Antifascism, often abbreviated as “antifa,” is a political movement and ideology that opposes fascist ideologies, groups, and individuals. Antifascists advocate for a broad range of social and political actions to counteract the rise and influence of fascist movements and authoritarianism. Here are key aspects of antifascism:
Opposition to Fascism: At its core, antifascism is committed to resisting and combating fascist ideologies and practices. This includes opposition to racism, ultranationalism, authoritarianism, and other tenets of fascism.
Activism and Direct Action: Antifascists often engage in direct action, including protests, counter-demonstrations, and other forms of resistance against fascist groups and events. These actions can sometimes include physical confrontation, but they also involve non-violent methods such as organizing community events, spreading information, and advocating for policy changes.
Solidarity and Community Defense: Antifascism emphasizes solidarity with marginalized groups who are often targets of fascist and far-right violence, such as ethnic minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others. Antifascists work to protect these communities and support their rights.
Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination: A significant component of antifascism is fighting against racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination. This includes challenging hate speech, opposing discriminatory policies, and promoting social equality.
Grassroots and Decentralized: The antifascist movement is often decentralized, with no single organizational structure or leadership. It consists of a network of local groups and activists who operate independently but share common goals.
Historical Roots: Antifascism has historical roots going back to the early 20th century, where it emerged as a response to the rise of fascist regimes in Europe, notably in Italy and Germany. Antifascists were active in resistance movements during World War II and continue to be active in contemporary politics.
Contemporary Relevance: Today, antifascism remains relevant as it responds to the resurgence of far-right and nationalist movements around the world. Antifascists often highlight the dangers of these movements and work to prevent them from gaining political power.
Antifascism is not a homogenous movement and includes a wide range of political ideologies, from anarchists and socialists to liberals and other progressives. Despite the diversity within the movement, the unifying principle is the opposition to fascism and authoritarianism in all forms.
The Third Reich, the period of Nazi rule in Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler, offers numerous crucial lessons for contemporary society. Here are some key lessons:
Dangers of Totalitarianism: The Third Reich exemplifies the perils of totalitarian regimes, where the state exercises total control over every aspect of life. It highlights the importance of protecting democratic institutions and individual freedoms against authoritarian encroachments.
Consequences of Extreme Nationalism and Racism: Nazi ideology was rooted in extreme nationalism and racism, leading to horrific consequences such as the Holocaust. This teaches the necessity of combating hate speech, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of bigotry.
Importance of Vigilance and Resistance: The rise of the Nazis was facilitated by widespread complacency and appeasement. The Third Reich demonstrates the need for vigilance and active resistance against the early signs of authoritarianism and extremism.
Role of Propaganda and Indoctrination: The Nazis effectively used propaganda to manipulate public opinion and maintain control. This underscores the need for media literacy, critical thinking, and the protection of free and independent media.
Erosion of Civil Liberties: The gradual erosion of civil liberties and the rule of law under the Nazi regime shows how crucial it is to safeguard human rights and maintain checks and balances within government.
Impact of Economic and Political Instability: The Nazis capitalized on the economic and political instability of the Weimar Republic to gain power. This highlights the importance of addressing economic inequality, social unrest, and political discontent to prevent the rise of extremist movements.
Consequences of Blind Obedience and Dehumanization: The Holocaust and other atrocities were facilitated by individuals following orders without questioning their morality. This teaches the importance of moral and ethical reasoning, individual responsibility, and the recognition of shared humanity.
International Responsibility: The international community’s initial failure to act decisively against the Nazis demonstrates the need for timely and effective international responses to human rights violations and aggression.
Value of Historical Memory: Remembering the atrocities of the Third Reich is vital to honoring the victims and ensuring that such events are never repeated. It highlights the importance of historical education and memorialization.
Resilience and Recovery: The post-war reconstruction of Germany and the establishment of democratic institutions demonstrate the possibility of resilience and recovery after a period of extreme turmoil and destruction.
Learning from the Third Reich is essential to prevent the repetition of such dark chapters in history and to promote a just, equitable, and democratic society.
Well, what about Mussolini’s Italy? Italy under the rule of Benito Mussolini from 1922 to 1943, provides several important lessons about the dangers of fascism and authoritarianism. Here are key lessons that can be drawn:
Erosion of Democratic Institutions: Mussolini’s rise to power involved the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions and processes. This illustrates the need to vigilantly protect and strengthen democratic systems, ensuring that checks and balances, free elections, and an independent judiciary are maintained.
Manipulation of Nationalism: Mussolini exploited nationalist sentiments to gain and consolidate power, promoting an aggressive and exclusionary form of nationalism. This highlights the dangers of using nationalism to divide and manipulate populations and the importance of fostering inclusive and pluralistic national identities.
Control of Media and Propaganda: The fascist regime heavily controlled and manipulated the media to propagate its ideology and suppress dissent. This underscores the importance of free and independent media as a cornerstone of democracy and the need for critical media literacy among the public.
Cult of Personality: Mussolini cultivated a cult of personality, portraying himself as the embodiment of the nation’s will and destiny. This serves as a warning against the dangers of leader-worship and the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual.
Suppression of Opposition: Political opponents, dissenters, and critics were systematically silenced through censorship, imprisonment, and violence. This teaches the importance of protecting political pluralism, freedom of expression, and the rights of opposition parties and individuals.
Economic Control and Corporatism: Mussolini implemented a corporatist economic system where the state had significant control over the economy through syndicates representing employers and workers. This highlights the potential dangers of excessive state intervention in the economy and the importance of maintaining a balance between regulation and market freedoms.
Militarism and Aggression: Mussolini’s aggressive foreign policy and militaristic expansionism, including invasions of Ethiopia and Albania, led to widespread suffering and contributed to the outbreak of World War II. This underscores the importance of diplomacy, international cooperation, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Social and Cultural Control: The regime sought to control and reshape Italian society and culture through education, youth organizations, and propaganda. This shows the need to safeguard academic and cultural freedoms from state interference.
Failures of International Response: The League of Nations’ inadequate response to Mussolini’s aggression in Ethiopia highlights the importance of effective international mechanisms to respond to violations of international law and human rights.
Consequences of Ideological Extremism: Mussolini’s fascist ideology, characterized by authoritarianism, nationalism, and militarism, ultimately led to the devastation of Italy during World War II. This demonstrates the destructive potential of extremist ideologies and the need to promote democratic values, human rights, and international peace.
Studying Mussolini’s Italy provides critical insights into how authoritarian regimes rise and function, the importance of protecting democratic institutions, and the need for vigilance in defending civil liberties and human rights.
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. It emerged in early 20th-century Europe, with Italy under Benito Mussolini being its first major example.
Key features of fascism include:
Authoritarianism: Fascist regimes are led by strong leaders with near-absolute power. Democratic processes are typically dismantled or heavily controlled.
Ultra-nationalism: Fascism promotes intense nationalism, often combined with a belief in the superiority of one’s own nation or race.
Militarism: Fascist states often glorify military strength and use violence or the threat of violence to achieve political ends.
Suppression of Opposition: Political dissent is not tolerated. Fascist governments often use secret police, censorship, and propaganda to eliminate opposition.
Controlled Economy: While fascist economies are not necessarily fully state-controlled, the government exerts significant control over economic activities, often through corporatism, where the state mediates between capital and labor within a single-party state structure.
Anti-Communism: Fascism strongly opposes communism and socialism, viewing these ideologies as threats to the nation and its values.
Cultural and Social Control: Fascist regimes seek to mold society through strict control of education, media, and culture, promoting a homogeneous national identity.
Fascism has been most notably associated with Mussolini’s Italy and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, but it has influenced various movements and regimes around the world. Despite its historical roots, the term “fascism” is sometimes used more broadly to describe various authoritarian and nationalist movements.
We’re less than a year away from the possibly implementation of Project 2025, a Fascist wet dream to destroy the democracy and institute autocracy. As summed up in Wikipedia, this project of the Heritage Foundation, which has worked for decades in this direction, is:
“…a plan to reshape the executive branch of the U.S. federal government in the event of a [Regime takeover] in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Established in 2022, the project seeks to recruit tens of thousands of [fascists] to Washington, D.C., to replace existing federal civil service workers it characterizes as the ‘deep state’, to further the objectives of the next [Regime leader … i.e. ‘We screwed it up the first time, this is our second chance to do it right.‘] Although participants in the project cannot promote a specific presidential candidate, many have close ties to [the regime leader] and [his] 2024 presidential campaign. The plan would perform a swift takeover of the entire executive branch under a maximalist version of the unitary executive theory — a theory proposing the president of the United States has absolute power over the executive branch — upon inauguration.“
—Wikipedia
What would this mean in practice?
Donald B. Ayer, deputy district attorney under President George H.W. Bush, writes:
“Project 2025 seems to be full of a whole array of ideas that are designed to let [the regime leader] function as a dictator, by completely eviscerating many of the restraints built into our system. He really wants to destroy any notion of a rule of law in this country … The reports about [the regime leader]’s Project 2025 suggest that he is now preparing to do a bunch of things totally contrary to the basic values we have always lived by. If [the regime leader] were to be elected and implement some of the ideas he is apparently considering, no one in this country would be safe.”
—IBID
Michael Bromwich, Justice Department inspector general from 1994 to 1999, also summed it up this way:
“The plans being developed by members of [the regime leader]’s cult to turn the DOJ and FBI into instruments of his revenge should send shivers down the spine of anyone who cares about the rule of law. [The regime leader] and rightwing media have planted in fertile soil the seed that the current Department of Justice has been politicized, and the myth has flourished. Their attempts to undermine DOJ and the FBI are among the most destructive campaigns they have conducted.”
—IBID
Peter M. Shane, a law professor who writes about the rule of law and the separation of powers, wrote:
“The [main NYC corporate outlet] quotes Vought’s impatience with conservative lawyers in the first [regime leader]’s administration who were unwilling to do [the regime leader]’s bidding without hesitation.
“Criticizing the timidity of traditional conservative lawyers, Vought told the [main NYC corporate outlet]: ‘The Federalist Society doesn’t know what time it is.’ As for making the Justice Department an instrument of White House political retribution, Vought would unblinkingly jettison the norm of independence that presidents and attorneys general of both parties have carefully nurtured since Watergate.
“‘You don’t need a statutory change at all, you need a mind-set change,’ Vought told the [Washington DC main corporate outlet]. ‘You need an attorney general and a White House Counsel’s Office that don’t view themselves as trying to protect the department from the president.’
“[The NYC main corporate outlet] quotes Vought’s impatience with conservative lawyers in the first [regime leader]’s administration who were unwilling to do [regime leader]’s bidding without hesitation. Criticizing the timidity of traditional conservative lawyers, Vought told the [main NYC corporate outlet]: ‘The Federalist Society doesn’t know what time it is.’
“As for making the Justice Department an instrument of White House political retribution, Vought would unblinkingly jettison the norm of independence that presidents and attorneys general of both parties have carefully nurtured since Watergate.
“‘You don’t need a statutory change at all, you need a mind-set change,’ Vought told the [main Washington DC billionaire’s outlet]. ‘You need an attorney general and a White House Counsel’s Office that don’t view themselves as trying to protect the department from the president.'”
—IBID
In other words, they were thwarted between 2017-2021; this time, they’ll make sure of success by removing the human and legal roadblocks, the guide rails of democracy, so that the Chief Felon’s Magats may rule as they wish.
What practical targets do they have? Same as in 1933 Germany. And that’s not hyperbole.
Eliminate abortion (including contraception) on a nationwide basis; there is a section attacking even regular contraception like condoms. The Rhythm Method sill be the only contraceptive available, and every zygote will be forced to be born.
Only count actual “citizens” in the census (read: Racial purity).
Double-down on fossil fuels and end climate change mitigation efforts.
Greatly expand presidential powers, such as using military forces to provide domestic policing in largely Democratic cities, for whatever purpose [the regime leader] sees fit.
Eliminate any mention of or civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community, including marriage equality. Jail is not out of the question.
Outlaw pornography, because it is a source of the LGBTQ+ plaque on the national community. They would remove all First Amendment protections for anything deemed pornographic by the Justice Department, answering only to DJT.
Eliminate anyone in the federal government unwilling to swear allegiance to and act upon DJT’s orders. A federal purge.
Spend this election year vigilant and vote. Lives truly do depend on it; no hyperbole.
Back in 2020, this article noted that the fight against fascism didn’t end in 1945. The Independent (UK) provided some perspective to show that the fight against modern totalitarian forces began in the 19th century and continues into the 21st, and that even though those forces were defeated in the bloodiest, deadliest human conflict in history, they weren’t exactly down and out:
“The fight against fascism didn’t end with the Nazis – Britain’s Jewish antiracists continued it here on our streets. … During the war, the government had interned Britain’s fascists – including the leader of the British Union of Fascists, Oswald Mosley – and banned all fascist organising. At the war’s end, all such restrictions were lifted, and many of Mosley’s supporters immediately tried to resurrect their movement: based primarily in London, they began holding public meetings, publishing incendiary literature, daubing antisemitic graffiti and otherwise targeting the Jewish community. “Jewish ex-service personnel returning home from the war reacted to the fascists’ renewed presence with outrage. Realising that neither police nor government were willing to curb the Mosleyites, and that the Jewish community leaders would countenance nothing that could cause controversy, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They had just been sent to Europe to defeat fascism; for them, it stood to reason that a similar approach should be taken at home. “Their answer to the fascists was the 43 Group (named after the number of founding members), a militant anti-fascist organisation founded by Jewish ex-servicemen, but open to all who were willing to tackle the fascists head-on.” —The Independent (UK)
Our hats are off to the 43 Group. But it shows that even suffering cataclysmic destruction and having your crimes exposed and your ideology revealed to be the empty, deadly … thing it is, is often not enough to put an end to them. You must be eternally vigilant. Fight on.
