The Consequences of Right-Wing Extremism on the Internet

Anti-Defamation League ^ | unknown | ADL

[mgist]

The Consequences of Right-Wing Extremism on the Internet

Creating Electronic Community of Hate

The Internet has provided the means for those on the far-right to create an "electronic community of hate."

There are three important, measurable respects in which the "electronic community of hate"  strengthens  the work of right-wing extremists offline. The Internet 

• provides instant and anonymous access to propaganda that inspires and guides criminal activity  
• helps more effectively coordinate their activities  
• offers new ways to make money

These consequences of right-wing extremism on the Internet should be of concern to us all.

Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before. Anyone using the Internet may inadvertently be exposed to hate online.

Though gauging the affect of extremist material on the vast population of Internet users presents enormous difficulties, substantial information does exist about a small subset of this group: right-wing extremists. 

In the Internet age, these extremists can communicate with thousands of their compatriots with the click of a mouse.
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The Internet has provided the far-right fringe with formerly inconceivable opportunities. Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before and can more easily portray themselves as legitimate. 

Anyone using the Internet may inadvertently be exposed to hate online. When uninformed or easily influenced people – particularly children – come across hate propaganda, they can fall prey to its deceptive reasoning and adopt hateful beliefs themselves, sometimes going so far as to act on what they have read.

Gauging the affects of online hate on this vast population of Internet users presents enormous difficulties. No reliable measurement has been taken of the number of Internet users who find and read hateful material online. Nor can one safely generalize about the ways in which this material affects the beliefs and actions of those who read it. Yet there is a subset of this enormous group of Internet users about whom substantial information does exist: known, active, right-wing extremists.

Though the number of active right-wing extremists is relatively small, the harm they can cause is significant. By spreading their views, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government "patriots" encourage and sustain prejudice in the mainstream. In addition, these extremists are often ready to break the law in support of their beliefs.

The Internet has provided the means for extremists to create an "electronic community of hate." In the Internet age, extremists are no longer isolated from others who share their beliefs. Now, they can communicate with thousands of their compatriots with the click of a mouse, from the comfort of their own homes. Just as it has benefited millions of ordinary people, the Internet has profited, connected, and inspired extremists in previously unimaginable ways.

This report will detail three important, measurable respects in which the "electronic community of hate" strengthens the work of right-wing extremists offline. First of all, the Internet has provided them with instant and anonymous access to propaganda that inspires and guides criminal activity. Secondly, it has helps them to more effectively  coordinate their activities. Finally, it offers them new ways to make money. 

These, then, are actual, measurable consequences of right-wing extremism on the Internet and should be of concern to us all.

[thinktwice]

The Internet has provided the far-right fringe with formerly inconceivable opportunities. Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before and can more easily portray themselves as legitimate.

I wonder if the author of this piece realizes that being against Big Government is what the United States Constitution is about. So this grouping of anti-government types in with racists and anti-semites appears to be Dimwit (Democrats that love Big government) propaganda.

[DCPatriot]

LOL! Reached the 3rd paragraph....getting slow in my old age.

[Kenton]

The ADL used to be a fairly well-respected organization. Now they're predictable leftwing hacks who hate white Christian conservative-type people.

Their bastard child, the SPLC, is the group that "sic'ed" Janet Reno on the Branch Davidians at Waco. Because these leftwing ideologues had Clinton's ear, he let Al Quaeda alone to chase after evil "militias" and "white supremicists", NRA members from '93 - 2001.

In a way, the ADL/SPLC and Clinton/Reno made 9/11 possible by that policy. They didn't do much against Muslim extremists, but they DID manage get rid of nearly 100 fundamentalist wierdos at Waco, if you count the small ones.

Priorities, ya know?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

This guy has obviously never visited Democratic Underground.

Probably considers it a "moderate discussion group".

[JustPlainJoe]

Correction, folks:


The Consequences of Left-Wing Extremism on the Internet
Creating Electronic Community of Hate

The Internet has provided the means for those on the far-left to create an "electronic community of hate."

There are three important, measurable respects in which the "electronic community of hate" strengthens the work of left-wing extremists offline. The Internet

provides instant and anonymous access to propaganda that inspires and guides criminal activity
helps more effectively coordinate their activities
offers new ways to make money
These consequences of left-wing extremism on the Internet should be of concern to us all.

Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-American extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before. Anyone using the Internet may inadvertently be exposed to hate online.

Though gauging the affect of extremist material on the vast population of Internet users presents enormous difficulties, substantial information does exist about a small subset of this group: left-wing extremists.

In the Internet age, these extremists can communicate with thousands of their compatriots with the click of a mouse.

[mgist]

This guy has obviously never visited Democratic Underground. That's a real hate group.

If you think the DU is bad, you should see some of the European chat rooms. There is blatant hatred of the US which they claim is controlled by greedy jews out to take over the world. They point to numerous web-sites that are obviously of Muslim origin. I'm talking really scary stuff. Foxman is either really confused or brainwashed.

[AmishDude]

I love being cool and hip.

We are X-treme right wingers. Woo hoo!

[grellis]

Except for the bit about making money, my first thought was that "NAMBLA" should be substituted for "Right Wing Extremists."

What a bunch of crap! You're right--we do need our own adl.

[Rebelbase]

"anti-Semites,"

Just wouldn't be an ADL article without that reference.

[Ronin]

I am glad to hear you say so, because recently I have been having very negative thoughts about Foxman and the ADL.

I think they are doing more harm than good and I think that they, personally, are driving a wedge between Jews and Christians that (in the U.S. at least) was not there before.

[ZULU]

Yeah???

What this creep REALLY means is that intelligent people no longer have to rely on the fatuous liars on ABC, NCB, CBS, etc. to get their filtered news and they can now exchange ideas with one another on a host of issues in a free and open forum.

Consequently, in typical liberal fashion, this left-wing lapdog resorts to name calling, innuendos and outright lies to smear people he disagrees with.

Assoicating NAZIs and KuKluxers and White Supremacists with right wing conservatives is a lie and a hoax. Few, if ANY people on this board fall into that category. And websites like THIS one are sites they fear the most - not some screw ball site owned the Knights of the WHite Camellia or the Aryan Nation. No one with intelligence or brains looks at those.

But intelligent people DO read THIS site, and others like it, and learn the truth about the evil of the extreme left, the Democratic Party and their minions in the mass media.

The ADL serves a useful function at times, but like the ACLU, it is inceasingly an organ of the far left wing, used to foster a far left extremist agenda instead of fighting real racism.

[Junior]

Why is it always the right wingers that take the heat? Why not the extreeme left wingers and their hate filled rants? Why? Why? Why?

Because most leftists are not intelligent enough to figure out how to use the internet.

[mgist]

Because most leftists are not intelligent enough to figure out how to use the internet.

I wish that were true.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

The opportunities Foxman complains about hate groups having are available for all people, who use the Internet. Including those who oppose hate groups. Or "hate" groups, as the case may be.

[Hunble]

Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before. Anyone using the Internet may inadvertently be exposed to hate online.

To a liberal, online hate is anything that is contrary to their view of the world. >[? Anti-Semites? Pardon? Which side has been supporting this war against terrorism that has been primarily directed toward the Jews living in Israel?

Want to talk about anti-semites? Who got all upset when President Bush decided to stop this violence against Jewish civilians?

[cripplecreek]

Foxman is confused. If anything jews are under steady attack from the left, not from the right.

[Chris Talk]

Imagine the ADL calling somebody ELSE a purveyor of hate!

[NYCVirago]

The Internet provides instant and anonymous access to propaganda that
inspires and guides criminal activity
helps more effectively coordinate their activities
offers new ways to make money

This sounds like the mission statement for moveon.org -- will the ADL investigate them?

[hosepipe]

[ The Internet has provided the far-right fringe with formerly inconceivable opportunities. Online, racists, anti-Semites, and anti-government extremists can reach a much larger audience than ever before and can more easily portray themselves as legitimate. ]

Hmmmmmm....
never considered the ADL as a communist cell group before as they appear to be.. or that they themselves are fodder for the JOO-hateing fringe groups.. the left wing never gets anything right in the right context... the ADL takes agitprop to new levels of defamation.. they have met the enemy AND ITS THEM...