Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook (Activist Citizens Library)

This book provides a great overview of the history of antifascist action and the general philosophies of various antifascist individuals and organizations.It discusses points of origin for proto-fascism and the proto-antifascist movements that spawned from that, going back to the Dreyfus affaire in the 1890s in France and the formation of the Klu Klux Klan in the 1860s.It notes that antifa is not a formal organization (though, some may form groups for action) but rather a sort of practice one might engage in - that is, opposing the advancment of fascism. As such, it is exercised flexibly and locally. For this reason is why action is so varied, as it may include socialists, anarchists, revolutionaries, communists, or even people of apolitical backgrounds.It also touches on the topic of free speech, deplatforming alt-right speakers such as Milo Yiannopoulos, and the media response and priming of such deplatforming.I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a crash course on the history and general philosophy of (mainly European) antifascist efforts and for perspective on the antifascist efforts that have spawned in the United States following the inauguration of Donald Trump.As for the group of 1-stars (mostly unverified purchasers), it's quite clear that the majority leaving their reviews have not actually read this book. I see many claiming that it is fascism to engage in an act of political violence. To say that a particular political action is "bad" because it features is violence is tautological. Politics is about the distribution of power and power is enforced by violence; ergo, there isn't a corner in politics that does not include violence, the details are in "who" the violence is being done to and "why." Seeing as the definition of fascism be argued in the book is not so simplistic, it could be said that those making this claim are arguing against a strawman.Many also claim that the author is advocating violence and censorship; however, reading the book reveals that the author has mostly summarized the perspective of antifascist individuals (mainly in Europe). Though the author will occasionally give his opinion on a particular issue, the bulk of the text is based on interviews with antifascist individuals and organizations. If you disapprove of the methods of antifascist groups, that is your prerogative but do not misrepresent the content of the book and dismiss it with this silly "antifascists are the new fascists" nonsense.

So, I just want to write a bit about what you'll find in this book. Despite the title, it doesn't incite violence. It's not a call to action at all. This book is about the history of fascism and its opposition.Chapter 1 : Early 20th CenturyChapter 2 : Later 20th CenturyChapter 3 : 21st Century so farThe later chapters aren't about history, but about violent and non-violent actions that have been taken by groups opposing fascism.Chapter 4 : Lessons to learn from the history of the previous chaptersChapter 5 : No-Platforming ( From taking down posters to trying to stop speaking events)Chapter 6 : Non-violence and Everyday Anti-FascismChapter 7 : Good Night White Pride ( This is a short conclusion to the book. It briefly talks about how Race has played a part in fascism. The concept is outside the scope of this book, it just gives you something to think aboutAfter that, it's two Appendices.Appendix A : Advice from the people interviewedAppendix B : Other books and works to consider readingAnd that's it. It's not a call to attack others, or to incite violence. It's about the history of fascism and anti-fascism. 1945 was not the end of fascism, or even the end of groups calling themselves fascists. And Anti-fascism is not a new word, there have been anti-fascists for as long as there have been fascists.

I thought this book would be a tactics manual, it isn't. It is a well written examination of the historical development of anti-fascism from the 1920s to the present day. Highly readable, very interesting and well documented, it concentrates on the continuing politics of repression, fascism and danger these forces represent to freedom and democracy. Highly recommended, but I am going to order the USMC Infantry Tactics Manual.

Great book! Vital information... It's important to understand that Antifa isn't an organization per se. It is a movement that occurs when fascism starts becoming too open in our society. It wanes and disappears when societies function. Fascism is hard to define precisely, but it supports and promotes: White supremacy, class oppression, hetero-patriarchy, ultra-nationalism, authoritarianism and genocide. There is nothing to fear from this history of people who rose up and resisted unlawful nonsense from those in power who cloaked themselves in religion and pseudo patriotism. I'm proud to know the American flag is an anti-fascist flag and I'm proud America was on the right side of WWII. I hope we can survive the coming conflicts. Good book, well researched with thoughtful advice. Finally, I hope any who voted for the fat orange guy will be too embarrassed to admit it within the next ten years or sooner.

This book is dangerous because it promotes the same ideology as the KKK. Namely, it seeks to dehumanise certain groups of people, and then to justify committing violence on them. By setting themselves up in a ‘morally superior’ position, Antifa’s justification boils down to taking down ‘bad people’… in this case anyone that they consider ‘fascist’. This is a call to arms against ‘bad people’ i.e. anyone who disagrees with them politically.It appeals to our most basal human instincts, to want to be doing good in the world. How many children would agree that Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini were bad men? How many children might believe that to have killed or eliminated them would have made the world a better place? How many of us think like children? That is, in a simple, binary way - to view human beings as either good or bad? Following that, can evil be eradicated by any means necessary…by Machiavellian means? By encouraging us to view people as either friend or foe, what Antifa really seeks is to eliminate the enemy. It rips a society apart, when those who cannot put forward a rational argument, turn to inflaming public passions in order to pursue their own secret agenda - a Nietzschean will to power.Reading this book was difficult for me, because I do not believe that violence can be justified, especially if I disagree with the political views of another. In order to justify such attacks as we witness in incidents of groups such as ‘Occupy’ or ‘BAMN’ (By any means necessary), we must believe in ‘social justice’ or that we are ‘doing good’. I am certain that the KKK felt the same way yet we have rightly come to condemn it and its underlying philosophy. However, Antifa has adopted the same philosophies, by branding certain people (usually capitalists) as bad people, and seeking to destroy them. Antifa is a modern-day lynch mob.The psychological technique being used by Antifa is that of ‘projective identification’. This is Ensorcellment or brainwashing by any other name. It works by forcefully projecting into their opponents, the very things they themselves are guilty of…be it anti-Semitism, totalitarianism, hate-speech, intolerant attitudes towards the truly vulnerable etc. These same techniques are found in cults and serve to convince cult members that the outside world is bad. It even convinces some to engage in acts of violence on the basis that they are good and those that they seek to hurt are bad people. The KKK sought to demonise black people and to convince white people that slavery was good. Antifa seeks to demonise anyone who believes in capitalism and democracy, and to enforce Marxist ideologies by any means necessary…interestingly, Benito Mussolini was himself a Marxist, who believed in the use of force to silence political adversaries. In the end, Antifa are the old Anarcho-Communist rivals of Fascism, and Mark Bray’s Epigraph quotes Buenaventura Durruti, one of its leading advocates. Antifa have the same hateful ideology as that they seek to denounce – to use physical force to intimidate opponents in order to gain political and cultural power.The world needs to heal its splits not exacerbate them and Antifa's stance only sows divisions.

Well written, and un-like some books, this is a really good read !This should be on everyone's reading-list!If I could, I would send a copy of this book to everyone in the country!Arrived here in top condition and quickly too!Many Thanks

It’s too focused on Trump and short sighted in that it doesn’t layout a convincing groundwork on its own vision of a better society. In my opinion, if you want to tear down a society that people strive to join from around the world, you should at least have a concrete vision of how the new paradigm would be sustainable. We need to reject identity politics of every kind, or else we will continue to be divided and therefore under the thumb of tyranny.

Really needed for these times. Inspiring historical references and beginning of a worldwide culture to counter the alt right populist narratives that are dominating

Turned me into an Ancom Anarchist 😏