Designating ANTIFA a terrorist organization
Many law enforcement sources feel ANTIFA hijacked the Floyd protests as Minnesota’s progressive politicians ordered police to stand down on the first night of rioting. I think it’s quite likely this was the match igniting the nation-wide rioting which followed.
Modern ANTIFA, short for Anti-Fascists, takes its name from a German communist group which battled Nazis in the mid-1930’s. True to its roots, ANTIFA provides anarchist foot soldiers and violent enforcers aggressively supporting progressive Democratic positions. As ANTIFA joins a long list of other “Democrat” organizations including the KKK, Acorn, Code Pink, Occupy Wall St. and the Weather Underground. It is difficult to appreciate just how important it was to their growth to have Democrats at the city, state and federal level not prosecuting their crimes.
While ANTIFA’s leaders are hardcore left-leaning anarchists, the rank and file is generally comprised of young white kids from suburban, middle class families who’re willing to cross state lines to commit violence. They’re the Vanilla ISIS of our times. Yet, ANTIFA’s tactics are alarmingly organized and sophisticated, so the question is — who’s organizing and financing them? If Charlottesville demanded discussions about far-right White Supremacists supporting Nazism, this nation-wide rioting at least merits a similar debate on the increasingly powerful far-left.
After four days of rioting, President Trump declared he’d designate ANTIFA a Terrorist Organization. This means federal, military and intelligence assets can be brought fully to bear on these thugs — along with anyone funding, enabling or supporting them, both inside and outside the US. Note, Trump didn’t say Domestic Terrorists, just Terrorist Organization. Predictably, liberals immediately claimed ANTIFA’s only a domestic group so Trump can’t do this, or that he’d only made a “symbolic” declaration. Jeez, if only ANTIFA hadn’t spent years demonstrating it’s internationalist roots. Besides, I guess progressives forgot this: Section 802 of the USA Patriot Act expanded the definition of terrorism to cover “domestic,” as opposed to international, terrorism.”
Realistically, Democrats must fight this to the end. There’s no way they’ll willingly surrender their shock troops. Everyone at the party’s top levels — including donors who’ve been funding hard-Left direct action for decades, understands they cannot lose this fight. If Democrats no longer have the credible threat of violence, if they can’t frighten GOP lawmakers with the idea their cities will burn, they’ve just lost huge leverage. In my opinion, we’re about to see Democratic politicians, DNC/Media, Hollywood celebrities and academics all unofficially protecting ANTIFA. While there’s no doubt this’ll be the biggest fight of Trump’s presidency, it’s worth it.
Of course, the ACLU’s predictably against re-designating ANTIFA, tweeting (5/31): “Terrorism is an inherently political label, easily abused and misused. There is no legal authority for designating a domestic group.” That the ACLU objects tells us lines are being drawn and people (and organizations) have no problem placing themselves on the wrong side.
Worldwide Democratic Socialism is going take a big hit. And it’s about time.