Posted on 01/20/2013 6:42:42 PM PST by neverdem
The world is beset by terrorists — witness the American hostages taken in Algeria this week — but portions of our federal government continue to obsess about alleged home-grown threats from the “far right.”
The Combating Terrorism Center, which is based at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has issued a new report on its website entitled
“Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right.”
Normally, the center’s activities are focused on al-Qaeda and other violent Islamic groups seeking to topple governments around the world. But the latest report looks inside America itself, and if the center is to be judged by the quality of its analysis in this report, it might be wise for all of us to be skeptical of its other work. The Center’s report lumps together entirely legitimate tea-party-style activists with three groups it says represent “a racist/white supremacy movement, an anti-federalist movement and a fundamentalist movement.” Together all these forces are said to have engaged in 350 “attacks initiated by far-right groups/individuals” in 2011, although the report never specifies what makes an attack a “far right” action.
The report’s author is Arie Perliger, who directs the Center’s terrorism studies and teaches social sciences at West Point. I can only imagine what his classes are like as his report manages to lump together every known liberal stereotype about conservatives between its covers.
As Rowan Scarborough of the Washington Times, who broke news of the report on Thursday, recounts:
[The Center’s report] says anti-federalists “espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government. Extremists in the anti-federalist movement direct most their violence against the federal government and its proxies in law enforcement.”
The report also draws a link between the mainstream conservative movement and the violent “far right,” and describes liberals as “future oriented” and conservatives as living in the past.
“While liberal worldviews are future- or progressive -oriented, conservative perspectives are more past-oriented, and in general, are interested in preserving the status quo,” the report says. “The far right represents a more extreme version of conservatism, as its political vision is usually justified by the aspiration to restore or preserve values and practices that are part of the idealized historical heritage of the nation or ethnic community.”
The report adds: “While far-right groups’ ideology is designed to exclude minorities and foreigners, the liberal-democratic system is designed to emphasize civil rights, minority rights and the balance of power.”
The Times quotes a congressional staffer who has served in the military calling the report a “junk study.” The staffer then asked: “The $64,000 dollar question is when will the Combating Terrorism Center publish their study on real left-wing terrorists like the Animal Liberation Front, Earth Liberation Front, and the Weather Underground?”
This is not the first time elements of the federal government have tried to smear conservatives with sloppy work and a broadbrush analysis.
In 2009, liberals in the Department of Homeland Security prepared a report defining “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of federalism or local control. “It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” a footnote in the report warned.
The DHS report bore the ominous title: “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” Sent to hundreds of local law enforcement officials, the report claimed that “right wing extremists have capitalized on the election of the first African-American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilize existing supporters, and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning.”
A casual reader might have concluded that “attack planning” by said groups is inevitable. But the report is silent on just how the groups will attack, and indeed since 2009 there has been precious little evidence any of them ever did.
After much public ridicule, the DHS report vanished from public view as did a similar effort at the same time by the Missouri Highway Patrol, which had to retract its own report linking conservative groups with militia activity and mentioning 2008 presidential candidates Ron Paul and Bob Barr.
No one doubts the existence of racist and hate-filled groups that require monitoring. But both the DHS and West Point reports read as if they were laying the groundwork for a rhetorical attack on mainstream conservatism of the sort that President Clinton launched in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995, when he blamed talk radio for stirring up anti-government passions. No one should be surprised if supporters of new gun-control measures begin justifying them by referring to the West Point report.
The Obama administration raised eyebrows back in 2009 when Janet Napolitano’s DHS substituted the phrase “man-made disasters” for the dangers posed by Islamic terrorism. My sources inside Congress tell me they continue to worry that efforts to monitor domestic Muslim extremists as well as interdiction efforts against radical Islamists crossing the U.S. border are sometimes put on the back burner. The government denies this, but it seems to me its protestations would be more persuasive if it spent less time producing half-baked warnings about the danger of “right-wing extremists.”
Well then, so be it.
Those who birthed this nation and fought for freedom were also called terrorist.
How extreme do these “extremists” have to be? What makes a person an extremist?
LOL!
How extreme do these extremists have to be? What makes a person an extremist?
Simple. Following Orwell’s rule, anyone even thinking about opposing the regime is an extremist.
Rhetorical question, I'm sure. Belief in God, Country, Duty, Honor, Life-Long Commitment to your Wife or Husband (of the opposite sex), belief in Two-Parent families, belief that a marriage can ONLY be between one man and one woman, belief in the Protestant Work Ethic, belief in Judeo-Christian Values, belief in limited government, belief in the God-granted rights of the individual to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, belief that Collectivism in all its forms is pure unadulterated evil, belief in the wonders of free markets and the Invisible Hand to guide economic decision making, belief in the Rule of Law, not Rule of Man, belief that people are welcome to immigrate to the United States if they follow our immigration laws.
Belief in any or all of these simple tenets makes you an "extremist" these days.
I believe George Washington was a Right Wing Terrorist. In fact, he was the leader of the insurgents. Liberals of today would have killed or betrayed George Washington
Remember, American political life is laid out along different lines than were applicable to the French national assembly in the 1790s.
What Does It Mean to Say That a Gun Law Is Tough?
Obamas far-reaching gun-proposals face uncertain fate in divided Congress
Gun Sales and Background Checks: Obamas Bogus 40 Percent Stat
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
What Does It Mean to Say That a Gun Law Is Tough?
Obamas far-reaching gun-proposals face uncertain fate in divided Congress
Gun Sales and Background Checks: Obamas Bogus 40 Percent Stat
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Actually I disagree. And, the typical honest American who owns a gun feels infringed upon by an over authoritarian government.
Heavy regulations were enforced upon the Colonists in the late 1700’s that forced them to make a decision to break from that type of government. Today, heavy regulations from an authoritarian government is forcing a segment of the population to make a stand politically from the leadership. Which would mean the real Right Wing leadership is the democrats. Quite a twist when you look at the facts
There were latecomers to the battle ~ they started showing up about 1775 ~ but they were still latecomers.
The French, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Germans, and many of the Iroquis (Oneida mostly, but thousands of other non-confederation Iroquois) thought the Revolution was long overdue ~ about time ~ definitely something that should have started earlier.
You can look it up ~ the Cahokia militia rushed to Fort St. Joseph in Michigan to turn back the English ~ they took the only flag they had ~ that of Spain!
BTW, Spain was an ally in that war.
If you disagree with me you are saying the only issue in the Revolution was a small armory in New England that held the gunpowder so vital to life in those days.
I would say a few things, but will probably cause more discussions. :o) First of all this is not South vs the North thing. Old news and not the same situation. This is an all of us Americans fighting against communism issue. %80 of the American Military is conservative, God fearing, patriotic Americans that will not turn their guns on Americans. This is why, one of many reasons, obummer wants to sequester the military. Oh yes, for side a note. F-22 Raptors, made in Texas. The Bradley and current MRAPS used in the middle east right now, made in Louisiana. Just saying. In fact, how about some military people from Louisiana now.
A-10 Warthog Gun Runs At Claiborne Bombing and Gunnery Range
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=edc_1358726228
While liberal worldviews are future- or progressive -oriented,”
Yeah, like Russia in 1918.
The report adds: While far-right groups ideology is designed to exclude minorities and foreigners, the liberal-democratic system is designed to emphasize civil rights, minority rights and the balance of power.
Yes, liberals look upon minorities as useful idiots or a dependent constituency that keeps the liberal elite in power.
They are for a balance of power as long as that balance is with them in their elitist circle.
Having someone like this at West Point further illustrates the left’s infiltration of all education institutions. They play the long war. They will further indoctrinate our men and women military officers to do their bidding.
Gosh. They better keep a close eye on this guy:
-- James Madison, chief architect of the U.S. Constitution and our fourth President"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
Thanks for the ping!
> While liberal worldviews are future- or progressive -oriented,
>
> Yeah, like Russia in 1918.
I’m pretty future-minded — which is precisely why I don’t like the direction our government’s going, or has been going, for far longer than I’ve been at all interested in politics. (When I was 12 or so I thought the government shouldn’t heap up debts — that was in the 90s.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.