The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.
A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.
That's about right. Iran is developing nuclear weapons, our borders are porous, and Obama's Homeland Security is worried about people who have read the 10th Amendment.
"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says.
Let's see... There was that one abortion protester that shot the doctor... And then there was the USS Cole, 9/11... I make the odds at about 4000 to 1 that the next terrorist-caused death will be due to radical Islam rather than some middle-aged mother protesting at an abortion clinic.
....
I'm sure President Horse's Ass and his cabinet are nervous about the Tea Parties. I guess when your political beliefs are best described with the term Marxist-Light, Patriots may be the most terrifying extremists of all. So I'm sure the FBI, the ATF, and other Obama Brownshirts will be out taking pictures of people at the festivities.
But there are dangerous Conservatives out there. The staff at Malott's blog has studied their general characteristics and come up with the following composite:
11 comments:
Chris,
Uh, the photo COULD be better, you know! (:-D )
Btw, I agree with you but have to add my understanding where the government has concerns. That takes only two words "Timothy McVeigh". Or, "David Koresh".
HOWEVER, methinks they are more concerned about Christians and Jews and Zionists. You know, our Biblical beliefs might clash with the plan Pres. Obama has for Israel. I pray for him every night.
Welcome to the fight. Not so cool, is it, to empower one man to imprison at will without due process, to allow one branch of government to spy domestically without oversight, to allow the government to disappear people (and on, and on...) just because you're scared. Good work on that. What did you expect? And thanks for speaking up on principle when leftie groups were being infiltrated. You have total credibility.
Do you expect a pass just because you think you have good intentions? The rhetoric of "head shots" and "lock and load" are a hallmark of you guys. Even here. Shouldn't DHS be on the lookout for the next McVeigh when McVeigh-like thinking is in the ascendancy? Don't you recognize this guy and his letter at least a little bit? And these guys - you think people attracted to this world view aren't jacked up just a little bit more lately? You don't see how politically motivated groups with extensive grievances and with a propensity for very large weapons caches warrants attention?
Yeah, lets not let our security apparatus talk about this lest we offend the delicate sensibilities of our citizenry. Honestly, I can't believe you're that blind to your own movement's bent people. You have some bent people over there.
And no matter what Malkin says, "the left" was targeted in a very similar way.
My point is that the right's tantrum over this lacks context on several levels.
Paw and Christina:
There is no act of terrorism which is comparable with another. From the two marine barracks bombings in Lebanon, to the two attacks on the WTC, to the Branch-Davidian Compound inferno, to the Murrah Building in Oklahoma, to diverse school and mall shootings, etc.
The fact of the matter is this: No matter who or what organization perpetrates these acts, there is no excuse for them. None.
Paw, there IS a difference, however, if someone is looking to CYA instead of allowing more attacks against the U.S. There has been governmental monitoring of private citizens for decades - at least as far back as 1960. It's just that we didn't know about it then.
I'm too familiar with our soldier's in Vietnam. I'm personally familiar with Ft.-Lost-in-the-Woods-in-Misery, which was the largest basic training camp in the U.S. at that time. The examples you gave included a man who felt his service in Nam should have given him a pass from all his problems.
Well, yeah, it SHOULD have. But none of our men who returned from war have been given such a pass. It still does not excuse murderous rampages.
President Obama's plans are very much different from President Bush's. Obama bowed down to another world leader - no other president has done such a thing. Obama is giving a homicidal maniac a pass when he is threatening to use nuclear weapons (that being Ahmadinejad). Obama is moving toward relinquishing the U.S. "economy and all" to other countries. In his case, he doesn't realize that is what he is doing. Bush worked to keep us free.
Obama apologized to the world for the U.S. defending itself and for hauling other countries rears out of hot water.
Bush, Clinton, and the Bush from before did not EVER apologize for who we are.
Obama is making moves and statements which will endanger more lives than anyone else. He is willing to give away the nation in order to attain promises of peace.
On these things alone, your case does not hold merit. Our government has looked out for us from outside danger (Clinton administration included). Obama seems to not even know there are guns and bombs aimed at us.
Tsofah,
I'm not trying to compare terrorism. It's all wrong, on many levels.
However, there are types of terrorists who present more of a threat to the American population than others. A terrorist or group who seeks to destroy America is infinitely more dangerous and harmful to our country than a lone man who has a grudge against an abortion clinic. Both are wrong, make no mistake. But one represents a far greater threat to far more people.
In that way, the types of terrorists can and should be compared.
And by the way, although I think President Obama is in many ways, naive, I also think there are plenty of areas in which he is willfully acting against America's best interest because he truly does not believe we are any better than any other country. Otherwise, we agree about the harm Pres. Obama is doing!
Let me clarify...
I guess I'm not saying that terrorists cannot be compared. Maybe a better way to say it is that they can be placed on a scale and rated. A domestic terrorists who wants to blow up an abortion clinic will not ever create the same level of terror as an Islamic terrorist who is intent on destroying an American city (or two or three) with a "dirty bomb".
Maybe that makes a bit more sense.
PAW,
You make a nice point about watching out for the next McVeigh and watching extremist groups... That wasn't what my post was about, but you make a nice point.
The "footnote attached to the report" suggested that Federal Law Enforcement might be wasting their time on Pro-Life groups, Constitutional Originalists, and people who don't like paying for illegal Juan's food stamps.
I don't think it's intimidation... It's just some stupid liberal's prejudice and miscalculation of where the real danger lies... and it's a waste of time and money.
And PAW, you surely have an appreciation for the Tea Parties. Do you realize how many "producers"... not ACORN-hired trash... but actual "producers" took time off from their jobs to attend?
When the adults start protesting... Washington better pay attention.
Now PAW, you do understand that Christians and hard working conservatives are different than the militia guys? We don't bomb and kill, we just vote against the pimps and panderers in the Democrat Party. We don't mind having our picture taken and when we make a call to an Arab country we hope the government has the sense to listen in.
We fear the government, but not in the same way the nutjobs do. We know that if the government gets bad enough we'll rise up and change it at the polls... Even if we have to shoot a couple ACORN thugs to get in the door.
Christina,
If McVeigh had operated in Iraq, Obama and his friends would not have called him a domestic terrorist, but rather an insurgent. If in Chile, they would have called him a freedom fighter.
I'm glad the FBI watches these people. But you're right, standing up to, or going after the federal government is different than blowing up a city.
Tsofah,
That's the best picture I've ever taken!
I know David Koresh was a bad man, but I don't think of him as a domestic terrorist. If you remember, instead of arresting Koresh on the streets of Waco, Janet Reno and the ATF "staged" a dramatic encounter that ended with the incineration of innocents.
The Texas State Police or Texas Rangers would surely have handled the situation better than that.
Malott, I think I understand where the differences lie between you run-of-the-mill/salt-of-the-earth people and the extremists on your side. I'm from the sticks myself, and I have sticks in my soul. I know stuff about guns and freedoms that we never get to talk about because its not ever germane. Just saying. As a gun guy, if someone starts in with Lock And Load, even casually, I pay attention. Because you better.
By they way, I 'm also a producer. I'm grateful to be able to live on my own terms, by and large. Don't be too sure that you have a monopoly on that type of person. Those parties were cute, but I'd guess there were at least equal numbers of clock punchers to paycheck signers. Since you brought it up.
Back on topic, I was surprised that you got on this wagon, that you've chosen to identify yourself and your peer group with extremists. Doubly so since a hallmark of the building of the surveillance state that occurred over the last 8 years boils down to "trust us, if you haven't done anything bad you nothing to fear."
That Alabama group I linked to, with truck loads of grenades, could be characterized as "people who don't like paying for illegal Juan's food stamps". Do they fit the description of " groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration"? Why yes, they do. You identify with those guys? Patriots? Come on. Its just a memo to law enforcement saying Heads Up For This Kind Of Wacko, because they are getting agitated along with you good people. Any reasonable person of good faith would have to agree that there is a useful construct in there.
See you around.
On Tea Party day, Robin Meade on CNN's Headline News was asking people to Twitter in on whatever they wanted tax dollars to pay for. Turns out, there's apparently no known historical documentation regarding the purpose, scope and business of government. It sounded like a Miss America pageant "What would you do to change the world if you became Miss America" question. If our tax dollars (and if only there were enough of them) went to pay for everything I heard mentioned there would certainly be no need for heaven. That got me thinking. These people think you can actually fix the earth. I think our founding fathers had no such expectation. I take it as a fundamental truth that life in this world is hard and no job, government or nice-guy neighbor can make it easy. The best we can do is lay your sins at the foot of the cross, be kind to one another, live up to out talents and try not to be a burden to others. I love life and Earth, and am thankful for them, but I'm just passing through. This is not my home and I have no expectation of making a Eutopia out of it.
PS: Yes, I watch Robin Meade on HN in the morning. I've grown to dislike morning news chatter between co-hosts.
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