Posted on 02/15/2021 7:43:22 AM PST by Kaslin
Especially in such polarized times, there's cause to be wary of threats to our liberties from a national security regime with expanded domestic powers.
he Biden administration is planning to use the full force of the federal government in pursuit of a new war. Its target? American citizens.
This countering “domestic violent extremism” effort, declared in the wake of the latest Capitol riot, represents the real-world counterpart to the corporate media rhetoric about the need to “deprogram,” “de-ba’athify,” and drone the Deplorables.
If this is a dangerous political witch hunt masquerading as a national security imperative, it should disturb every American. Half of the country could potentially be ensnared as would-be if not actual terrorists.
In a little-discussed Jan. 22 press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki asserted “[the] assault on the Capitol … underscored what we have long known: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat.” Consequently, the administration plans a three-part response:
In short, the Biden administration plans to turn the institutions and tools used to pursue foreign adversaries on “wrong-thinking” Americans. There are several reasons this is so troubling.
First, it is not clear why such an operation is needed. Contrary to Psaki’s statement, the studies, often conducted by left-leaning organizations, cited by those who claim the threat of non-jihadist “violent extremism” is growing and massive are highly dubious.
If domestic terrorist groups are proliferating in sufficient, size, strength, and number to merit a robust new government response, on the scale of the Global War on Terror — as some are telegraphing — the authorities have not demonstrated it. The administration’s hyping of such threats, and the conversion of Capitol Hill to a warzone, without specific evidence of danger, should only increase our skepticism. It appears politics is trumping the truth.
One can argue that the rush to declare a war on “domestic violent extremism” is one of several logical conclusions of an effort that goes back to the beginning of the Obama presidency, to fear-monger over the threat of “right-wing extremism” and marginalize non-leftists. The resistance fever dream of Trump-as-Führer with his tens of millions of supporters as Brownshirts was seamlessly incorporated into this information operation.
With Trump toppled, the riot among non-leftists provided the catalyst for completing the total war on the true objects of the ruling class’s ire: dissenting Americans. It has concocted a narrative: There is a growing “insurgency” among “domestic violent extremists.” The riot was their 9/11. Consequently, the threat, highlighted by that despicable act, demands not only its own 9/11 Commission, but a war on domestic extremism, particularly “white supremacist extremists.”
The wall-to-wall coverage of a neophyte congresswoman, the portrayal of capitols across the country as under threat, and the Defense secretary’s call for a 60-day stand-down to root out “extremism” in the military following the disturbing political vetting of National Guard troops summoned to Washington for the inauguration all feed this narrative.
One can be forgiven for thinking that a war on “domestic violent extremism” represents an extreme jump from a single event that, while inexcusable, pathetic, and disgraceful, thankfully resulted in less bloodshed and infinitely less destruction than what transpired across the country during the summer of 2020 — and preceded a dramatic spike in violence.
That there is nary a word from the Biden administration about pursuing violent members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter in connection with its countering DVE effort is part of a second major disturbing issue: Just as the Biden administration has not clearly defined the need for such a war, it has not clearly defined its targets. While it is not clear who the Biden administration is targeting, the implication again is non-leftists, potentially writ large.
“Violent extremism” is vague and leftists manipulate language. Hence, one man’s terrorist is another man’s “austere religious scholar”; “hate speech” is violence while physical violence is “mostly peaceful”; and concepts like “colorblindness,” “merit,” and even the classics themselves are considered instruments of white supremacy. Given the zeitgeist, readers of this article may well be a suspected violent supremacist by the left’s standards.
The Biden administration is also adhering to such standards. Based on its rhetoric and earliest executive actions — which emphasized “equity” over “equality” — anti-racism, critical race theory, and the associated panoply of woke progressive pillars are de rigueur within the White House. Under the “progressive-or-bigot” paradigm that flows from this worldview, non-progressives of all colors may well be branded “white supremacists,” “right-wing extremists,” and “domestic violent extremists.”
The third disturbing aspect of the coming domestic war on terror is how it’s poised to threaten our most basic civil rights, beginning with free speech.
Under the new infinitely liberal reading of “incitement to violence,” our political class is calling for Big Tech to further police speech — which is to say, to squelch the First Amendment by proxy. The Biden administration is seemingly on board. Psaki noted the “domestic violent extremism” investigation process would include a National Security Council review of the “role of social media” and promote government “efforts to prevent radicalization.”
It’s also worth noting who is leading this effort, and his political and policy predilections. As Psaki revealed, Joshua Geltzer will be responsible for the “scoping effort.”
During a September 2019 hearing before the House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittees on National Security and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the former Obama administration National Security Council official and prolific Trump critic called for adopting a “transnational” approach to countering “violent white supremacy.” This included increased terror organization designations, use of the intelligence capabilities of the “international terrorism”-focused National Counterterrorism Center, and tech companies “policing their platforms to remove not just incitement to violence, but also, the ideological foundations that spawn such violence.”
Geltzer was careful to caveat that creating a “domestic analog to the foreign terrorist organization designation regime” might be unconstitutional and that efforts to counter violent white supremacy “must not be used as an excuse for interfering with the lawful expression of political advocacy.” But it is hard to square these seemingly conflicting statements.
In this charged and hysterical political environment, we should be all the more so concerned about the threats to our liberties, particularly of a national security regime with vastly expanded domestic powers. The first role of government is to protect our lives and liberties. The heavy burden is on our leaders to justify infringements on the latter in service of the former.
The conservative opposition will be framed as being racist, white supremacist and terroristic. Who would not want to eliminate them?
NOOOOO!!!! You think?
This is just a return to the policies of the Kenyanesian Usurpation when the usurper used every agency to target American citizens.
Of course, what else?
..... I guess I am one of those crazy nutty people that doesn't think that Biden may seek to Criminalize Political dissent ...... I actually believe that his Main Reason for the new Domestic War on Terrorism IS to Criminalize Political Dissent .... There is no May about it ....
Domestic violent extremism see Portland Biden scratches a$$.
“...may...” ????
What will the Democrat puppet masters do when Biden starts screaming at a press conference that ducks are eating all his soup?
““January 6 was a disgrace,” McConnell said at the beginning of his speech.
“American citizens attacked their own government,” he said.”
Dear Mitch,
Iin fact it is the US gov’t. that has been attacking its own Citizens for quite a while now.
You have been attacking #45 in all sorts of ways for ~5 years. It’s been a disgusting performance.
The democrats and their thug groups like antifa are exempt.
At what point will the red states nullify unconstitutional measures? When their citizens are arrested and thrown into gulags? Seems to me that the governors are our last line of constitutional defense.
It is one entire cloth of actions against the Republic, is JoeBama’s plan against ALL dissent. There is a very distinct analytical result (Mark Levin has characterized it well, in the past) and it is Leftist Fascism.
The pure definition of Fascism— the State, the private owned corporations (in this case Global ones) and Laborite constituencies/leadership in parternership to control and run a country. This is Fascism, with a very nasty new assignment the deep state was already pursuing- characterizing the dissent as endangering national security-— when they themselves are and were acting under instruction of a foreign entity.
This is Fascism, as Orwell described it in full. The Left has identified the means to take total control and it is Fascism from a cabal who really did fabricate an election (just as Fascists do).
This is not Left vs. Right. It is Fascism vs. our Constitutional Republic and all the Rights it protects.
The first role of government is to protect our lives and liberties.
—
The first role of government in China is to protect the leaders lives and power. Coming soon.
Sorry, Ben.....you are an idiot.
The left does not need to “prove” anything to support their assertions. Guilt is what they say is guilt.
Trump is still guilty of colluding with Russia and conspiring with Ukraine and inciting violence. Trials and evidence are irrelevant.
If you are a white constitutionalist, you are guilty of racism. No need for facts or evidence. End of discussion.
Ben thinks they need to prove their case before they can deploy gov’t assets against citizens. Well, Obama assassinated US citizens on foreign soil without a trial or review of the charges.
They can, and will, do the same on US soil.
So, sit back and write your juvenile articles about what the left needs to prove while they continue to advance and enact their hold on power.
Biden’s Domestic War On Terrorism May Seek To Criminalize Political Dissent
I think it will be more like;
Biden’s Domestic War On Terrorism will Criminalize Political Dissent
May?
They already have.
May criminalize political dissent! No, they already are doing so.
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