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Frightened for my community as leaders stand behind Antifa

October 9, 2025

OPINION by STEVE REBUCK

So John Ashbaugh, Ph.D., advocates in the SLO New Times for Antifa. Asbaugh endorses bounties on ICE agents, $2,000 for kidnapping, $10,000 for murder, firebombing buildings, shooting rocks and marbles at police officers, hit and run, physical assault, looting, death and destruction in 140 cities nationwide?

In my opinion, Asbaugh is condoning violence.

I don’t have a Ph.D. My college was interrupted in 1967-1973 by the US Army. I spent six years in the California Army National Guard. I went to riots in Compton, Watts, Isla Vista and elsewhere.

Our founders created “citizen soldiers,” aka National Guard, to protect our country. Maybe Ashbaugh would have more empathy for National Guard, ICE, and police if he too had served. Or, did he? No evidence of service.

I also worked as a licensed contractor for 20 years. I lost a lot of jobs to illegals from Mexico during the Obama Administration. My income declined by 70%. I had to have a state license, liability insurance, bonds, a business license. The illegals have none of these state requirements

Asbaugh’s job as a college professor was pretty safe from this, although a school superintendent from Iowa was recently found to be an illegal immigrant with a fake P.h.D. Maybe Ashabuagh could show empathy for those of us who must deal directly with these criminals.

Ashbaugh refers to President Donald Trump as a fascist. A common definition of fascism is targeting a common enemy. Gee, let’s see. Who is the Democrat’s common enemy? Could it be President Trump?

President Trump is a master of distraction with his enemies. Asbaugh clearly took the bait. Now he spews like a madman.

My life experience has been guided by common sense experience, clearly something Asbaugh is lacking. Maybe not having a Ph. D. is not so bad after all.


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If this author is so upset by a New Times opinion piece, why doesn’t he submit this to New Times? Why bring it to CCN? Just sayin’.


9

Because more well adjusted people read CCN, than New Times.


2

John Ashbaugh’s opinion piece simply rides on the heels of others who support a distorted ideology.


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Signs of Fascism


1. Powerful, often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on cult of a redemptive, “infallible” leader who never admits mistakes.

2. Political power derived from questioning reality, endorsing myth and rage, and promoting lies.

3. Fixation with perceived national decline, humiliation, or victimhood.

4. White Replacement “Theory” used to show that democratic ideals of freedom and equality are a threat. Oppose any initiatives or institutions that are racially, ethnically, or religiously harmonious.

5. Disdain for human rights while seeking purity and cleansing for those they define as part of the nation.

6. Identification of “enemies”/scapegoats as a unifying cause. Imprison and/or murder opposition and minority group leaders.

7. Supremacy of the military and embrace of paramilitarism in an uneasy, but effective collaboration with traditional elites.

8. Rampant sexism.

9. Control of mass media and undermining “truth”.

10. Obsession with national security, crime and punishment, and fostering a sense of the nation under attack.

11. Religion and government are intertwined.

12. Corporate power is protected and labor power is suppressed.

13. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts not aligned with the fascist narrative.

14. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Loyalty to the leader is paramount and often more important than competence.

15. Fraudulent elections and creation of a one-party state.

16. Often seeking to expand territory through armed conflict.


Now, who does that sound most like right now? Pointing out one of these signs (a common enemy, #6 above) applies to someone and concluding they must be fascist is akin to saying since ducks have two legs and I have two legs, I must be a duck.


And Ashbaugh did not advocate violence. I think your reading comprehension needs some work.


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I love how I constantly get downvoted without counter-argument. What did I say that was false? Please, tell me. Make your case, keyboard warriors.


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They won’t. MAGA won’t any case at all.


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MAGA is purely a trigger-driven snowflake movement. Every action their leader takes is based on who has hurt his feelings and who has not. Blue cities hurt his feelings and that’s why we have troops there.


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sounds like every nation /government in history.


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Well, you only outlined Newsom. So…yeah.


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I’m also a veteran and my late father was a general contractor in southern California before he went to prison. As a teen, I would go to the job sites with him on Saturdays and might see one illegal doing unskilled labor carrying wood or something. It’s completely different now, theyve taken over all the trades and, as anywhere they go, they have dropped wages. Not only do they need to be deported, but the contractors and farmers that hire them need to be prosecuted. Their presence means a race to the bottom and yes, I read Ashbaugh’s naive drivel in the New Times whenever I have the misfortune of seeing it there.


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Ashbaugh’s article was corrected by New Times, stating it “inadvertently inserted a typo into John Ashbaugh’s column during the editing process.”

https://www.newtimesslo.com/corrections/


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i.e. the rag plays as a puppet.


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Are you able to back up “theyve taken over all the trades” with any data? Seeing brown people doing work that you would rather see white people doing is not data.


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Just use your eyes! Next time you see a large concrete job or a roof being torn off and replaced , go check it out with your own eyes. Even though they are generally hard workers, they aren’t here legally . Go see for yourself . The truth and “data” is right there waiting for you.


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What you just described is the opposite of data. Data would be evidence in the form of, or absence thereof, documents such as citizenship papers and/or contractor’s licenses, of these brown people your eyes are telling you are here illegally. How someone makes it through the American school system or into adulthood without knowing this, is still, even in this day and age, hard to believe.


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Why was my post removed? Does the author not want to answer questions?


7

They don’t give PhD’s in the field of study he claims. At best he got a of Education (Ed.D.) . Undergraduate Education Majors’ average SAT is the lowest of all major groups — typically in the bottom 15%. While in undergrad, Education Majors have the highest average GPA of any major (4.0), and on all graduate exams (GRE, MCAT, LSAT), education majors score in the bottom of all college graduates. Why the high GPA? Because the classes are a joke. Those who pursue a Master’s in Education score lower than the average elementary school teacher. But the lowest of the low, the worst subgroup of all education majors, are those who get an Ed.D. The Ed.D. cohort (education administrators, school principals, district superintendents) score lower on standardized tests than M.A. or M.S. in Education students. You can get a BA in Education, a Master’s, and the phony Ed.D. degree, and not have to take a single college core curriculum course. They are literally the dumbest of the dumb of ALL college graduates. John Ashbaugh proves that every time he opens his mouth. Just FYI.


6

You don’t think he knows what degree he has? Either he’s lying or you’re a super-sleuth.


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Why was my post not allowed?… you must be kidding me… no wonder all of your conservatives stopped posting here…


4

The same happened to my post. I guess the author does not want to answer questions.


8

Ditto. I’m unfamiliar with your post but just be sure to stick to the story at hand and not inject tangential thoughts. It helps to reply to others’ posts instead as well. Hope this helps.


3

How do you feel about trump having five deferments from military service?


8

how do you feel about Biden having 5 also? It doesnt matter either way.


4

So did Biden for asthma (despite Joe reminding us that he played every sport in college, and was the best blond leg haired white Lifeguard at the all black swimming pool). So did Clinton (who, technically, is AWOL from his ROTC contract). Bernie applied for conscientious objector status, and swore he would dodge the draft if his number came up. Governor Bill Weld managed some real shenanigans with the US Army medical board, and AFTER he was drafted, discovered a long lost back injury, and was discharged before basic training.


Where was the whining then?


BTW, Trump had four deferments, then was found ineligible by an Army medical board to be 1Y (accepted only for national emergency. 1Y is NOT a deferment), when the 1Y designation was eliminated from the military, all 1Y draft eligible were redesignated 4F. Trump was allowed (as was anyone at that time) to use a personal Doctor for analysis. The Army accepted that diagnosis (Fred Trump never had the horsepower to manipulate the US government), and he was designated 4F in 1972. The draft ended in 1973.


But, yeah….”Trump”.


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As a Ex-Army Ranger for four years, a proponent of freedom of speech, and a supporter of lawful immigration.


MY Response to:The opinion piece by Steve Rebuck contains several factual misrepresentations and logical leaps that demand a concise, fact-based rebuttal. As an Airborne Ranger veteran and a strong supporter of both lawful immigration and freedom of speech, I find the article’s ignorance concerning and the use of fear-mongering unproductive.

Misrepresentation of Antifa and Public Safety



  • Unsupported Claims of Condoned Violence: Mr. Rebuck asks if Dr. Ashbaugh endorses “$2,000 for kidnapping, $10,000 for murder, firebombing buildings,” etc. This is a profound logical fallacy—specifically, an Appeal to Extremes and a Straw Man. No credible public figure or scholar advocating for anti-fascism endorses criminal violence like kidnapping or murder.



  • Fact Check: The term “Antifa” is short for “anti-fascist action” and is a decentralized, leaderless movement of individuals and groups who oppose far-right and white supremacist ideologies. While some individuals associated with Antifa have engaged in property damage and physical confrontations, the movement as a whole does not have a formal platform endorsing the felonious crimes listed. The opinion piece uses highly illegal, extreme acts to mischaracterize an entire political movement and the person he is criticizing.



  • The Law: Soliciting, attempting, or completing a crime like murder or kidnapping is a serious felony under US law. No amount of political rhetoric can legally condone these actions, and to imply a university professor is advocating for them is libelous without evidence. The recent, illegal act of placing a bounty on a Border Patrol Chief was a criminal matter, separate from any mainstream political endorsement.


Misunderstanding of Immigration and Lawful Business



  • Confusion Between Lawful and Unlawful Work Status: Mr. Rebuck laments his decline in income due to “illegals from Mexico” who lack the required contractor licensing, insurance, and bonds. This conflates two distinct issues: unlawful employment status and non-compliance with professional licensing laws.



  • Fact Check: A person’s immigration status is separate from the state’s requirement for a contractor’s license, insurance, and bond. In California, any individual, regardless of immigration status, who performs contracting work without a required license is acting illegally. The failure to enforce licensing laws is a failure of state and local oversight, not an inherent quality of immigrants. A lawful immigrant with a Green Card or work visa is legally required to obtain the exact same licenses and comply with the same regulations as a U.S. citizen.



  • Lawful Immigration Stance: My support is for lawful immigration. The issue of unscrupulous, unlicensed labor undercutting legal businesses—whether they are citizens or lawful immigrants—is a failure of enforcement of contracting laws, and it negatively impacts all compliant, legitimate business owners.



The Fascism Smear and Common Sense



  • Ignorant Definition of Fascism: The writer attempts to redefine “fascism” as merely “targeting a common enemy” and applies this label to Democrats who oppose President Trump.



  • Fact Check: Fascism is a complex political ideology, but its essential features include a hyper-nationalistic authoritarian government, a single-party state, forced suppression of opposition, and often, an aggressive foreign policy. To reduce it to merely “targeting a common enemy” is simplistic to the point of being ignorant and fundamentally dishonest to the historical and political meaning of the term.



  • Freedom of Speech: As a staunch proponent of freedom of speech, I recognize that calling a President a “fascist” is a political attack, but it is protected speech. Attempting to mock this criticism by creating a false definition is a weak distraction. Free speech includes the right to use hyperbole and harsh political criticism.



In short, the opinion piece relies on hyperbolic, unsubstantiated fear and a misunderstanding of both political ideologies and commercial law to make its point. It is a textbook example of argument from anecdote and logical fallacy disguised as common sense. The only “bait” taken here is the author’s own dive into easily disproven emotional rhetoric.


32

Nice job. This opinion piece could almost be used to teach cognitive biases and logical fallacies.


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