Since “antifa” as a formal organization does not exist, Trump’s executive order amounts to a blanket authorization to brand opposition to his fascism as “terrorism.”

On Monday, just one day after the Republican Party staged a Horst Wessel-style memorial for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating “antifa” a “domestic terrorist organization.”

The order claims that antifa is a “militarist, anarchist enterprise” that uses “illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide.”

Antifa, as even FBI Director Christopher Wray was forced to admit in a September 2020 congressional hearing, is not an organization but a broad current of opposition to fascism. “Antifa is an ideology, not an organization,” said Wray, who also testified that the bureau had no data showing any lethal violence committed by the organization.

Since antifa as a formal organization does not exist, Trump’s executive order amounts to a blanket authorization to brand political dissent and opposition to his fascist regime as “terrorism.”

  • Jaysyn@lemmy.world
    45·
    2 months ago

    I’m still going to protest, because I’m not the coward that these fascists are hoping for.

    Getting arrested for holding a sign on public property will be a slam dunk lawsuit.

    Executive Orders cover the federal executive branch. They aren’t federal law, they aren’t state law & the certainly don’t override the Constitution.

    Grow a fucking spine.

    • ShadowRam@fedia.io
      311·
      2 months ago

      ^^^ Look at this guy with his…

      “I’ll be protected by the law” attitude…

      • ski11erboi@lemmy.world
        27·
        2 months ago

        I get what you guys are saying but this idealogy is what makes this a reality. People must continue to protest in large numbers. Only once the numbers dwindle will they sweep in and start charging people with terrorism. There is safety in numbers.

      • LillyPip@lemmy.caEnglish
        13·
        2 months ago

        We need to protest even if we’re not protected. We need to protest even if we wind up hanging for it, like Sofie Scholl.

        In a sane world, yeah, it would be a slam-dunk lawsuit, but we’re in uncharted territory now, so who knows if that will remain true. The direction we’re moving in will be so much worse. If we don’t protest now, when we might possibly have some protection, we’ll wind up in a world where our protest will absolutely cost us our life.

    • slevinkelevra@sh.itjust.works
      432·
      2 months ago

      Not really though. They were just anti German-Nazi. Just look at all the lynchings, the Jim Crow laws, segregation etc.

      • bigfondue@lemmy.world
        7·
        2 months ago

        Also helping to overthrow democratically elected governments in Guatemala and other Latin American countries to protect the interests of capital.

      • Deflated0ne@lemmy.worldEnglish
        10·
        2 months ago

        The fact that our govt didn’t really give a shit about the nazis until Pearl Harbor forced our entry into the war.

  • NoWay@lemmy.world
    37·
    2 months ago

    Historically the War Dept was anti fascist… Which means Trump just declared the U.S. military a crimanl terrorist organization… Time to go arrested those serving in the military. Let’s start at the top: The good old commander in chief.

    • BeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.world
      17·
      2 months ago

      I had a horrible stepgrandfather. He’s done two good things: first, die, second, instill in us the value of fighting fascism. He fought nazis in europe. He went off about Constant Vigilance or something. Fighting fascists is a traditional united states value.

      • NoWay@lemmy.world
        5·
        2 months ago

        Don’t suppose he had signs of PTSD? Not defending him for any horrible actions but WWII messed with a lot of men’s heads and gave lasting repercussions generations down the line. Helps to identify toxic traits that flow from it to stop it in your family and community.

        Men of america were known to weep in the streets prior to WWI. Being open to showing emotion was robbed from men due to war.

        • BeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.world
          5·
          2 months ago

          oh definitely had that. he got ptsd after the war. it’s a very long story that would probably identify me. short version, he served in a different theater than just about everyone from where he lived and thus felt ostracized by the veterans groups. because of that he never got the support he needed, which was partly a self-inflicted wound. as one of his favorite targets, i find i’m more able to empathize/sympathize with other folk who’ve been in his position than him.

    • TheThrillOfTime@lemmy.ml
      1·
      2 months ago

      Idk historically the war department was used to push fascism on people outside the country. Go ahead and ask the Vietnamese or the Iraqis how they feel about the US military.

      • NoWay@lemmy.world
        1·
        2 months ago

        After WWII the war department became the department of defense (and still is,just this year it has a nickname of war depart.) So Vietnam and both the gulf war and war on terror was a different department. However the war on terror and this year for Venezuela the DoD actions are very much like terrorism. The nickname executive order and the antifa executive order lays out the return of the historical war dept which the last war was WWII against Nazis (and against racism) as such the 2nd executive order rightly names the DoD as a terroristic organization

    • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      233·
      2 months ago

      You think making opposition to fascism a criminal offense is a distraction from releasing the files that we already know the man is in?

      This is why we are fucking doomed. Get a grip.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 months ago

        The birthday book is the List. People have the thing they demanded and they’re still just repeating the line and nauseum to themselves.

        It’s terminal brainrot. Nobody knows how to resist a fascist government. All they know how to do is shitpost

    • Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      27·
      2 months ago

      Epstein files or no, this motherfucker is making it very easy to jail his critics so maybe consider giving this threat a little more weight.

  • bagsy@lemmy.world
    18·
    2 months ago

    Time to start mailing antifa membership cards to all your favorite republicans.