this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2023
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A recently released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) document titled “Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide”* links common protest symbols to “terrorism” — another marker in a common theme of conflating militant protest for social justice with deadly terrorist violence within the United States. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Brennan Center have raised warnings about such documents, citing inadequate protections for people’s constitutional rights.

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[–] agitatedpotato 313 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I refuse to believe those groups are terrorist organizations because the CIA has never armed them.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if there were syops to radicalize anti-fascist groups to make them less appealing to the masses.

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please 37 points 1 year ago (6 children)

This is essentially my pet conspiracy theory about Alex Jones. He was a plant by the CIA, to make all conspiracy theorists look absolutely batshit crazy. By having him peddle the extreme theories right alongside the “these are a little too close to reality, and the people are getting dangerously close to figuring it out” theories, they’re able to discredit those accurate theories. Because now they don’t need to attack the individual theory; They can just attack the face of conspiracy theories.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Anti-fascists aren't conspiracy theorists, though, they're just people who oppose fascism.

[–] peopleproblems 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which is funny

I'm now a violent extremist because I am anti-facism.

[–] captainlezbian 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But are you willing to fight for it? Maybe take up arms, defend your friends and neighbors, or even travel the world to resist fascism wherever it arises?

Labeling antifascism as violent extremism isn’t new, it’s a way that Americans were punished for fighting fascists in other countries before we went to war with them like in Spain.

[–] peopleproblems 9 points 1 year ago

You better believe it. If I don't defend my friends and neighbors when they need it, who will defend me when I need it?

[–] agent_flounder 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] humorlessrepost 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] irreticent 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] humorlessrepost 2 points 1 year ago

Only if they get bent at too sharp an angle.

[–] Notorious_handholder 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I feel like that conspiracy is too smart for the CIA. Remember this is the same organization that regularly had employees secretly drugging each others coffee with LSD so much that it became common place around the office. And also tried to convince communists in the Philippines that vampires where real despite Philippine culture/mythology not having vampires.

[–] unoriginalsin 8 points 1 year ago

I feel like that conspiracy is too smart for the CIA

That's exactly what they want you to think!

[–] captainlezbian 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

See I believe that for 20th century conspiracy theorists. I fully suspect there was an effort to combine aliens, government mind control (and what would eventually be revealed as MK ULTRA), the remnants of the protocols of the elders of Zion and other similar conspiracy theories, COINTELPRO, and other things all together by the FBI. It’s part of COINTELPRO style tactics. Make them sound ridiculous and drive them so far to the extreme they’re hard to listen to.

That said Alex Jones seems pretty much an unintended consequence of all the conspiratorial milieu

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The alien thing is especially bad.

This guy - Paul Bennewitz - was a radio operator in WWII and opened a radio repair shop near an Air Force base. He picked up some encrypted signals from the base and went public with them, claiming they were from aliens.

The Air Force decided this was a great cover story, and teased him with information including sending "Men in Black" to look for him, until he was convinced. He got so convinced he became a paranoid schizophrenic, and died in a mental institution not tool long ago.

All of that alien sci fi stuff has its origin with this poor man. The X Files, two Will Smith movies, and everything in that oeuvre including the excellent Resident Alien, all have their roots in the mental abuse my government perpetrated on this poor, curious man.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

This is literally on one of those declassified 3-letter agency docs. Dunno about Alex Jones but they do shit like this.

[–] LavaPlanet 0 points 1 year ago

Oooh, I've noticed this, too. That there are some 'conspiracies' that are / could be true, but if you talk about them to anyone you are instantly one of the crazies. They have weponised the stupid.

[–] SupraMario 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Yet...have yet to arm them you mean...or they have and we won't know for 50 years.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All I know is I'm still waiting on my check

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

According to highly credible german far right Qanon followers german antifascists get paid 600€ (656,15$) per demo they visit. They also get 20€ (21,87$) per sticker they spread. I demand the same payment for any antifascist worldwide! International Solidarity!

[–] Burn_The_Right 11 points 1 year ago

Wait. Why the fuck am I still paying for my own guns and ammo?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Somehow I feel like selling the future short is a bad idea

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Someone at the Pentagon just had PTSD flashbacks to that time they armed Castro because of this comment