Josh Marshall has a post discussing violence against the alt-right. He's against it, arguing that it's works to the benefit of the far right and undermines the rule of law.
While I'm with him on that, he doesn't pay enough attention to the seduction of violence, although he does admit he enjoys seeing a Nazi punched. Most any football fan will say they enjoy a "good hit" on the opposing quarterback, running back, or receiver. That's human--we like violence against our opponents (though we'll be sure to call for a flag if our quarterback, running back, or receiver is on the receiving end of a "vicious, illegal hit").
The antifa types seem to be much the same demographic as the alt-right: young males, though perhaps with a few more females and a sprinkling of people of color you wouldn't see in the alt-right. But extremism attracts the similar people on both ends, although the left perhaps has a more intellectual gloss to their actions. I suspect if you could do a brain scan of either group in the midst of an action, a march or a counter-demonstration, you'd see the same areas of the brain activated, areas which have little to do with rational thought.
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