People who are racist but stop short of genocide are not suddenly " better" than Nazi's. We have already been there, done that and know where it leads. They are the ones enabling systemic racism and enabling Nazis to come to power in the first place. It didn't start with Genocide, it just leads to it. You act as if they are necessarily separate groups, rather they are just the evolution of the same group over time. Promote hate and hate builds to action. Action leads to war..
I was unsure as to whether I should respond to this, since it's touching on the "don't tolerate intolerance" idea, and I actually agree with that. But again, I have to reiterate, all Nazis are racist, but not all racists are Nazis. I say that because as much as I hate to, Nazism does have distinct traits from other racism, including the idea of racial hierarchy, and pathological hatred of Jews. And I'd rather call a spade a spade, because right now, there's at least three definitions of racism that are in parlance, and the tenents of these definitions are, in some areas, mutually exclusive.
But back to Nazis. I mean, there's anti-semitism in the Middle East, that doesn't make Arabs or Persians Nazis. Similarly, there's racism in Israel towards Arabs, but I'm not sure how you can call Israelis Nazis, because by Nazism's own creed, they'd be the scum of the Earth. Places like Japan, Korea, and China have their own ideas of their own racial superiority, but I'm not sure how that leads to Nazism, because those ideas arose in different contexts. But even on the idea of a spectrum of racism leading towards Nazism in the West...I think that's a fair point, but it's still a spectrum. Like, I could be extremely racist against Asians and love Jews, but the Nazis made them "honourary Aryans," so am I being a Nazi, or a ****?
I really hated writing this, but language has a power of its own, so I think it's important to realize Nazism for what it is, as well as what it isn't. Because if "Nazi" is used for every form of racism out there, the term loses all meaning.
The problem is that in our current times racist and right of center are sadly often interchangeable when it comes to much of the politics going on in the US when we have have literal White Nationalist's like Steve King elected and people like Steve Miller in the white house. When Republicans finally kick out all the racists in their party, that will not be the case, but they haven't done that yet now have they?
Again, in the US. And I know the focus is on the US, but what happens in the US affects the world, even if the context doesn't fit. It's why BLM yells "hands up, don't shoot!" in the UK, despite UK police not carrying firearms, and deaths at the hands of police coming to about three a year in that country. It's why Antifa can call ScoMo a fascist, even though he's not done anything resembling a power grab at all. It's why I've seen some cases of Palestinian flags at BLM protests in the US because that's somehow related.
And again, that's not to say that BLM in the UK doesn't have legitimate grievances, or that ScoMo is above criticism, or what's happening in Israel-Palestine isnt' a tragedy, but FFS, let's at least have nuance here. I mean, you mentioned ISIS, so is it controversial to state that all members of ISIS are Muslim, but not all Muslims are Islamists? Again, I'm not fond of ScoMo, and I'm not fond of Islam, but again, context and perspective.
It actually should matter if you have anarchists, as the anarchists are who actually WANT chaos and are usually the most violent.
Anarchists can certainly be violent, but anarchism as a philosophy isn't inherently violent. Like, if we define anarchism as wanting a state of being free from hierarchy and government, then that isn't an indefensible creed. It's how humans have lived for most of our existence after all (and in various cases, still do).
Republicans never invited racists in the first place. You're just perpetuating lies.
*Cough*Southern Strategy*Cough
I'm breaking my 'no post during my work week' rule...
Do you know which setting I would one hundred percent agree with you?
If Antifa was in Canada right now. Or Sweden. Or places where systematic brutality of citizens does not happen and is not allowed by the populace.
But antifa is antifascist. Why are they in America?
Fascism
If one can read that definition and say that hasn't applied to Black people in this country for generations... well, one hasn't been paying attention to how Black America has been faring in their entire tenure here. America is hands down a dangerous and deadly place for Blacks to be, in all walks of life. If I have to live my life thinking about where I can enter for fear of my life, this is not the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is for some, but it's limiting in all fashions for others. To ignore that is a lie. And to tell me it's not true is to deny not only the decades of my life, but the lives of others who have enough. I had to shorten my God Given First Name because it's Swahili and my customers will go on a damn rant because they got another 'foreigner'.
I can't even WORK and be free enough to do that.
And that's just the citizenry. The Government is just unbelievable.
Beyond morals, let's talk brass tacks. Everything that any sentient lifeform deals with. Let's talk about Survival. There is a greater power, a greater force, one with more numbers, training, and firearms than I can ever accumulate in my life time. I tried talking with them, it went to deaf ears. I tried reasoning with them, and it went on deaf ears. Pleading, begging, protesting... deaf ears. I'm still getting the same treatment. And not only am I getting the same treatment, my fellow 'citizens' shrug and say that's the way life is and allows it to happen.
I'm supposed to turn away any force that will try and stick up for me? That will rally around me and fight with me?
We're alone out here. We don't get to be picky about who takes up arms to stand with us.
I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong. And if it's a choice between Antifa and Nazis, that's an easy choice. But the crimes of one group doesn't erase the crimes of another group. Historically, the Nazis were a group that came to power in 1933, while Antifa was set up by the KPD, a Stalinist/communist party. Even agreeing that the Nazis are/were worse than commies/Antifa, that doesn't mean that Antifa gets a pass simply because they're the lesser of two evils. So if Antifa is standing up to Nazis in Charlotsville, good for them. If Antifa is commiting acts of violence and encouraging violence against innocent people, then that's something else.
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