Two words for Wednesday = "fascist" and "antifa"

To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right ~ by Christopher Mathias, 2026, political thought, xix + 313 pages

One of my neighbors suggested I read this newly published book, which is called a "provocative investigation into the rise of white nationalist and neo-Nazi movements in the United States, centered on the anti-fascist groups working to expose and stop these hateful factions."

Demonized as “extremist” by conservatives and liberals alike, “antifa” became a bogeyman during Donald Trump’s first term.  But few Americans understood the dangerous work antifa was doing to disrupt and unmask a new generation of white supremacists or listened when antifa sounded the alarm about these white supremacists taking positions of power. Now this underground network of militant anti-fascists is determined to stop the rising tide of fascism in America.  No matter the cost.

This book follows different factions of antifascists as they work to unmask hateful extremists before they commit devastating acts of violence.  To Catch a Fascist paints a vivid picture of the stakes in this ongoing, often unseen war between opposite ends of the political spectrum, highlighting the scrappy resourcefulness and resilience of antifascist movements against their increasingly violent adversaries.  Using storytelling and eye-opening insight, this timely book reveals the human cost, moral dilemmas, and unwavering determination involved in fighting white supremacy.  To Catch a Fascist is both a call to action and a look at the powerful work being done to combat this threat to democracy.

Wednesday Words

• fascist = Fascism (FASH-iz-əm) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement that rose to prominence in early-20th-century Europe.  Fascism is characterized by support for a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interest of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.  Opposed to communism, democracy, liberalism, pluralism, and socialism, fascism is at the far-right of the traditional left–right spectrum.
• antifa = is short for antifascism, so it is the opposite of fascism.