It’s a weird time to be an American.
Here it is, St. Patrick’s Day, and what is a 1/4 Irish guy thinking about? Fascism.
How did we get here?
I used AI tools to create the title for today’s article, mainly out of a need for mild sarcasm. My original title was something like How to Be Proud of Your Anti-Fascist Viewpoint, also mildly sarcastic. Is there truly a need for pride in a belief system as basically American as anti-fascism? Is there anything more un-American than fascism?
It may seem like a million years ago now, but it was only back in 2016 that Americans began to organize (well, a little) in support of anti-authoritarian, pro-civil rights groups, ideas, and activities. Somehow, far right-wing crazies managed to stamp the abbreviation antifa on these groups, ideas, and activities, and it stuck—as some kind of slur.
Today, I’d like to underscore the basic right to organize, assemble, call or write representatives, and of course, vote. These are fundamental democratic actions, not pro-fascist or anti-fascist. As American reps continue to alienate allies, beat down the disaffected, and suck up to dictators, nothing could be more essential than holding firm to a fundamentally American voice. That’s been anti-fascist since World War II, and it’s still anti-fascist even in our current whirlwind of lunacy.
