIFA self-righteously beats random people up in the streets and destroy businesses. People see that, don't like it, and so the more ANTIFA destroys in the name of anti-fascism, the more people will be willing to give power to the state to stop ANTIFA - giving that state more 'fascist' control. ANTIFA contributes to the rise of fascism, and acts like a fascist group itself. It's 100% counter-productive, from my point of view. Not saying that you fall for this - given the element of study in your post, you're not that superficial - but I think a lot of people don't think further than this.
If antifa contributes to the rise of fascism, then you must watch less systemic tv. God damn wtf is going with people believe that shit. smoker
I think it's important to keep in mind that regardless of your personal feelings towards antifa, the current administration wanting to list them as a "terrorist organization" is very troubling. It just becomes a stepping stone, or a established beach head, so to speak, against the organizing of networks to resist a tyrannical State. Actual fascists do operate this way, and no one hardly speaks out in the early stages of the besiege because no one typically cares about the first ones to fall. Pretty soon, there's no one left questioning the State and people start wondering how it ever came to this. As far as antifa goes, it's a good idea but they have really bad optics. And sometimes even their agenda is just flat out wrong. I'd like to see less looting and less knee-jerk criticisms towards "straight white males" (apparently the root of all evil), and more actual resistance against actual fascistic policies and/or actions. Why isn't antifa outraged about border and immigration camps? Why isn't antifa more outraged about mass surveillance? Why isn't antifa protesting the prison industrial complex? Why isn't antifa campaigning against bombing the middle east and all those wars? Why aren't they outraged about central banking and central planning? Hell, it's not until very recently they started robustly speaking out towards the police state. And even then we have seen that has just devolved into some vague generalized "fuck capitalism" riot where they loot businesses. It's almost like the police murder was just an excuse for them to go out and steal shit that doesn't belong to them from people who had nothing to do with the alleged reason for the protest to begin with. And of course there is shit wrong with modern capitalism, like the perpetual wage-rent system of surviving paycheck-to-paycheck. But most of this is due to land monopolies, central banking, fiat currency, rent seeking, bailouts/subsides, and intellectual property. Perhaps then they should organize a completely different protest for such things. Don't pretend you're doing something noble for the black community by protesting a man's murder when it's really just a front for looting and stealing that amounts to little more than a "fuck the system" protest. So, while I like the idea of anti-fascist networks, we can do a hell of a lot better. Like, you know, actually speaking out against real fascism. Stuff like mass incarceration, central planning, totalitarian immigration policies, fervent nationalism, wars, sanctions, police states, mass surveillance, etc. Many of these so called "anti-fascists" are really just raging Marxists looking for any excuse possible to go out and vandalize and loot shit.