# Antifas - The largely imaginary boogeyman of the far right **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354 "2017-07-02T15:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/1 "2017-07-02T15:01:24Z")
[http://fusion.kinja.com/patriot-accidentally-shoots-himself-at-non-existent-a-1796586118](http://fusion.kinja.com/patriot-accidentally-shoots-himself-at-non-existent-a-1796586118) Yup, just another right wing troll creating bullshit ‘Antifas’ pages and stirring up the alt-right, the racists and the other far right loons into shooting themselves and threatening to shoot imaginary people. As I keep telling these people, I would bet money that \> 90% of Americans (of any political stripe) have never heard of Antifas and couldn’t tell you who they were. But I’d also bet money you’ll hear more and more about this crap as the Troll Presidency continues. In the last couple of months I’ve been told (several times) that ALL leftists support this shit and we all need to apologize for it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/2 "2017-07-02T15:12:00Z")
Wait, I thought it was Black Lives Matter who were the leftist terrorists? Or was it Occupy Wall Street? I forget. It’s so hard to keep up. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/3 "2017-07-02T15:23:29Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Wait, I thought it was Black Lives Matter who were the leftist terrorists? Or was it Occupy Wall Street? I forget. > > It’s so hard to keep up. What, no love for ACORN? ---
**Author:** ![Lydia\_Phalfav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@Lydia\_Phalfav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lydia_Phalfav)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/4 "2017-07-02T15:59:15Z")
Did someone say antifa? [Duerst the Wuerst](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX0ypXzh9JeFel4hwqcjg/videos) & [Tim Pool](https://www.youtube.com/user/Timcasts/videos) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/5 "2017-07-02T16:05:32Z")
> [@Lydia\_Phalfav](#): > > Did someone say antifa? > [Duerst the Wuerst](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX0ypXzh9JeFel4hwqcjg/videos) & [Tim Pool](https://www.youtube.com/user/Timcasts/videos) :smack: Dear lord, you’re a fucking idiot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/6 "2017-07-02T16:09:08Z")
Not so much imaginary, but they’re taking preemptive action. Like they expect this to be a big thing 6 mos to a year from now and they’re getting ready for it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/7 "2017-07-02T16:09:28Z")
> [@Lydia\_Phalfav](#): > > Did someone say antifa? > [Duerst the Wuerst](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLX0ypXzh9JeFel4hwqcjg/videos) & [Tim Pool](https://www.youtube.com/user/Timcasts/videos) Someone said “The largely imaginary boogeyman of the far right”. It’s right there in the thread title. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/8 "2017-07-02T16:46:42Z")
No more than Westboro Baptist Church is the imaginary boogeyman of the far left. I doubt few middle-of-the-road Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter) really believe that WBC is either a harbinger of the future of conservatism or represents even a large minority of conservatives. They are a statistically insignificant number of wingnuts that have attempted to use outrageous behavior to make themselves appear significant. In fact, the Antifas and the WBC are polar opposites of the same wingnuttery. The Antifas seem to believe the best way to fight Fascism and violence is to use violence and intolerance against those that disagree with them. Likewise, the WBC folks are trying to use a philosophy based on love and inclusiveness (Christ’s teachings) to hate and alienate people. You have to apply a lot of wingnut grease to get either of those groups to make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/9 "2017-07-02T17:11:39Z")
Here comes antifas/ Here comes antifas/ Right down antifas lane ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/10 "2017-07-02T17:32:07Z")
I could’ve sworn we had a thread on this not long ago, but maybe I was brainwashed by the Extreme Whatever It Was. It’s amazing how much time is expended by those fulminating about ding-dongs occupying various extremes of the spectrum, as though they have real influence and are typical of the Left or Right. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/11 "2017-07-02T18:19:24Z")
That u-lock looked pretty real to me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/12 "2017-07-02T18:37:38Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Wait, I thought it was Black Lives Matter who were the leftist terrorists? Or was it Occupy Wall Street? I forget. > > It’s so hard to keep up. > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > What, no love for ACORN? Or [BAMN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAMN#Conflict_with_law_enforcement)? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/13 "2017-07-02T18:42:07Z")
> [@](#): > > A park officer saved Hornberger’s life by quickly applying a tourniquet to his leg to stop the bleeding, according to media reports. Hey, Gettysburg is a national park so the officer was most likely a federal employee. G’dammit, Doesn’t he know that the federal gubment has no business injecting itself into health care? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/14 "2017-07-02T22:15:22Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It’s amazing how much time is expended by those fulminating about ding-dongs occupying various extremes of the spectrum, as though they have real influence and are typical of the Left or Right. The far right _controls the government;_ that’s as “influential” as you get. And they \*are \*typical of the Right. The Democrats marginalized their extremists, the Republicans embraced theirs and were consumed by them. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/15 "2017-07-02T23:44:54Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > No more than Westboro Baptist Church is the imaginary boogeyman of the far left. Except that the WBC actually does show up at a fair number of events and they really do make a nuisance of themselves. They also do their own trolling, threatening to show up and then falling to do so. There’s no reason to think that anyone on the left is planting fake “WBC plans to protest (event).” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/16 "2017-07-03T00:18:32Z")
And that’s the thing here. This is right wing trolls trolling their own side with phony Antifas stories. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/17 "2017-07-03T00:30:17Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Here comes antifas/ > Here comes antifas/ > Right down antifas lane This cracked me up. From now on, whenever I read anything about Antifas, I’ll be humming this song. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/18 "2017-07-03T01:50:33Z")
And for naughty little running dog jackals of the ruling class, Santa brings a stocking full of clean coal! ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/19 "2017-07-03T06:37:10Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Hey, Gettysburg is a national park so the officer was most likely a federal employee. G’dammit, Doesn’t he know that the federal gubment has no business injecting itself into health care? :mad: “Quote: A park officer saved Hornberger’s life by quickly applying a tourniquet to his leg to stop the bleeding, according to media reports.” How close to the neck did he apply the tourniquet? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354/20 "2017-07-03T07:37:47Z")
It doesn’t mention whether the Park Ranger guy had advanced training. For instance, whether he knew about applying the tourniquet to the scrotum, to perform the life-saving procedure known as a “testicular merger”, where the separate testes are fused with pressure from the tourniquet. (To be properly done, this method requires the administration of pain-enhancing drugs.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifas-the-largely-imaginary-boogeyman-of-the-far-right/790354.md?page=2)