Who Are Antifa?

On my train journey home today I spotted a sticker on the window. Usually when I see such stickers they are for some fascist, semi-Nazi crazy group, I often think "What frigging twat decided that the best way of advertising their scummy, rubbish organisation was by DEFACING a train?". Well I was in for a surprise today, as the organisation defacing other's property this time was "Antifa", an anti-fascist group.

I hate the BNP, the BNP Lite parties (hello to the English Democrats favourite friends, the EFP) and even some of the weirdo fascist policies of the more mainstream parties. But I believe, despite my extensive experience of dealing with the stupidity of both myself and so many, many other people, that the best way to deal with these people is through the democratic process, by winning moral arguments, by being better people than those who spew this rubbish.

Sadly Antifa are a "direct action" group. They encourage, if not idolise, physical confrontation and do not discourage violence. God, I wish my morals would allow me to cheer them on, but they don't. In my opinion direct action is fine when it aims for a result: i.e. the Second World War to defeat fascism, or breaking out political prisoners, or defending individuals from direct attack. There the action is warranted. But direct action, where it means attacking people in their homes or public spaces because they hold views different to you own, where it means attacking people who are demonstrating, where it means throwing things at an elected politician, then surely it cannot be anything but wrong.

Oh well... not much one can do about these sort of things... there will always be people willing to take things to this sort of low level on all sides of any debate. Jesus, if the anti-fascists are being this backward there is not much hope for humanity.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist