If "Antifa" is actually declared to be a terrorist organization. What it means.

I'm not one for text posts, but this is important.I've seen a lot of memes and a lot of really spicey tweets about Trump saying he plans to declare Antifa as a terrorist organization. I want to make it clear what this means.I am an academic who teaches and studies the rise and fall of Fascism. I am literally anti-fascist by trade.I'm more terrified now than at any point in my adult life. Here's why.On February 27th 1933 the main Chamber of the Reichstag was destroyed in a fire. Hitler almost immediately took this as an opportunity.This is a God-given signal! If this fire, as I believe, turns out to be the handiwork of Communists, then there is nothing that shall stop us now from crushing out this murderous pest with an iron fist.It became illegal to be associated with the Communist party. It started with party members, then supporters, then in March they made it illegal to speak in opposition to the party at all. By the end of summer over 100,000 people were imprisoned. None of these people had anything to do with the fire and, in fact, more than half of them weren't even Communists. Just people who didn't fall in line.This is how it starts. Declaring the loose concept of being against Fascism to be terrorism is like what Hitler, did but skips several of the steps. We all know how it ends. We aren't even starting in February. We are starting in March.This man can't be allowed to stay in office. If he does. If this movement loses momentum. The people of the United States aren't the only ones who lose. Everyone loses. The world loses.I don't believe in definitives. As a student of history I find that speaking definitively is often the sign of someone who doesn't know what they are talking about. But there's no question here. This is the most dangerous action this man has taken and if he succeeds, Fascism wins. Every life lost fighting it has been for nothing.Don't let Fascism win. Don't let him win.Get out there. Get angry. Don't back down. For all our sakes. Please, don't back down.Edit: Just to be clear, while I do think our best hope to slow the descent into Fascism would be to vote Biden in. No matter how much that man disgusts me. I also believe this election has already been stolen.Nixon resigned under protests, Mubarak was ousted in Egypt after the Arab Spring.There's more than one way to skin a cat. Vote, but be ready when the election is an inevitable sham. You have a right to protest. Use it.Edit 2: I'm being accused of encouraging violence. So I want to make it clear, I'm not. Both morally and practically violence will not help. From a historical standpoint violence begets violence. If he's ousted, it's better he's still living and answers for his crimes.In Germany the Nazi leadership faced trial and had to answer for their crimes. In Italy their Fascist leadership were strung up on a gas station.Germany has healed completely and is now a proud example of how a nation overcomes an evil past, Italy literally has a Mussolini in their government advocating for the same policies as their grandfather. Violence may bring catharsis, but it doesn't bring positive change. It never has.I would never advocate for violent insurrection. I am advocating voting and for loud and ceaseless non-violent revolt to oust the current powers. via /r/AntifascistsofReddit https://ift.tt/2ZYEbaE