Mainstream Media 'Discovers' Antifa, Omits Its Anti-Fascist Origin
The Financial Times asks, 'What is antifa, the ‘terrorist’ group targeted by Donald Trump?'—a framing that immediately legitimizes the former president's hyperbolic claim. The article attempts to define a leaderless, decentralized concept, giving undue weight to a narrative cultivated by those who benefit from demonizing anti-racist, anti-fascist activism. What's consistently absent from such
mainstream examinations is the historical context: 'antifa' emerged precisely to counter literal fascism, a political ideology responsible for horrors the FT itself would decry. Instead of dissecting the historical rise of fascism or why a significant portion of the populace finds its resurgence alarming enough to resist, the FT positions 'antifa' as a nebulous threat. This journalistic gymnastics
avoids asking why politicians find it convenient to label anti-fascist protesters 'terrorists' while often downplaying actual white supremacist violence. One might wonder if the real 'terrorism' is the erosion of historical literacy and the weaponization of language to silence opposition.