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UPDATE: The parameters of this discussion have been changed somewhat and clarified in the comments section below. We can use this event to both reflect on the recent riot at the US Capitol, but I want to guide us to thought experiments wherein we would consider hypothetical extreme-left and extreme-right regimes and at what point we might support a measured level of violent left-wing or right-wing resistance to the hypothetical regime. This thought experiment will help us get inside the mind of the violent groups in our midst, including those we might sympathize with and those we find reprehensible. This might then help us to communicate with people who are considering engaging in political violence.

Here is the original description, written prior to Wednesday's chaotic events:

In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, there have been periodic clashes throughout the country between left-wing and right-wing groups. Most of the left-wing groups are understood to be aligned with anti-fascism, or antifa for short. This is not a single organization, but many of these people probably belong to specific antifa-aligned groups. The most prominent right-wing group is called The Proud Boys, which is an actual group.

For this event, we will discuss the history of anti-fascism and also right-wing paramilitary groups. If we look deeply at the history of both, we will probably find both bonafide terrorist groups and also examples of freedom fighters. For example, the anti-Nazi resistence within Germany during WWII was the first antifa group. Also, during the 1970's, the SLA in the US and the Beider-Meinoff group in Germany were antifa-aligned groups that committed terrorist acts because they were convinced that everyone else was fascist. In addition, the White Army during the Russian Revolution could perhaps be considered a right-wing paramilitary group that was relatively moderate and was opposed to the extremists who wanted to establish the USSR. The White Army was trying to prevent Lenin from coming to power and trying to avoid the excesses that did end up happening when the Red Army attained full control. Thus we can see that some right-wing paramilitary groups can be forces for good. There are many examples of right-wing paramilitary groups committing atrocities, such as in Colombia during their long war with the FARC and among the Contras in Nicaragua.

Is Antifa good or bad? Are the Proud Boys good or bad? You probably can't say either is guilty by association with past ideologically-aligned groups, nor would such associations serve as cover for them. Basically you can't reasonably say that because Antifa is fighting fascism, that makes it okay, nor can you say that they are terrorists because there have been Antifa-aligned terrorists in the past. Likewise for the Proud Boys. One or both of these groups might be good or bad. We need to look at who they are and what they do, while also being informed by their associations and the long history of their ideological movements.

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