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‘Designating’ Antifa a Terrorist Organization Is a Bad Idea
National Review ^ | 8/31/2017 | Andrew McCarthy

Posted on 05/31/2020 12:48:14 PM PDT by EBH

I know this sounds crazy, but Donald Trump will not be president forever. In fact, he hasn’t been president that long . . . meaning, it was not so long ago that we were dealing with an Obama administration — and its media-Democrat pom-pom squads — that regarded limited-government conservatives, Second Amendment proponents, and many veterans returning from overseas military service as “right-wing extremists” who posed a threat of “domestic terrorism.” Someday, maybe sooner than we’d like to think, Democrats are going to be in power again. Do we really want to give them enhanced federal powers to harass ideological opponents under the guise of “designating” domestic terrorist threats?

Right this minute, in terms of confronting Antifa or any other domestic terrorist organization, we have a more robust array of state and federal law-enforcement powers than we have ever had. Moreover, coordination between federal and state law-enforcement and national-security officers is as good as it has ever been. All that is required to gut Antifa is the will to do it — the will to say, “Regardless of our disparate political views, we Americans draw the line at violent extortion that eviscerates our right to speak, assemble, and engage in constitutionally protected political activity.”

I’d humbly suggest we work on that, rather than wasting our energy on meaningless and potentially counterproductive theater like designating domestic terrorist organizations.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antifa; domesticterrorism; terrorists
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To: EBH

No case whatever can be made against conservative activists as terrorists. Terrorists are violent. They threaten lives and they carry out their threats. A case could be made in almost any court in the land that what antifas do is terrorism.

I’m not seeing the parallel. I respect this writer; but I think terror designation is warranted here and would show that what they do won’t be tolerated. They have gotten away with it because of wimped-out state and local governments.


41 posted on 05/31/2020 1:04:11 PM PDT by Migraine
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To: EBH
I’d humbly suggest we work on that, rather than wasting our energy on meaningless and potentially counterproductive theater like designating domestic terrorist organizations.

I’d humbly suggest that we work on presenting the evidence that Antfa is a terrorist organization, and let the reader decide.

The Democrats are claiming that it is White Supramists doing the rioting, burning, and looting. Videos of the rioters say otherwise, or are you going to claim that they are whites in blackface doing the rioting, looting, vandalism, and burning?

Antifa, and before that, Occupy Wallstreet have done considerable damage to our country affecting people of all colors just trying to make a living with a little shop, only to see their life savings wiped out.

The Democrats are one election away from turning our country into another Venezuela. We would be there now if it were not for Trump stepping in to make our country great again, in spite of the enemy within. They are legion.

42 posted on 05/31/2020 1:04:19 PM PDT by olezip
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To: EBH

Sorry about the beer. And I did it, in true FR style, by commenting only on the headline!

In my opinion, NR was over-rated even when it was good, and about two decades past its best-before date.

Rush is no Bill Buckley, and in my opinion, that is a good thing.

Yalies.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I post a link to the Cayuga Waiters . . . and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Rjk1WGHp8 Hold on to your next beer . . . I did go to Cornell)


43 posted on 05/31/2020 1:06:17 PM PDT by Hieronymus (“I shall drink to the Pope, if you please, still, to conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards.Â)
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To: Grimmy

Or, as he likes to fondly call them, the "Andyfag" brigade.

44 posted on 05/31/2020 1:07:30 PM PDT by Songcraft
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To: EBH

Yep


45 posted on 05/31/2020 1:07:31 PM PDT by Manuel OKelley
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To: Stravinsky

EXACTLY!


46 posted on 05/31/2020 1:11:03 PM PDT by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement!)
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To: EBH

How is Antifa at its core any different than the KKK? Both groups are predominantly men who have strongly held beliefs and wish do violence to further their cause. Both hide their identities behind masks and cloaks. Both operate in politically safe sanctuaries. Antifa operates in Democratically controlled areas such as Portland and Seattle where their identities are protected and the Courts are friendly. The KKK at its peak operated in the South where the political establishment was friendly. Both groups drew its membership from a broad cross section of society.

If the FBI is serious about stopping Antifa, just the threat of exposing the members and making their identities public knowledge will considerably weaken the organization. Eventually the KKK disappeared from American life because anyone identified as a member, with a few notable exceptions, lost standing in their communities and lost access to professional lives and jobs. Antifa members fear being identified and exposed.


47 posted on 05/31/2020 1:11:21 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Skywise

“There’s not going to be an election at this rate.”

LOL, really...no election?

Does that mean Trump remains as president?


48 posted on 05/31/2020 1:13:41 PM PDT by billyboy15
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To: EBH

The stories that make the distinction say that he will designate them a domestic terrorist organization, which they certainly are. They will join E.L.F., various Christian Identity organizations, at least one anti-abortion organization, Marxist organizations, white and black supremacist organizations in the designation of domestic terrorist organizations.


49 posted on 05/31/2020 1:16:07 PM PDT by BlackAdderess
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To: rintintin

Thanks for not reading the article.


50 posted on 05/31/2020 1:17:37 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: EBH

Andrew McCarthy is completely ignoring the fact that Antifa is a terrorist organization. Telling the truth is a good move, at least for our side.


51 posted on 05/31/2020 1:18:31 PM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: dgbrown
If Trump follows through, when the Dems get back in control they might use the government against our ideological groups, like using the IRS against them, or maybe even spy on them. Who knows maybe they will try to take down a president using these means.

The Democrats are an organized criminal gang, there's no doubt.

52 posted on 05/31/2020 1:18:57 PM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: EBH

There is still a difference between foreign and domestic terrorist organizations, though the article seems to argue against the foreign designation as a red herring.


53 posted on 05/31/2020 1:19:07 PM PDT by BlackAdderess
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To: EBH

Andrew McCarthy needs to pull up his big girl underwear see this for what it IS


54 posted on 05/31/2020 1:20:19 PM PDT by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON.)
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To: EBH

The idea that Democrats won’t appropriate any powers that a Republican doesn’t first is fallacious.


55 posted on 05/31/2020 1:20:25 PM PDT by A_perfect_lady (The greatest wealth is to live content with little. -Plato)
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To: EBH

“the Tea Party was a terrorist organization...
How about the NRA?

See...it can be a slippery slope.”

I, for one, am sick and tired of playing the “if we be nice to them, perhaps they will be nice to us game.”

They have proven time and time again that they will just take ground and stay on offensive. The only thing a bully understands is getting punched in the face.


56 posted on 05/31/2020 1:21:51 PM PDT by Clay Moore (Mega prayers, Rush)
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To: EBH

No. States rights is not going to do this.


57 posted on 05/31/2020 1:22:33 PM PDT by BlackAdderess
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To: EBH

No. States rights is not going to do this.


58 posted on 05/31/2020 1:22:38 PM PDT by BlackAdderess
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To: EBH

The right doesn’t urn down cities and assault law officers.


59 posted on 05/31/2020 1:24:54 PM PDT by jersey117
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To: allendale

.Gov already seems to have enough laws on the books to handle the situation. Part of the problem isn’t new orders or laws, but enforcing current ones. If someone breaks the law, go after them. Selective enforcement and abuse by .gov is played out every night on tv as of late.


60 posted on 05/31/2020 1:25:20 PM PDT by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
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