Antifascist Dad by Matthew Remski
Panic is on the rise over the online ‘misinformation crisis’ in my zone of journalism, and there’s no shortage of material to cover. I investigate conspiracy theories, cultic dynamics, and the toxic psychology and politics of manfluencers like [Jordan] Peterson. My colleagues debunk medical misinformation, magical thinking, eugenics programmes dressed up in religious garb, and track propaganda campaigns back to right-wing dark money or Russian bot farms. We all know that QAnon broke out of its internet dungeon to spread like wildfire among mainstream social media users starting in 2018, fuelled by Trump boosting unhinged anonymous accounts. We know that it won’t end anytime soon. As I write this, the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, uses his platform X to attack public servants and amplify white supremacist and antisemitic dog whistles.
Meanwhile, legacy media outlets and universities that have nurtured generations of talent and spent countless resources on more reliable information systems are being sold off for parts by their tycoon owners or attacked by the fascist aggression of the Trump posse. Fascism cannot tolerate the premise of independent knowledge production. It wants a fragmented epistemological landscape ruled by frenetic passions, where it can control what is true by funding armies of digital soldiers, going on Joe Rogan’s podcast, defunding universities and public schools, or killing journalists in Gaza.
Bleak is the portrayal of modern right wing politics in America, as described in the pages of Antifascist Dad: Urgent Conversations with Young People in Chaotic Times by Matthew Remski. Remski is co-host of the podcast Conspirituality, which deconstructs and unpacks the modern wellness influencer/conspiracist crossover world. Antifascist Dad is in a sense a condensing of the ideas and critiques explored in Conspirituality, but in a much more accessible way.
Antifascist Dad is described in the blurb as being a book on ‘how to talk with kids about fascism – and what you can do about it,’ which is relatively accurate. Remski zips through twelve common topics related to fascism, from women’s rights and racism, to capitalism and the online world. Much of this book is a distillation of the core arguments from the far right and fascism, alongside succinct and well-referenced counter arguments and takedowns.
As well as including basic political theory and current affairs commentary, the chapters are interspersed with Remski talking with his two boys, aged 8 and 12, using theoretical conversations about Star Wars or computer games as a means to help his kids explore and unpack components of far right politics and fascism.
Unlike some of the other current affairs books I’ve had to review, Antifascist Dad was refreshingly straightforward, composed in a passionate but no-nonsense voice that almost feels conversational. I hugely appreciated the wealth of both academic and cultural references Remski draws from, anticipating that this is just the sort of thing someone could bookmark and bring up in a conversation with a friend or family member.
I also really liked how non-judgemental Remski comes across in Antifascist Dad. There’s an excellent chapter on whether it is morally ok to punch a nazi, which I think brilliantly captures the nuance of such as question (spoiler: yes, it is sometimes the right thing to do to punch a nazi). But even so, there is a recurrent thread of encouraging kindness and patience with some people that might have been led down the wrong path, looking for a way to feel that their life has meaning.
My only real criticism of the book was perhaps that I was hoping for a bit more of a toolkit to take some of the ideas out into the world. Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic and Respect by Mick West (shout out to Neversoft) I think set an excellent precedent in how to outline key ideas, ending each chapter in exercises or conversation starters that can be applied within friend, family or colleague groups. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of that in Antifascist Dad, but the other point I might make is why not get both books – they’re both excellent.
Antifascist Dad is a near-essential primer for people who are concerned about the rise of the far right, and want to feel equipped to have conversations about fascism, capitalism, the manosphere, etc with people in their community (be it family or wider). It’s a brilliant summary of some of the core intersectional issues, and while there is some hyperbole here and there, I can appreciate that this book has been written for impacting a mainstream audience, and hopefully to become something that’s popular and passed around. If you’re someone who feels a bit intimidated by some of the political books out there, this is a really enjoyable, straightforward read that I promise you’ll learn at least one or two things from.
Antifascist Dad is available now from bookshop.org, who share all profits with independent bookshops of your choice. Thanks to North Atlantic Books and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.