Joe speaks out

[CJD]

(06-07-2020, 08:12 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I have always loved MLK Jr. Great man. Thanks for that quote CJD. I agree with it completely.

It is different with Antifa though, they are paid, some have said so. They are fascist supporters saying they are the exact opposite.

Happens a lot with the Left. They say they are Progressives while they are Regressives cause the Liberal word hurts them after 
showing what they really are. They just change their name to something new, happens over and over again. I have seen so called
environmentalists come here to Wyoming and throw huge parties and shit everywhere in the forests and leave it for everyone else
to clean up. Hypocrisy beyond imagination and it gets worse everyday.

Same with Antifa, they run around with masks, thinking people don't know who they are and threaten and actually attack vets,
hit innocent God loving Americans with pipes and harass people in Cities all over the country and people put up with it. Will never
understand this. I know there are good people in these protests but it does no good when they let Antifa take over and commit
violence.

I don't support Antifa, but I don't think they're fascists either. Fascism has a very specific definition that I don't think Antifa matches in any way. They aren't a nationalist "organization" (I put it in quotes because Antifa isn't even an organization. They're just a categorization of left wing groups that believe roughly the same thing that the ends justifies the means in stopping fascism). In fact, a wide variety of them are anarchists. They aren't in favor of authoritarianism or racial/religious hierarchies. They target almost exclusively white supremacists and Neo Nazis such as Richard Spencer (who was infamously punched mid interview by an Antifa member) and the Unite the Right rally, which was teeming with Neo Nazis and white supremacists. 

They are just violent extremists. Extremists who believe using violence to stop fascism and right wing authoritarianism (such as sicking the military and national guard on peaceful protesters) is justified. They don't subscribe to any ideology other than stopping fascists and white supremacists at all costs.

You could make the argument that they miss the mark, in that they identify too many people as white supremacists and Neo-Nazis. In fact, I'd agree with that argument.

But the idea that people who believe in dismantling white supremacy would intentionally try to de-legitimize protests against white supremacy by rioting and looting during those protests just doesn't pass the smell test. 

And, thus far, the evidence that they have been active participants in the vandalism and rioting is almost non-existent. This reeks of Trump looking for a scapegoat and being more than happy to blame a group that identifies with the far left rather than the far right.

I don't doubt that there are some Antifa among the protesters just like I don't doubt there are some right wing agitators among the crowd as well, but I think the majority of the vandalism and looting is simply opportunists and criminals.

As Time reported:

Quote:The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia, two cities at the epicenter of the protests across the United States.

Rather than outside agitators, more than 85% of those arrested by police were local residents. Of those charged with such offenses as curfew violations, rioting and failure to obey law enforcement, only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups.

Those charged with more serious offenses related to looting and property destruction – such as arson, burglary and theft – often had past criminal records. But they, too, were overwhelmingly local residents taking advantage of the chaos.

Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters.

https://time.com/5849592/antifa-far-right-violent-trump-protesters/

In addition, the protests have calmed WAY down this past weekend and I think they will continue to trend that way over time. The rioting and looting was reported widely because it was much more interesting than peaceful protests but it seems, by almost all accounts, it was in the minority in terms of action going on over the past 13 days.

Don't let the looting cloud your judgement. These peaceful protests are doing great things and should be lauded.