Antifa Thinks They're Revolutionary

Let's talk about Antifa. You know, the people who dress in all black, cover their faces, and think they're leading a revolution by smashing Starbucks windows and burning trash cans. They call themselves "anti-fascist," but mostly they just assault people they disagree with and destroy property. Very revolutionary.

Here's the thing: while Antifa is out there LARPing as freedom fighters, conservative voters are quietly taking over school boards, city councils, and state legislatures. And guess which strategy is actually working? Spoiler: it's not the one involving Molotov cocktails.

What Even Is Antifa?

Antifa—short for "anti-fascist"—is a loose collection of far-left activists who show up to protests, start fights, and generally cause chaos in the name of "fighting fascism." They don't have a centralized leadership or official membership. It's basically just anyone who shows up in black bloc (all black clothes, face covered) and starts breaking stuff.

Their tactics? Violence, vandalism, and intimidation. They've attacked conservative speakers on college campuses, started riots in Portland and Seattle, and assaulted journalists. And they genuinely believe they're the good guys.

The irony? Their tactics—silencing speech, using violence to enforce ideology, attacking dissent—are literally what fascists do. But sure, they're "anti-fascist." Makes total sense.

"Nothing says 'fighting fascism' like using fascist tactics to silence people you disagree with."

The Portland Example (Peak Antifa Energy)

Portland, Oregon is basically Antifa headquarters. For years, they've been rioting, attacking police, and destroying local businesses. In 2020, they literally tried to burn down a federal courthouse while people were inside. They set up "autonomous zones" where they banned police. It was chaos.

And what did they accomplish? Portland's crime rate skyrocketed. Businesses left. The downtown area became a ghost town. Homelessness and drug addiction got worse. The city is objectively worse off than before Antifa's "activism."

Meanwhile, what changed politically? Nothing. Portland is still run by the same progressive politicians. Antifa didn't "fight fascism"—they just made their own city unlivable. Great job, guys.

You know what would have actually helped? Voting for better policies. But that's not as cool as throwing a brick through a window, so they didn't do it.

Performative Activism vs. Actual Power

Here's the fundamental difference between Antifa and conservative activists: Antifa is performative, conservatives are strategic.

Antifa's strategy: Show up to protests, start fights, break stuff, post about it on Twitter, feel morally superior. Rinse and repeat. No long-term goals, no political strategy, just vibes.

Conservative strategy: Organize at the local level. Run for school boards. Take over city councils. Vote in every single election. Build coalitions. Pass laws. Quietly gain power.

Guess which one is more effective? Conservatives have taken over thousands of school boards, passed laws restricting abortion, banned critical race theory in schools, and reshaped state legislatures. Antifa has... made Portland worse.

One group is winning. The other is just loud.

The School Board Takeover (How Conservatives Actually Win)

Want to know how conservatives are actually changing things? School board elections. These are low-turnout, local elections that nobody pays attention to. Except conservatives realized they could win these races with just a few hundred votes.

So they organized. They ran candidates. They showed up to vote. And now, conservative-backed candidates have won hundreds of school board seats across the country. They're banning books they don't like, restricting discussions of race and gender, and pushing conservative curricula.

Antifa response? Show up to school board meetings and yell at people. Very effective. Meanwhile, conservatives are literally controlling what gets taught in schools because they voted.

That's the difference. Antifa thinks revolution happens in the streets. Conservatives know it happens at the ballot box.

Violence Doesn't Work (Just Ask the 1960s Radicals)

This isn't new. In the 1960s and 70s, far-left groups like the Weather Underground tried the same thing—bombings, violence, "revolutionary" action. And it failed. Spectacularly. They didn't change any policies, didn't win any elections, and mostly just got arrested.

You know what DID work in the 60s? The Civil Rights Movement. Organized marches, voter registration drives, strategic boycotts, and legal challenges. They changed laws, ended segregation, and secured voting rights. Not by smashing windows—by organizing and voting.

Antifa could learn from this. But they won't, because performative violence feels better than boring electoral politics. So they'll keep losing while feeling morally superior about it.

"Revolution doesn't happen in the streets. It happens in the voting booth. But that's not aesthetic enough for the 'gram."

The Receipts (Antifa's Greatest Hits)

Let's look at some of Antifa's "accomplishments":

• Berkeley, 2017: Antifa shut down a Milo Yiannopoulos speech by starting a riot. They caused $100,000 in damage. Result? Milo got more famous, conservatives rallied around free speech, and Berkeley looked incompetent.

• Charlottesville, 2017: Antifa showed up to counter-protest a white nationalist rally. Violence broke out (from both sides). A woman was killed. Result? Trump condemned "both sides," white nationalists got sympathy, and nothing changed.

• Portland, 2020: Months of riots, arson, and attacks on police. Result? Portland's downtown was destroyed, crime increased, and voters elected more moderate candidates who promised law and order.

• CHAZ/CHOP, Seattle, 2020: Antifa set up an "autonomous zone" with no police. Result? Multiple shootings, assaults, and a complete breakdown of order. The zone was shut down after a few weeks, accomplishing nothing.

Every time Antifa tries to "fight fascism," they either make things worse or hand conservatives a PR victory. It's honestly impressive how consistently they lose.

Why Voting Beats Violence (Every Time)

Here's why voting is more effective than smashing windows:

1. Voting is scalable. One person can convince ten friends to vote. Ten friends can convince a hundred. Violence just alienates people.

2. Voting builds coalitions. You work with people who share some of your goals, even if you disagree on other stuff. Violence divides people into "us vs. them."

3. Voting changes laws. You elect people who pass the policies you want. Violence just gets you arrested and changes nothing.

4. Voting is sustainable. You can vote every year for your entire life. Violence burns out quickly because people get tired, injured, or arrested.

5. Voting has legitimacy. When you win an election, you have a mandate to govern. When you riot, you just look like a criminal.

This is why conservatives are winning and Antifa is losing. Conservatives play the long game. Antifa just wants to feel good about themselves in the moment.

The "But We're Fighting Fascism!" Cope

Antifa's defense is always "we're fighting fascism!" Okay, let's examine that. Who are they fighting?

Conservative speakers? Not fascists, just people with different opinions. Trump supporters? Not fascists, just voters you disagree with. Police? Not fascists, just people doing their jobs. Random people in the street? Definitely not fascists.

Antifa calls everyone they don't like a fascist. It's a cheap rhetorical trick to justify violence. "We're not assaulting people, we're fighting fascism!" Cool story. Still assault.

Real fascism involves state control, suppression of dissent, and authoritarian rule. Random college Republicans hosting a speaker? Not fascism. A democratic election where your side loses? Not fascism. A police officer arresting someone for breaking the law? Not fascism.

Antifa has diluted the word "fascism" to mean "anything I don't like." And in doing so, they've made it impossible to have a serious conversation about actual authoritarianism.

What You Can Learn From This

If you care about changing the world, learn from Antifa's failures. Performative activism doesn't work. Violence doesn't work. Yelling at people doesn't work. You know what does work? Organizing and voting.

Look at the conservative playbook:

1. Start local. School boards, city councils, county positions. Win there first.

2. Build coalitions. Work with people who agree with you on some things, even if not everything.

3. Play the long game. Elections happen every year. Vote in all of them. Build momentum over time.

4. Focus on policy, not performance. Winning elections and passing laws matters more than getting clout on social media.

This is how you actually change things. Not by smashing windows. By showing up to the ballot box.

Bottom Line

Antifa thinks they're revolutionary. They're not. They're performative activists LARPing as freedom fighters while accomplishing nothing. Meanwhile, conservative voters are quietly taking over local governments, passing laws, and actually wielding power.

If you want to change the world, don't be like Antifa. Be strategic. Be organized. And vote. That's how you win.

Antifa can keep smashing Starbucks windows if it makes them feel good. The rest of us will be at the ballot box, actually changing things. You decide which side you want to be on.

Midterms are coming. Show up or shut up. Your move.