Regarding the President, politics, law enforcement & Antifa - we have a problem. Here’s my story - for last 15 yrs been involved or teaching terrorism/counterterrorism courses to law enforcement around the country, last 3 years, it’s gotten weird.
For years I’d conduct an exercise for cops evaluate extremist threats in their jurisdiction. First decade AQ/ISIS, by 2015 mix domestic/Int’l then last 3 years - Antifa suddenly became #1 threat for majority class. Some in the classes from major cities never heard of it.
was confused, we’d nearly always just seen an ISIS or White supremacist attack in the news. I’d ask,”who is the leader of Antifa?” No answer. “When was last time someone from Antifa killed someone?” Silence. Usually amounted vague recollection of property damage might be Antifa
Some that said antifa was the top priority, literally did not know antifa stood for anti-fascist. As a result, I just stopped doing the exercise as it became way too political.
If I asked the class to name an Al-Qaeda Isis or white supremacist Attack, they could rapidly name off many of each type, the so-called antifa attack was usually some guys with bats broke windows at a business.
I’d also struggle to explain to them that if they believed they had an Anti - fascist problem that might be a strong indicator they also have a “fascist” problem (White supremacists) since one movement would be in response to the other.
designating Antifa (if it were an actual thing) terrorist org while ignoring massive spike White supremacist violence would be confirming ideological justifications of Antifa, likely incentivizing more people join antifa movement - downward cycle
