As Lars pointed out yesterday, today could be dangerous. In fact, you could be a danger to yourself and the entire country without even knowing it. I’m not talking about being a carrier for a disease or a polluter. Friends, I’m talking about right-wingism.
The Federal Government, may it live forever, has raised the warning we all should heed. “Rightwing extremist activity,” as defined by the Feds, could be in your city; it could be in your heart. The Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS/I&A) has issued a report saying that while they have no evidence of an impending threat any in our country, “rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues. The economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment.”
Now before you start shaking your head, saying you may be conservative, you may agree with Rush Limbaugh and Victor Davis Hanson, but you aren’t an extremist by any stretch, let me quote the report from the DHS/I&A:
Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.
Could include groups dedicated to a single issue, such as labor union power or unbending defense of failing schools? I’m not sure, but the good-natured folks at HSOIA want us and our law enforcement officials beware the potent threat of federalists and pro-life advocates. Even those worried about high taxes on ammunition or the out-right banning of firearms could be–could be–a danger to the country. The report notes:
Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist groups, as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and training for violence against the government. The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement.
The DHS/I&A also points out returning veterans as a potential threat: “The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.”
No information that veterans are doing this now, but they could. And for liberals, the thought for good or ill is all that counts. So watch what you think.
The report is meant to identify risk, though without specific information, I’d think any risk is merely speculative. We can speculate all day long. Where does it get us?
The report could signify a change in emphasis for Homeland Security under former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. A German magazine quoted Ms. Napolitano as rebranding “terrorism” as “man-made disasters.” Since its inception in 2003, the department has focused primarily on radicalization of Muslims and the prospect of homegrown Islamist terrorism.
In January, the same DHS office released a report titled “Leftwing extremists likely to increase use of cyber attacks over the coming decade.”
“These types of reports are published all the time. There have actually been some done on the other end of the spectrum, left-wing,” Ms. Kuban said.
Regarding actual extremists, the FBI has something to say:
The FBI report [from 2008] said that from October 2001 through May 2008 “a minuscule” number of veterans, 203 out of 23,000, had joined groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, the National Socialist Movement, the Creativity Movement, the National Alliance and some skinhead groups.
“Although the white supremacist movement is of concern to the FBI, our assessment shows that only a very small number of people with prior military experience may have an affiliation with supremacist groups,” FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said Monday when asked about the FBI report.