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I actually have bumped into a few of these clowns. I never let them know I am a conservative but engage them in a Q&A. I have found that these guys have cult like beliefs in a couple of Left Wing authors and nothing else. They are what I call half educated. They read Noam Chomsky and a few others and absolutley nothing else. I ask them if they have read a conservative author like Burke or Adma Smith. Never even heard of them. They are not "Free thinkers" at all- but cultists. I have never met more narrow minded and less well read people. Another big clue in- few have any religious belief and were exposed to none as children and almost all are from divorced families.

I have found that these guys have cult like beliefs in a couple of Left Wing authors and nothing else. They are what I call half educated. They read Noam Chomsky and a few others and absolutley nothing else. I ask them if they have read a conservative author like Burke or Adma Smith. Never even heard of them. They are not "Free thinkers" at all- but cultists. I have never met more narrow minded and less well read people.

You have described them exactly. I know some of them VERY well - family members who have been to federal prison for sabatogue. They 've had one idea in their life and they've been milking it for 40 years.

What makes these people dangerous now is their affinity for Islamic extremists.

I have found that these guys have cult like beliefs in a couple of Left Wing authors and
nothing else.

This is a great description of the rank & file. As in any cult, there is a necessary gap in the perceptions of the leaders and those of the masses.

What happened in the 70's was that after they didn't get their way thru marches, propaganda, intimidation and *trashing*, some escalated into more serious crime. Once someone is marginalized by several arrests, their anger and frustration can be exploited into kidnapping and armed robbery. Prison can be as much a sort of mark of achievement in some circles as a deterrant. I recall average middle class youths in their 20's speaking in hushed tones of awe of those who had been in Nam and acquired skill sets that would help the revolution, even after protesting the war in terms of immorality.

In any revolution, there are layers of operatives. Those who are cadre are quite satisfied to see the movement marginalized in the early stages. They intend to exploit those who end up w/nothing left to tie them to law-abiding society. In the already controlled mind, it isn't hard to get people to see this present Administration as the ultimate in all evil and then switch that hatred to those who support them and eventually to the idea of America itself.

It is interesting that Bush and Blair are both men of faith.
While liberal Jews and Christians have been recruited to the propaganda/human shield POV and actions, there is a visceral disgust on the Left for anyone w/an exoteric (external authority)faith. Notice that esoteric (inner authority or *I am god*)beliefs are encouraged by the destabilizers on the Left. This present incarnation of the revolution has made W and Tony into icons on which the crowds can focus.

Just don't dismiss these folks. IIRC, Arafat had a hand in the training of B-M and the Red Guards (may not have been both). There has been lots of discussion on FR of the NAZI/Soviet links of the Islamofacists and the last generation of revolutionaries. I see a real difference in the present crowd of warm bodies: these present ones are better organized, more serious, and are eager to be arrested. They are not as acculturated to the middle class American values as were those of us 30 years ago. Once someone has justified tree-spiking and fire-bombing in the name of Gaia and has already elevated population-reduction to an article of faith, how far are they from murder in the name of the revolution? The cadre doesn't expect to get everyone to become that radicalized and everyone isn't needed as long as 10% or so is sympathetic to the ultimate goal.

I have spoken to several of these current young *idealists* and one thing that struck me was that all have said they have no problem with the ideologies of the organizers, as long as they all have the same goal. Unlike the experience of some in this discussion, the ones I spoke to have university degrees; one is an employed organic chemist in a large East Coast pharmaceutical firm, for example. Another has a degree in Historic Preservation (this is a degree??) and works for a large architectural firm. I have known her since before she was born and we were close up until she went to college. Since I told her my perceptions of her movement and political beliefs, she has ignored me in social gatherings, even when we were face-to-face. It was chilling and her message was clear: don't confuse them w/the facts and expect them to disengage if you try to break thru the cult control.