Peace Through Violence: The Paradox of Antifa
A recent CNN article highlighting the goals of Antifa has gained a lot of attention online. I'm not going to delve into the content of the article, I merely wish to comment on the headline (a headline that's since been changed.)
Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement: Activists seek peace through violence
"Peace though violence." That sounds like the arguments I often heard from right-wing warhawks during the Bush administration. "War is necessary to achieve peace." Isn't that the sort of thing they would say?
It was in those days that the left latched onto popular slogans like, "Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity." The left seemed well aware that using tactics that by nature are in opposition to the goal is paradoxical. Violence cannot beget peace.
I can't say that any of these Antifa protesters are the same people who once understood this paradox, but the movement arose from the left; the side that once claimed that violence and peace are contradictory now has unabashedly embraced the polar opposite of that mindset.
What this demonstrates to me:
Both sides of the political spectrum care nothing for real principals. They will use whatever means necessary to achieve their goals. The left will condemn the right for using violence and the right will do the same. Then both sides will turn around and use the exact same tactics that they've criticized their enemies for.
Break the cycle. Live for true peace.
Become an anarchist.
Not like that... become a real anarchist.
The real enemy is authoritarianism, not 'left' or 'right'. Those labels only become meaningful when there's agression involved. We need to condemn those who commit violence on every side of the political spectrum.
Very good post, upvoted. Steem on!
This is very true. Left and right are mere distractions to make people feel like they have choices within an authoritarian system. Those of us outside of the system can see that save for a few surface details, they're exactly the same. Both wish to use violence to force their will upon a population.
Classic implementation of the Hegelian Dialectic by the MSM.
Never in my post did I mention the events in Charlottesville or side with neo-Nazis.
Thanks for addressing this perspective. I'm working on different angle in this area for a post.
@sethlinson, without panning it too hard I posted it... LL&AA 003 -- Real vs Virtual Community, and would appreciate your thoughts.
The eclipse location I was at had at least a couple thousand folks all come together of their own free-will and behave very well. The place wasn't political and didn't get trashed. How "communities" spawn can have a lot to do with how they operate as well.
I don't have much time right now. I upvoted you, but I'll have to come back to check out the article later tonight.
Thanks. I'll appreciate the time you can give.
nicee work done great
Yup lets burn down a building because we hate fire...
Not sure a headline means anything; but violence tends to beget more violence. I understand the pleasure in seeing a Nazi being punched; but is it the right thing to do? Then the Nazi's will punch back, and they currently have more combat training and less of a grip on reality. They might kill more people, who will turn around and kill them in return; not good.
Violence is a justifiable response to aggression, not to ideas.
And Antifa's end goal is a system that has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of people. So I consider their motives in punching Nazis quite suspect.
One way or another, people with mental disorders find outlets to vent their insanity. They’ll join a religion, political party, army, police, cult, or antifa – where they can wear their masks, scream, and kick without being judged by their equally unhinged peers.
When you have an audience whose attention span is 5 seconds or less; Slogans are the best things to use for a brainwashing !
Dude I couldn't agree more. Followed! If I've learned anything, is that what matters most of all, more than the particulars of the political system at play, is the character, vision, and leadership of the people.