human nature doesn't change overnight, and therefore the same principles apply
punching nazis doesn't earn them sympathizers but it certainly makes the nazis themselves more passionate about their own ideology and hateful towards detractors
there's also a compelling case that the silencing through force or censorship drives a streisand effect of a sort, which could net a few new supporters
assaulting the far right during public demonstrations only made them more eager and prepared for violence and even murderous acts during subsequent demonstrations
as much as it irks many people, the best way to defuse their ideological reach is to openly and comprehensively debate and critique points of their ideology (and thus invalidate, in the public consciousness, any fundamental rationale for the undesirable praxis these groups advocate)
at the same time, addressing any legitimate grievances they harbor may be worthwhile as well, because the movement hasn't just blown up for no reason
this all may require some uncomfortable soul searching with respect to certain aspects of the social and political zeitgeist
ideological fringes - far left or far right - tend to lure vulnerable minds into a sea of lies with a grain of truth
I dunno, this seems to be an argument by assertion to me, some of which I very strongly doubt to be true. In particular, the idea that a 'public debate' where you critique points of ideology is a more effective tactic than physical resistance seems to be an open question and also one that is at the heart of this argument.
I mean, it is true that punching nazis might strengthen the resolve of nazis rather than cow them into submission. It also might not do that. Similarly, maybe public discourse can defuse nazi sympathies, or maybe it doesn't. Your argument here seems to be more predicated on morals and your vision for how to change society than any empirical evidence that punching nazis is or isn't helpful
the enlightenment is literally a mountain of evidence that reasoned debate in the form of critiquing ideology is the most effective tactic for effecting change. it's been the western tradition for a long time and is arguably one of the major reasons why the west has led the world for this long now. ---