Freedom of Speech (did I miss something?)

[kandrathe]

The only 2 sides here are fascists and those that oppose fascism. Just because a group calls itself antifa doesn't mean everyone that is anti-fascist has to answer for them, as they do not hold a monopoly on opposing fascism. just as Athiests don't have anything in common besides the lack of believing in a God. In the end, these neo-fascists should be condemned even if not everyone opposing them was squeaky clean. So "alt-left" doesn't mean too much, as the range of people that oppose fascism can be quite huge and not all of them are delightful; the allegations of hypocrisy don't work, and Trump not outright condemning these White Nationalists is not analogous to "anti-fascists" not condemning Antifa or whatnot. OTOH it is funny we have the "both sides are the same" breeding extemenism somehow. Honestly, I have come to realize that's been a really bad thing to say on many issues as people really stop caring and think everything is the same when it often is. But then sometimes it isn't. I guess in an effort to not offend anyone, you offend everyone?

And I'm not entirely opposed to violence either-- certainly if one of these neo-fascists decides to heckle people then they do deserve what's coming to them should others defend themselves, or..... others defending those that can't. If say FIT were to get in a fight with a Neo-fascist (purely hypothetical!), I would most likely take his side in most scenarios. But when you see stuff like Antifa coming to an abandoned rally and bascially look for a fight, that's just a bit hard to sympathize with. I mean in previous riots they broke people's stuff that had nothing to do with the target of their scorn.

Good insight. I'm not a pacifist either, when it comes to defending yourself from *real* physical violence. But, the current campus illogic is that the bad people (choose your totalitarian extremism) use hurtful words, and hurting the psyche is akin to throwing a punch, so you are justified in your physical retribution.

I guess it is a part of this time of intellectual deconstruction where our youth are torn between nihilism (belief in nothing) and existential totalitarianism( choose your cause, then beat people to death with it). Perceived threats, from men, environmental, xenophobia, etc. result in class being converted to masses by use of compelling propaganda.

Right-wing and left-wing politics are commonly thought of as being opposed, but I feel they represent different expressions of the same ideological spectrum and often function according to the same series of fundamental epistemic and anthropological falsities.

Whichever the lie, is it any less tragic that our children are at each other's throats, rather than looking to find common ground? The antifa vs neonazi clash is as ignorant an extremism as is possible if the face of the blood and body count left in the twentieth century by their representative bankrupt totalitarian ideologies. Unless you are utterly ignorant to the point of Guinness book of world records levels, or pathologically evil, you wouldn't find any shred of credibility in those agonizing pathways to annihilation.

Rather, I see the two sides being creative builders, verses various malevolent destroyers. Which would you rather to be the legacy of our children?