Trump: Opposing fascism will be outlawed

[Jamiet99uk]

Donald Trump has today announced (via Twitter of course) that he plans to make it a terrorist act to openly oppose fascism.

Wow.

I can't even express my full outrage at this development due to forum policy.

[Octavious]

Antifa are a truly vile organisation, but I don't think they qualify as terrorists.

[Jamiet99uk]

Antifa are a truly vile organisation, but I don't think they qualify as terrorists.

What is this "organisation" of which you speak? Antifa is not an organisation. It is a term to describe a broad movement against fascism, tending towards certain characteristics including, in some cases but not all, a willingness to take very direct action.

[orathaic]

And as antifa is not an organisation, (ie one with some membership list, organise, with minuted meetings where you can record who was in attendance) it become easy to label anyone who you happen to dislike as a member of antifa - and therefore a terrorist.... And given the precedent set by Obama, it is OK to kill terrorists with drone strikes from the skies. So yeah. Good luck with that.

[Octavious]

Antifa are a truly vile organisation, but I don't think they qualify as terrorists.

What is this "organisation" of which you speak? Antifa is not an organisation. It is a term to describe a broad movement against fascism, tending towards certain characteristics including, in some cases but not all, a willingness to take very direct action.

They are a collection of allied regional groups from my understanding. Whilst the level of cooperation between these groups can vary hugely, the groups themselves are pretty highly organised, meet often, and plan action. It's not just a case of someone writing antifa on a t-shirt and deciding to sit in the middle of a highway demanding just ice.

[Octavious]

And as antifa is not an organisation, (ie one with some membership list, organise, with minuted meetings where you can record who was in attendance)

I believe what you're describing there is the Women's Institute or the local Parish Council. I don't think many radical political organisations, be they terrorist or otherwise, are particularly hot on keeping detailed minutes and maintaining registers with apologies from absent members.

[orathaic]

https://twitter.com/carterforva/status/ ... 89344?s=19

Yeah, I know I have criticised Obama before for kilking 'terrorists', and it is less likely that Americans terrorists on US mainland will be killed in this way. That is just a bad precedent for PoC. The other precedents set by locking people in cages, over the next few months - whether they be 'illegals' or reminiscent of the internment of Japanese-Americans (ie depriving US citizens of their basic rights) is the fear.

[orathaic]

And as antifa is not an organisation, (ie one with some membership list, organise, with minuted meetings where you can record who was in attendance)

I believe what you're describing there is the Women's Institute or the local Parish Council. I don't think many radical political organisations, be they terrorist or otherwise, are particularly hot on keeping detailed minutes and maintaining registers with apologies from absent members.

Most political parties have a list of members who get a say in the party direction. Anti-fa is a movement made up of many different groups of people who oppose fascism. Who is to say if the local parish council pass a motion rejecting fascism will them be deemed to be part of Anti-fa?

What are the qualifying requirements? Do you just have to be politically active and oppose white supremacy and fascism?

For all Trump has crowed about freedom of speech on twitter recently, freedom to vocally and publically oppose fascism is now under threat.

[Octavious]

The overwhelming majority of people who appose fascism have nothing whatsoever to do with Antifa. As for the qualifying requirements I'd say that someone saying that they're part of Antifa and taking part in events organised by Antifa would pretty much do it.

[Jamiet99uk]

I oppose fascism, Nazism, and white supremacism in all their forms.

I have attended and taken part in anti-racism marches and events.

Am I Antifa? I would say that I am. Am I vile?

[Octavious]

Jamie, old chap, you've always been vile

[Randomizer]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter- ... 44127.html

White supremacists are creating and posting in fake Antifa accounts. Seeking to promote their anti-government views.