In my first post, I took a shot at Antifa—mostly for its aesthetics. I was going through a lot at the time and didn’t really know why I had such a strong reaction, but I still stand by what I said. Now, I want to elaborate because I think it’s important to address the deeper concerns I have regarding this movement. I’ve been critical of Antifa for a while, and this follow-up is my chance to explain why I don’t trust them, from a leftist perspective.
First off, let’s be honest: Antifa is often perceived as little more than an aesthetic. And to be clear, this perception isn’t coming from some far-right viewpoint. Even Joe Biden, during the 2020 election, defended Antifa. The same Joe Biden who, as a centrist figure, stands diametrically opposed to the anti-establishment ideals of these so-called “anti-fascists.” Why did Biden feel comfortable defending them? Because he doesn’t see Antifa as a real threat. He saw them as a superficial movement—just a group of people who look the part but aren’t really disrupting anything at the core. He saw them as nothing more than a bunch of people wearing black masks and shouting slogans.
This view, however, is not unique to Biden. Many people across the political spectrum, particularly on the liberal side, have a tendency to frame Antifa as just another movement, as if labeling something a “movement” absolves it of its real-world implications. People defend Antifa by saying it’s simply an ideology. But that defense doesn’t take the movement seriously, nor does it challenge fascism in any meaningful way. So, if the best you can do to defend Antifa is say it’s an ideology or a movement, then you’re missing the point—and honestly, you’re not really doing any good.
I think it’s crucial to highlight something often overlooked in discussions about Antifa: just calling it a movement is not enough. If we are serious about opposing fascism, we need more than just a slogan. We need a clear explanation of what antifascism really means. And we need to be honest about what it takes to fight fascism in a way that doesn’t just mimic the aesthetics of rebellion without the substance.
Here’s where the problem gets deeper. So many folks, especially on the left—and even liberals—expect you to just know what it means to be antifascist. They expect you to already understand what fascism and antifascism are, and if you don’t, they tell you, “Well, you need to educate yourself.” Now look, I get it—you can’t educate everyone on everything, and people should engage in self-learning. But at the same time, if we want to push back against fascism, we need to be clear about what antifascism means. Too many times, when you ask someone what it means to be antifascist, you get the response, “It’s being against fascism.” Well, what does that mean? If you ask them what fascism is, they can tell you. But when you ask them what it means to be antifascist, all you get is, “It’s being against everything fascism is about.” That might work for some people, but for me, it’s not enough. We need so much more than that.
If you can’t give a solid answer about why you’re antifascist and what that truly means, other than just being opposed to fascism, you’re making yourself predictable. You’re opening yourself up to bad actors who will take advantage of the lack of clarity. The movement becomes a breeding ground for confusion and infiltration. Sure, technically, saying that antifascism is “against everything fascism is about” is true, but that’s way too superficial. It doesn’t do the work that antifascism is supposed to do. It’s just surface-level resistance without any substance.
The reality is that people on the left, especially those identifying as antifascist, need to do the hard work of defining what that means. Antifascism isn’t just rejecting fascism—it’s about actively resisting the systems of power that allow fascism to thrive. And let’s be real: resistance means more than just being against something. If you’re just against fascism, but you don’t know how to challenge it in a meaningful way, what’s the point?
Take people like Vaush and HasanAbi, for example. These individuals claim to be part of the left and have been associated with Antifa, yet they’re propping up the very status quo that Antifa is supposed to be opposing. They work within the system—pushing liberal views rather than challenging the establishment. They’re not interested in dismantling the power structures that allow fascism to grow. They’re not really resisting—they’re just maintaining the status quo. And I don’t think I’m the only one who sees that. When liberals, people who vote for establishment Democrats, start identifying as Antifa, that’s when you know something’s off. The status quo party benefits from the systems Antifa claims to oppose. How is that resistance?
That doesn’t mean every person who identifies as Antifa is a fraud or just a liberal pawn. There are certainly people within the movement doing real work and making a positive impact. But we have to take a hard look at who’s identifying as Antifa and why. We can’t just let anyone who claims the label get a free pass. The movement, as it stands, lacks clear accountability and a firm foundation of principles. And without that, it risks being hijacked by people more interested in grandstanding than in doing the hard work of fighting fascism.
To be clear, I don’t believe all Antifa members are bad people or part of a coordinated effort to undermine resistance. But I do think the movement, in its current form, lacks coherence. It’s easy to put on a mask, throw up a fist, and call yourself antifascist. But what happens when you’re not held accountable for your actions? What happens when there’s no clear mission or plan of action? You get a movement that’s all aesthetics and no substance.
When it comes to the perception of Antifa, we can’t ignore how conservatives, and even some Democrats who lean more conservatively, view the movement. To them, Antifa is nothing more than a joke—just a bunch of crazies who destroy things, dress up in all-black outfits, and engage in senseless cosplay. They see it as a spectacle, a bunch of people performing rebellion without real purpose or direction. And honestly, when you look at how Antifa often presents itself, it’s hard to argue with their perspective.
The problem with this is twofold. First, it highlights the superficiality of the movement. Conservatives and more conservative Democrats aren’t wrong in seeing Antifa’s aesthetic as the core of what it does. If your movement is based on wearing masks, causing chaos, and looking the part of rebellion, then it’s easy to see why people would dismiss you as a bunch of anarchistic cosplayers who aren’t doing anything substantive. Antifa’s aesthetic is loud and bold, but is it really effective? Or is it just a way to attract attention without actually achieving anything meaningful? It’s hard to take something seriously when all it offers is a performance of resistance rather than actual resistance.
Second, and this is where it gets more problematic, if the most meaningful comeback you have to these criticisms is, “Antifa is just a movement or an ideology,” or “Antifa just means antifascist, and it’s about being against fascism,” you’re losing the plot. That’s it. You’re offering a defense that’s so weak, so vague, that it becomes irrelevant in the face of real opposition. You’re allowing the narrative to be about the aesthetics—about the looks and slogans—while you avoid the deeper, more difficult questions about what it means to actually fight fascism.
If all you can say in defense of Antifa is that it’s a movement or an ideology or that it’s simply about being against fascism, then you’re not challenging fascism at all. You’re just engaging in surface-level resistance, the kind that’s easy for anyone to dismiss as radical posturing without ever doing the hard work. This only feeds into the perception that Antifa is a joke—a bunch of radical leftists who are more interested in looking rebellious than actually achieving any meaningful change.
Let’s be clear here: I’m not saying that Antifa is useless or that the people who identify with it are bad people. But if you’re only going to defend it by saying it’s just about being against fascism or that it’s just a movement, then you’re not offering anything meaningful to the debate. You’re losing the opportunity to show that antifascism is about more than just rejecting fascism—it’s about taking concrete actions to dismantle the systems that allow fascism to rise. Without that clarity, you risk being dismissed as just another group of cosplayers without a plan, with no real substance beneath the mask. And once that happens, your movement is no longer taken seriously. And worse, you open yourself up to criticism from all sides—both from conservatives and more moderate Democrats—who will dismiss your movement as a joke, without having to confront your real ideas.
In the end, if you let Antifa be reduced to an aesthetic—just a movement defined by its looks and slogans—then you’ve missed the point. The people who are serious about antifascism need to push back against that narrative. They need to stop defending it in such a shallow way and start offering a real, substantive vision of what it means to resist fascism. Otherwise, you’re going to continue losing the plot—and with it, the respect and effectiveness that any meaningful movement should strive for.
If Antifa is going to have any real impact, it has to evolve. It needs to start taking antifascism seriously—not just as a catchphrase, but as a deep, meaningful commitment to challenging systems of power and oppression. It needs to define what it stands for and stand behind it with actions, not just slogans. It needs to push back against those who are more interested in the aesthetics of revolution than in real change.
Here’s what I truly believe it means to be antifascist: It’s about standing up for marginalized communities. It’s about showing empathy and compassion, not just for the people you agree with but for everyone who is affected by oppression and violence. Being antifascist isn’t just about rejecting fascism in theory, it’s about actively doing the work to protect and uplift those who are under its boot. You can’t just speak out against fascism when it’s convenient, when it’s the “R” in charge, and stay silent when it’s the “D.” That’s liberalism, not antifascism.
Being antifascist means you need to call out bullshit, even when it’s happening within your own communities. Especially when it’s happening within your own communities. If you see a problem, if your communities aren’t safe and you let it slide, then you’re not helping anyone. You can’t be silent and complicit. You have to be willing to call out harmful behaviors, injustices, and prejudices even when it’s uncomfortable. Your loyalty isn’t to a political party or a label—it’s to the people who need help. If you claim to be antifascist but you’re letting shit slide in your own circles because it’s too hard or inconvenient, then you’re failing the very people you claim to protect.
Let’s be real—antifascism isn’t just about being against fascism when the “R” is in charge. Antifascism is about rejecting fascism, period. When it’s happening, no matter who is perpetuating it. You can’t just be against fascism when it’s the other side in power and then turn a blind eye when your side does it. If you’re okay with fascism when it’s coming from the “D” side, then you’re just playing politics and not actually fighting fascism. You need to be unequivocally against fascism full stop, not when it’s convenient or when it fits your political agenda. That’s how you lose sight of the bigger picture. That’s how you allow fascism to grow and take hold. And that’s how you end up with an antifascist movement that is more concerned with optics and partisanship than actual resistance.
You also need to be vigilant. You cannot simply assume that just because someone says they’re antifascist, that they’re actually doing the work. Words are easy, but actions speak louder than anything else. People can wear masks, shout slogans, and wave flags, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually fighting fascism. Anyone can call themselves antifascist, but what do their actions say? What are they doing to resist fascism? What have they done to challenge the systems that allow it to rise? If you’re not holding people accountable, then the movement is just a free-for-all, and you’re leaving yourself wide open for manipulation and infiltration.
And finally, being antifascist means you have to actually understand what fascism is. You can’t just throw the term around because it sounds good. You need to know the ins and outs of fascism, how it operates, and how it manifests in society. You need to understand that fascism doesn’t just come from the right—it can come from the left too. You need to be aware that fascists can and will co-opt movements, including antifascist ones. They’ll infiltrate groups, twist narratives, and use your own ideals against you if you aren’t careful. So, if you’re going to claim to be antifascist, you need to do the work of educating yourself. You need to understand what you’re up against, how it works, and how to fight it effectively. Otherwise, you’re just playing into the hands of those who are trying to destroy you.
Being antifascist isn’t just about being “against fascism.” It’s about actively resisting it—about working to build a world where fascism has no place, no power. It’s about being honest, being vigilant, and never letting yourself be co-opted by those who seek to weaken your resistance. It’s about being clear-eyed and focused on the real goal: dismantling the systems of oppression that allow fascism to thrive. Until we understand that, until we do the work to create real, lasting change, we’re just playing politics—and fascism will continue to grow.
Why am I bringing this up? Because this shit is important. And honestly, maybe I’m ahead of the curve on this—like it feels to be the case with a lot of things. I’m not just critiquing from the sidelines; I’m genuinely concerned about the future. As the country and the world spiral deeper into fascism, we are going to see bad actors try to co-opt and hijack antifascist movements. They’ll pretend to be antifascist while using the movement as a shield to push their own agendas, which might not align with actual antifascist ideals. And if groups like Antifa and other antifascist organizations remain disorganized, without clear leadership or principles, it’s going to be a detriment to the movement.
Now, here’s the thing—and this is my biggest criticism of Antifa. Maybe, back then, it was necessary for Antifa to be disjointed and disorganized. Maybe it was essential for the movement to exist in the shadows, to avoid being co-opted by the establishment or absorbed into mainstream politics. But not anymore. The current political climate demands more. It’s time for Antifa and the broader antifascist movement to consider something more unified, because if it continues to be fractured, we risk losing everything.
Maybe, just maybe, it needs to be more unified, more organized, and more intentional in its approach. I’m not talking about the kind of “unity” that gets watered down into liberalism. No, I’m talking about real political force. Maybe Antifa needs to evolve into an actual political party or a cohesive organization. I know, that might sound controversial, but hear me out. For it to have any real weight, any real meaning, and for it to be taken seriously, it can’t just be something that exists on the fringes of political discourse. It needs a stronger presence in politics, not just as a loose collective of people showing up to protests but as an actual force in the political arena.
Sure, I understand the risks. If it becomes mainstream, it could easily be hijacked by liberals or co-opted in a way that strips it of its original radical roots. There’s no denying that. But I think the alternative—continuing to remain fragmented and powerless—is far worse. A fragmented, disorganized movement only plays into the hands of those who seek to crush it. Having one cohesive, unified group—one that stands on clear principles—can send a much stronger message to both the public and those in power.
The goal isn’t to abandon antifascism’s original ideals or make it palatable for mainstream politics. The goal is to give it structure, coherence, and the resources it needs to fight fascism in a meaningful, lasting way. Antifascism doesn’t have to remain this underground, disjointed thing that’s always on the edges of political discourse. It could be stronger, more powerful, and more influential if it had one unified message, one unified platform. Yes, there are risks involved, but in this moment in history, I think it’s time to take a chance on it.
In the end, it’s not about getting co-opted or losing the message. It’s about making antifascism a force to be reckoned with, one that can confront fascism head-on and actually have the political leverage to do something about it. So, I’m putting it out there: Maybe, for antifascism to succeed in this new political age, it needs to grow up. It needs to become more than just a scattered collection of groups that are constantly fighting amongst themselves and facing outside forces trying to tear them apart. Maybe it needs to evolve into something more concrete, more influential, and more organized than it has ever been. If that’s what it takes to truly challenge fascism, then I’m all for it.
When I wrote my first post a few months back, I was angry. I was frustrated, mad, and going through a lot personally. But despite all that, I still stand by what I said. Now, looking back, I see even more clearly that what I said was not only valid but necessary. I see that I was on the right track, and I think now more than ever, we need to address these concerns. The reality is, if our best resistance against fascism is the Democrats on one end and a disjointed movement that’s viewed as fringe-left on the other, we are really fucked. And I’m not sugarcoating it.
We need more. We need a movement that actually understands what it means to resist fascism—one that goes beyond slogans and aesthetics. We need people who truly understand what fascism is and the danger it poses. And not just understand it in a shallow sense, but deeply, critically, and with the understanding that it can emerge from any direction. We need people who recognize that true antifascism requires more than just opposing a certain political party or individual. It’s about confronting the systems of power that allow fascism to thrive.
I’ve been disillusioned by the American leftists lately—even by myself. And maybe that’s why I feel so isolated, so out of place. I look around and see all of us, in some way, complicit. We live in a system that thrives on our complacency, and maybe that’s the way the system has been designed. To keep us in line. To keep us from rising up. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why I’m so frustrated—it’s not just that the system is broken; it’s that we’ve all been conditioned to accept it. To be complicit in it.
But we need something way bigger. Something radically different. Something that challenges the very systems that have been holding us down, keeping us complacent, and keeping us divided. We need a movement of radical compassion, radical empathy, and radical honesty. And let’s face it: I don’t see anyone on any political spectrum achieving that, especially in America. So if no one else is going to do it, I guess it might as well be me.
It may be unpopular. It may make me lonely, and maybe it already has. But I don’t fucking care. If it means challenging the status quo, if it means standing up for the marginalized, if it means breaking down the walls of division and apathy, then I’m ready to go. I’m ready to make this movement, even if I have to do it on my own. Because we need more than just reactionary movements that rise up and fade away. We need a new way of thinking, a new way of being, one that understands that the fight against fascism is not just political—it’s deeply personal, deeply moral, and deeply human.
We need to come together in a way that transcends left vs. right, Democrat vs. Republican. We need a movement that’s focused on compassion and empathy, that fights for truth and justice. I know it’s a huge undertaking, and I know it’s going to be hard. But honestly, at this point, what other choice do we have? We either make this change or let fascism creep deeper into the fabric of our society. And I’m not willing to let that happen.
So, I’m going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep fighting for this, even if it means being unpopular, even if it means being alone. Because this movement—this radical compassion, empathy, and honesty—is what we need now more than ever. And I’m not going to stop until we’ve built something real.
Ultimately, my concern with Antifa isn’t that it’s opposed to fascism—it’s that, in its current state, it’s failing to live up to its ideals. It’s failing to be clear, accountable, and genuine in its opposition to fascism. And that’s why, despite my previous criticisms, I still don’t trust it.
I am antifascist. Truly. That hasn’t changed. My stance hasn’t wavered. But what has evolved is my understanding of what it means to be antifascist, and the recognition that we need to be better at it. We have to be more thoughtful, more organized, and more intentional in our approach to fighting fascism. I see the gaps, the flaws, the room for improvement within the movement, and I believe we owe it to ourselves and to those who are fighting for a better future to address those shortcomings.
Being antifascist isn’t just a label you wear—it’s a responsibility. It’s a commitment to stand up for what’s right, to challenge systems of oppression wherever they exist, and to protect those who are most vulnerable. But we can’t just pay lip service to antifascism. We can’t be content with the same old tactics, the same old structures, the same old rhetoric. We need to push beyond the limits of what’s been done, to truly make a difference. And that’s where the work begins. It’s about holding ourselves accountable and pushing for a deeper, more cohesive movement that’s not just focused on opposing fascism but on actively dismantling the systems that support it.
So, yes, I’m antifascist. But I also know that we can—and must—do better. It’s time to step up. It’s time to improve. And it’s time to take antifascism seriously, not just as an opposition, but as a powerful force for change. Let’s make it count.
In the end, being antifascist is about more than just rejecting fascism—it’s about understanding the systems that perpetuate it and working tirelessly to dismantle them. If Antifa isn’t doing that, then it’s not really fighting fascism at all. It’s just participating in a game of optics. And that, my friends, is the real problem.