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Originally Posted by PepsiFree
EDIT: And, again, labelling them as simply the lesser of two evils is either to extremely overstate the evil of antifa, or to completely understate the evil of nazism. Unless you think suppressing racist speech (sometimes with pepper spray and batons) is as evil as mass genocide. Maybe I'm wrong.
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It doesn't have to be a matter of making a moral judgement to compare the two. On utilitarian grounds, it's hard to see what positive contributions antifa make to the political climate. Do you think their actions really reduce the amount of white-supremacist idiocy out there? Have they made anyone safer?
Personally, I see antifa's actions, and their tolerance by many people who should know better, as a legitimization of political violence. And that's a bad thing. I don't have to think they're as bad as Nazis to believe their actions are a net negative for civil, liberal society.
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Originally Posted by Red Slinger
Okay, what are the best ways to oppose fascism then?
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The usual ways. Free and open speech. Countering their arguments with reason. Pointing out the folly of their agenda. Counter-marches. Championing individual freedoms, while preventing them from hurting others.
You know - liberalism.
Fighting in the streets only inflames the conflict. And when the chaos and violence gets bad enough, the great bulk of citizens who just want to get on with their lives turn to authoritarians to restore order. History shows this happening over and over. You just have to look back to the 60s and early 70s, when alarm over political street violence and chaos led to the election of Richard Nixon - twice.