Antifa Rising (updated 9jun20)

George Rebane

Motivated by the ongoing George Floyd protests cum riots, I renewed my interest in finding out more about Antifa – is it an organization or merely a movement of loosely coupled cells operating all over the country?  The discussions in our comment streams seem to divide along ideological lines – those leaning right see it as a formidable organization that rises to the occasion whenever there’s a political contention in the public forum; those leaning left characterize it as nothing more than a movement of some loosely formed groups of protesters against the country’s capitalist order.  In recent days I’ve received some informative emails from readers containing links to reports and commentaries that cover the waterfront on Antifa.  Here I’ll share a couple of them which I found more salient to my puzzling on the matter.

First some definitions:  A movement is a social cohort sharing an affinity to a set of beliefs and an overarching objective.  They usually express themselves in conjunction with other social gatherings, observances, and/or ad hoc events which may spontaneously/serendipitously arise.  A movement need not be organized around an enduring social structure.  An organization is a social order that has an enduring and labeled identity which is structured to achieve an objective summarized in a published mission statement, the accomplishment of which is through some known intermediate goals.  Organizations have a leadership hierarchy (e.g. board, executive management, operating managers, staff, …), a headquarters, established means of funding operations, membership, and a current agenda.  As they grow and gather steam, movements inevitably become organized in order to continue progress toward their overarching objective. 

The following numbered points summarize my current take on Antifa –

1. The origins of Antifa can be traced to the post-Bolshevik movements to spread the communist revolution into western Europe during the 1920s, specifically to counter the fascist (national socialist) movements that started in Italy with the rise of Mussolini after he was expelled from the Italian Communist Party.
2. Antifa members held a loosely defined and contradictory political ideology that welcomed both anarchists and Marxist/Leninist communists. The anarchists wanted to do away with all government immediately, and the communists wanted big governments to control all aspects of society.  But we recall that the Marx’s stated ultimate objective was a social order in which the perfected communist Man would live in social harmony without further need for government.  So in that sense Antifa could attract both anarchists and communists to work together toward an ultimate common goal, the timing of which they could quibble over after the established ‘fascist social orders’ were overthrown.
3. Antifa divides people into anti-fascists, fascists, and those who are ideologically innocent/naïve. Fascism is never given a precise operational definition, but is simply defined as being anything and everything that opposes the Antifa objectives and methods.
4. The acknowledged and taught MO to achieve Antifa objectives is through violence that is justified because Antifa members consider all opposition to their creed to also be expressions of violence.
5. The Antifa movement never became a stable organization in Europe or in its spread to the US. It arose here and there to oppose fascism in pre-WW2 Europe and was ruthlessly put down by the Nazis.
6. Antifa has made itself known through protest demonstrations of opportunity over the last decades by joining the ranks of non-violent protesters and then turning the protests into violent riots by instigating assaults on police, arson, looting, and generally creating opportunistic mayhem. Their intent is to project the image that the entire protesting cohort in the streets share their objectives and violent means of achieving them.
7. No overarching Antifa organization has been identified in the US. However, there are several Antifa cells that have names and aggressively operate in various cities and regions of our country.  Today they are very active during the ongoing George Floyd protests, successfully having turned most of them into destructive riots.
8. Antifa’s published leaflets and online proclamations declare its fundamental opposition to property, established legal order, capitalism, individual rights and freedom, religion, and constitutional government. The underlying objective of all their activities is the ultimate destruction of the United States of America, their greatest worldwide evil against which all means and methods are justified.
9. “Antifa activists communicate and recruit mostly through social media, using Facebook as their principal forum for organizing protests.” Antifa cells receive money for recruiting and operations through a number of listed leftwing, pro-socialist organizations funded by prominent hard-left personages (e.g. George Soros and various entertainers).
10. The main source of new Antifa members is from the constituents of the Democratic Party. The Dems and their lamestream media provide the political support for Antifa, mischaracterizing them as ‘protesters’, never calling them rioters, and minimizing reports of their violence and destruction.  And when all else fails, Antifa is portrayed as being in the streets to justifiably oppose ‘rightwing anarchists’ and ‘white nationalists’ who are the real fascists and instigators of the riots.
11. The Democratic Party sees Antifa as a cohort of useful idiots that today function to keep alive the more visible and virulent forms of anti-Trump sentiments without having to expose themselves as militantly in the streets seeking to bring about their advertised “fundamental transformation” of America. More importantly, Antifa’s message to the minorities reinforces the Democrats’ decades-long narrative that our Hispanics and African-Americans continue as perpetual victims of corporate America and racist whites.
12. There is a lot written about Antifa. From my readings, the two most informative that I found are ‘Project Veritas: Antifa Operates Like a Business’ and ‘A Communist & Anarchist Movement That Explicitly Endorses Violence’.

[8jun20 update]  The Antifa Manual.  Over the last week I’ve received several emails with what is purported to be the manual for Antifa members that outlines its ideology and the modus operandi of its street operations.  At first I hesitated to post it for several reasons that made me doubt its authenticity, primarily the variations in the writing style and a very naïve composition/structure.  It looks like it was meant to communicate the evils of Antifa to people unfamiliar with the movement.  In any event, whatever its provenance, someone went to some trouble to make the document look like the real deal.  You can download it and make up your own mind.  Download Antifa-Manual

[9jun20 update]  Noted WSJ columnist Bill McGurn joins many nationwide observers of how the peaceful protests have been co-opted by violent thugs, most of whom pledge their allegiance to the many Antifa cells that supply rioters to the various George Floyd demonstration venues.  In his ‘Mayhem is the Message’, McGurn writes – “If justice for George Floyd is the goal, many cannot fathom how it makes any sense to trash already-vulnerable neighborhoods, kill other African-American men in the process, and destroy black-owned stores that, as former President Barack Obama just pointed out, may never come back. But it makes perfect sense if the goal is to indict America as fatally compromised by racism since birth. And if the mayhem provokes authorities such as Mr. Trump into further inflaming the situation, so much the better.”

And then there’s CNN’s Chris Cuomo, the idiot brother of New York’s governor, who pours gasoline on the fire with his, “Please, show me where it says protests are supposed to be polite and peaceful.”  The dufus totally misses that ‘polite and peaceful’ is how the lamestream, led by his employer, has been characterizing the riots.  Today’s perversity of the Left includes the observation by Scott Walker of the Capital Research Center that “Radical mobs on campuses call speech they don’t like ‘violence,’ ” while “Radical mobs in the streets call their violence ‘speech.’ Either way, instead of highlighting the difference between peaceful protesters and rioters, they want to erase it.”  The reasonable voices from the black community are always few and hard to hear over those screeching victimhood, but three intellectual giants stand out – Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, and Shelby Steele.  African-Americans would fare far better following their counsel, instead of divisive demogauges like Sharpton and Jackson.

Comments

[Don Bessee]

The propaganda machine for the red guard -

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/06/11/new-york-times-describes-seattle-autonomous-zone-as-homeland-for-racial-justice/

;-)

[Bill Tozer]

Don @ 1:20 pm

"On a day like today a little laughing is a good thing"

https://www.facebook.com/113676922
032321/posts/2979113168822001/

[Bill Tozer]

Ok Don, try this one instead.

https://www.facebook.com/1568648046682139/posts/2725466737666925/

[rlcrabb]

I'll never make sense to people who believe Trump is rational, scenes. You can't write off his daily rants as the normal behavior of a head of state.
"Oh, he's just being Trump. Isn't it cute how he pisses lefties off?"
Yeah, a barrel of laughs.
There are plenty of idiots on both sides of the fence. It's like each side is daring the other to see how far they can go before it really comes to blows.
The only ones laughing are the Chinese, North Koreans and Russians who are waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces.
Viva la revolution.

[Paul Emery]

You got it Crabb. That's what the interference by the Russians was all about-help install Trump as our idiot in Chief and watch everything fall apart. Trump is a dream come true for those who want to de-stabilize our country and it's not over yet. Trump taking credit for saving 2 million lives by shutting the country down is just an example as to what a delusional idiot he is and he's our idiot and we'll have to pick up the tab.

[Gregory]

Punchy 451pm

Punch... there was no interference by the Russians. They didn't help "install Trump as our idiot in Chief".

That is what the latest revelations that you are doing your best to ignore are all about.

[fish]

Posted by: Gregory | 11 June 2020 at 04:58 PM

Punch... there was no interference by the Russians. They didn't help "install Trump as our idiot in Chief".

When you got nothing else.......faith in the narrative carries you over the rough patches.

[paul emery]

Of course they did GREGORY. Every intelligence agency confirms that. You just choose to ignore it but that’s OK nobody cares about what you believe anyway

[Gregory]

crabby 424pm

"I'll never make sense to people who believe Trump is rational, scenes. You can't write off his daily rants as the normal behavior of a head of state.
"Oh, he's just being Trump. Isn't it cute how he pisses lefties off?"
Yeah, a barrel of laughs. "

You'll never make sense to a lot of people, Earl, because you make stuff up all the time. Like this bit of make believe where you supply both the imaginary dialog and the snarky reply.

Let's go back to your 'toon presenting Steven Miller as Joeseph Goebbels. Please, justify that as making sense.

[Gregory]

punchy 512pm

There are seventeen intelligence agencies. There were three people handpicked by Clapper from three different agencies among the seventeen to make up that screed you keep coming back to rely upon.

It's pure BS. It also didn't work... Trump is still here.

[Don Bessee]

Pointing fingers on the Seattle antifa zone -

“The decision to board up the precinct, our precinct, our home, the first precinct I worked in, was something I had been holding off,” Best said. “You should know, leaving the precinct was not my decision. “

https://www.foxnews.com/us/seattle-police-chief-leaving-precinct

;-)

[Gregory]

here's some recent happy fun from Clapper and friends

https://nypost.com/2020/05/11/obamas-top-brass-contradict-statements-about-collusion-under-oath/

[Bill Tozer]

Lol

“Of course they did GREGORY. Every intelligence agency confirms that. You just choose to ignore it but that’s OK nobody cares about what you believe anyway.”

Oh my. Looks like Punchy has not kept up with all the posts and testimony Gregory and moi posting here and posting quite regularly.

The Intelligence analysis (released testimony docs three years later) sez that they believe the Russians preferred Hillary over Trump for being more beneficial and more favorable to the Kremlin’s goals. Remember the big red reset button? Letting the Russians get a foothold in the Middle East with port? Removing Poland’s defense missiles ring a bell? Refusing to arm the Ukrainians against Putin sound familiar? . Letting Putin seize Crimea? Does ‘Tell Putin I will have more flexibility after the election’ caught on hot mic jog the memory? Hillary ‘continuing Obama’s foreign policy‘ come to mind? No, I didn’t think so.

EVERY intelligence confirms that? Confirms what? Are you referring to the 17 intelligence agencies agreeing again, Punch? That ahas been long long discredited. What’s next? Are you going to pull up some Wa Compost or New York Slimes article that has been thoroughly discredited as Fakenews and downright wrong to support your wild claims?

When all else fails, try the good ole faithful “Trump is a racist!” card. Next stop, Tulsa. Oklahoma here we come.

[Paul Emery]

Gregory

You're wrong again. The Republican Senate Intelligence Committed confirmed Russian Interference again this year on April 21:

"The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Tuesday's bipartisan report, from a panel chaired by North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, undercuts Trump's years of efforts to portray allegations of Kremlin assistance to his campaign as a "hoax," driven by Democrats and a “deep state” embedded within the government bureaucracy."

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/senate-intel-report-confirms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

[Bill Tozer]

Oh Gregory. “Nobody cares what you believe anyway.” I do! I care, but then again, I don’t speak in the collective Royal We in referring to Nobody. Wait, I AM a nobody, this Punchy was right for once. Make that two times in 4 years. He’s ina winning streak.

Here, in the spirit of magnanimity, I will toss the Pony Tail of Ignorance a bone: ‘Nobody is better qualified to be a small town FM radio station news director than Punchy.’ And I mean Nobody is indeed better qualified.

Don, wasting your time.

[Gregory]

Punchy 603pm

So, Punch... Trump won the election with an overwhelming 304 to 211 Elector advantage.

What would the election result have been without the Russian meddling?

304 to 211. But people like you wouldn't have been able to cast doubt on the election.

[Gregory]

make that 304 to 227...

[Paul Emery]

Once again Gregory the Republican led Intel committee concluded:

"that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office."

Are denying the report exists and had that conclusion?

[Gregory]

Let's look at the punchy logic:

The Russians meddled with the election with the goal of helping Trump.
Trump won.
Therefore, the Russian meddling was the cause of Trump winning.

You're a bloody idiot, Paul.

[Bill Tozer]

Remember Punchy, you said EVERY intelligence agency confirms that. Now, prove it our you are a...drumroll please...a LIAR! and to be taken seriously....
————————————-
Antifa Rising. Continuing on my theme that at the present moment, BLM and Antifa are a distinction without a difference. Held off posting this here, as the topic is Antifa Rising, not BLM. But, the fullness of time has come. Gotta feel sorry for the Jewish American community...the community with the most number of hate crime attacks on it, and the highest growing percentage of hate crimes perpetrated upon in the US (FBI stats). And they are only 3% of the population. Anyway, BLM and Antifa have common goals. Joined at the hip.

KEITH ELLISON FOR DUMMIES

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/06/keith-ellison-for-dummies-3.php

[Bill Tozer]

Punchy and Gregory:

I see the confusion here. Punchy was referring to the 4/20 Senate Intell Committee report, and I was referring to the revelations of the Richard Grenell declassified document dump in May. The CIA hid the information from the Senate Committee, which explains everything and clears the matter up.

FOX NEWS: JOHN BRENNAN SUPPRESSED INTEL SAYING RUSSIA WANTED HILLARY CLINTON TO WIN

https://americanpriority.com/news/fox-news-john-brennan-suppressed-intel-saying-russia-wanted-hillary-clinton-to-win/

Still, it’s another waste of time. Contempt prior to investigation will keep a man in everlasting ignorance....thus the Pony Tail of Ignorance is an apt title.

[Todd Juvinall]

Funny how the oxymoron Senate I C thinks Russia supported Trump when they said they wanted Hillary. But hey the narrative is still out there. The Russian Bot Farms spent 100,000 dollars on Facebook while Hillary spent a billion to defeat Trump. Anyway, who cares except deranged liberals anyway? Trump won, he will win again and there will be a new narrative that Emery will spew for another four years.,

[Paul Emery]

Well, that's what they said Todd. It is a Republican led Committee.
Why do you think they said that Todd?

[Don Bessee]

The pony tail of ignorance @707 - See @655 if you can bear the truth, not likely but we have to give the old codger an opportunity to repent! LOL

;-)

To save time i see your measure w and raise you a measure s!

[George Rebane]

That Russia wanted to interfere in our 2016 election is a no brainer. How they actually interfered has only been alleged and not demonstrated with any evidence. And that they actually had a measurable impact on our election has neither been claimed nor has there been a shred of evidence presented to back up such a claim were to be made.

[Bill Tozer]

“Well, that's what they said Todd. It is a Republican led Committee.
Why do you think they said that Todd?”

It is no secret that the Senate Intel Committee is known as the ‘Worthless Committee’ in conservative (not Republican) circles. Yes, it is a R chaired committee, by Burr, but Warner really runs the Senate Intel Committee in reality. I have say here before the Burr is not very bright because of his lack of follow up questions (or piecing questions) when questioning those under oath. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed. This is not sour grapes, but the facts.

Meanwhile, the burden has been on Devin Nunes, the man who pours over every nuisance of testimony and was the one who discovered the plot...the Russian Hoax and the coup. A bright man, unlike Burr. What a difference between the two.
You don’t see the media go after Burr, but they pull out all the stops to bury Nunnes, slime him, discredit him, and tried to get him kicked off the House Intel Committee on bogus (discredited) ethics charges.

My 6:55 pm referenced the House Intel Committee’s findings. Not an easy job with Adam Shifttylipps blocking every move at discovering the truth. You can’t go there!! Nunes is a fricking real life hero and truth seeker....against all odds.

Not all Republicans are created equal.

BTW, ignorant is not a slur. It simply means ‘not knowing.’ You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him.....

[Paul Emery]

George

If Russian interference was the insignificant event that you claim why do you think the
republican led intel committee made such a big issue about it? Why do you think the Russian intent and goal was to elect Trump as the committee contends?

[Bill Tozer]

Cause the CIA and FBI withheld evidence from the Senate.committee. You should read Lisa Page’s Senate testimony.

[Bill Tozer]

Dr. Rebane. Got a question for you. With all these posts you wrote, what is the topic here?

Yes, there is blood on my hands and I take full responsibility for my part. :)

[Paul Emery]

The report was only 6 weeks ago Bill. Should the Committee get together and admit they made a mistake?

By the way Bill what has been learned since that specifically refutes the contention that Russia interfered in our election to assist Trump?

[Don Bessee]

The pony tail of ignorance and crack (head?) KVMR reporter confirms why he owns the title, talk about wallowing in ignorance like a hog in slop!

;-)

[Don Bessee]

Now hold your breath because you are going to have to see something that does not fit the 4 years of talking points for lefties and the kind of FACT PORN the pony tail of ignorance avoids so he can look so out of his depth. This is just the latest FACT to come out in the declasificaztions-

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified the annex on June 9, 2020, and released it to Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Wednesday.

The ICA’s conclusion that the dossier was largely uncorroborated also preceded the appointment of Mueller, to find the alleged collusion.

After two-years, and more than $30 million taxpayer dollars, Mueller’s investigation found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy, coordination, or cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Throughout 2016, Fusion GPS and Steele had pushed the dossier to journalists, lawmakers, and around the Obama administration.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/06/11/intelligence-community-steele-dossier/

;-)

[George Rebane]

BillT 831pm - Not sure what you mean by the ambiguous term 'post', which as verb means to place something on the internet, and as a noun means something that has been placed on the internet. On RR I write commentaries under which appears a comment stream, usually consisting of several comment threads among the commenters discussing various aspects of (hopefully) my commentary. So, are you referring to certain of my commentaries or my comments?

[Paul Emery]

Don

It was the conclusion of the Republican led Intel Committee that the Russians interfered in our elections with the intention of aiding Trump. Do you question that they came to that conclusion?

[Paul Emery]

In short Don is it or is it not a FACT the Committee came to that conclusion?

[George Rebane]

PaulE 810pm - The Repubs made such a big deal of it because of the years of fraudulent charges the Dems made against Trump in alleging his "collusion" with the Russians. The 'big deal' successfully showed that there was no collusion even though the Russian did attempt to impact our election, as they have done forever. It was the perfidy and lies of the Democrats shielding Hillary's bought and paid for collusion that needed to be highlighted. It sounds like you haven't quite connected the pieces for what happened over the last 3+ years. Are you still of the opinion that Trump colluded with the Russians, and that sealed his 2016 victory?

[Bill Tozer]

Slap Happy @ 8:37 pm

Sure, be happy to answer your question.

What has changed, Paul Emery, is the May declassified document dump by acting Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, under much resistance by Adam Schifflips. Adam Shiffilis promised to release the declassified documents to the public and sat of those declassified babies since June of 2019. He even tried to sue to block their release, even after the docs went through (completed) the entire long declassifying process a year prior (June, 2019–41 out of 43 doc ready to be released and he promised, lol.

To sound like a broken record and an endless loop, follow the time line. April was the Senate Intel Committee Report. May was the declassified doc dump that Schiff fought tooth and nail to block. And he is still blocking declassified material. Let that sink in. Blocking declassified docs deemed a year earlier ok by our intelligence agencies to released to the public.

Brennan misled (lied to the Senate Committee), or gave them false information, if you prefer. Or wasn’t candid, which is government speak for lying. The CIA own analysts said one thing, their boss Brennan tells the committee the opposite. 180 degrees opposite of the CIA’s own best assessment of who Putin preferred. The Senate Intel Committee believed The CIA Director’s story. End of story...until the doc dump the following month. Anyway, it has been posted here before, old news. Guess you didn’t hear about it on your feeds. Common story, so you have an excuse. But, not no more. :)

BOTTOMLINE: you can read my 6:55 pm or wait for the Durham indictments. In fact, you can believe anything you want.

Damn, once again I have been distracted from Antifa and the sick fuck left. Is my own fault. And please, don’t asked me why Brennan and Clapper and Comey and the West Wing lied or why they used paid for foreign Russian disinformation to affect the outcome of a US election. Thanks in advance.

[Don Bessee]

It looks like the shine has worn off 0. Just wait for the endless clips of creep grampa joes sound bites that were his own election issues on say bussing. Sweet -

https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2020/06/11/obama-admin-turned-down-renaming-of-army-bases-reconciliation-not-division/

;-)

[Don Bessee]

Girlfriend that is exactly the point of the new red guard! -

Lara Logan warns push to scrap police shows will remove images of 'what a good cop looks like'

https://www.foxnews.com/media/lara-logan-canceling-police-shows-role-models

;-)

[Bill Tozer]

Dr. Rebane @ 8:57 pm.

To answers your two questions: neither. No and no. I was pointing out that your commentary (post) is titled “Antifa Rising” and what the hell are we wasting time babysitting Punchy about the April Senate Intel Russian report on a topic with the heading Antifa Rising???? It was a hint to whomever, with myself saying that I strayed so far the topic and so far away from your commentary that there is blood in my hands.

In retrospect, I should of said, “Yo Punchy, this is about Antifa Rising. Antifa Rising, capisce? What, no hable Ingles? No comprende? Take your off topic comments over to the Sandbox and discuss it or leave it there.

Punchy has already asked for proof that Antifa was the ones doing all the violence and millions of dollars of property damage destroying/damaging businesses, rehab centers, black owned retail businesses, and murder. He disagreed with your commentary and should have left it at that. But, nooo.
Antifa had a part, BLM is now joined at the hip with them, and some of the hooligans were coming to the city from the suburbs to bust thing up and riot and smash stuff for fun....exactly like the white punks on dope did when the after the sun went down during the Occupy Oakland nightly carnage.

(Did get a kick when one young criminal blew his frigging hand clear off trying to blow an ATM machine out of the wall in front of a building, but I digress (even though I still am laughing about that.) Amateur. Punk. Thug. Scum. Human debris.

So, what the hell does investigations into the Russian Collusion Hoax have to with Antifa? Anything? Hell no. Nothing. Zero. I did expect to be admonished for being off topic. Oh well.

Take it to the Sandbox, Paul Emery. There he can argue Nixon vs Obama till the cows come home. What a true Pony Tail of Ignorance. I do understand he ain’t working with a full deck, has one oar in the water, and his elevator doesn’t go to the top and all, but sometimes my patience wears thin. I will try to be more understanding. My mother always told to be nice to the retarded kids at school.

Since I am off topic, Larry Elder posted a pic of the Dem Leadership wearing those African scarfs and said, “Looks like they are going to their first Black bar-b-que”. I love the Sage of South Central.

[George Rebane]

BillT 1235am - Mea culpa Mr Tozer, thank you.