On Domestic Right-Wing Terrorism
In the wake of the Charleston tragedy, I think it is highly relevant to remember that in 2009, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report on right-wing domestic terrorism. One of the memorable points in the report:
DHS/I&A has concluded that white supremacist lone wolves pose the most significant domestic terrorist threat because of their low profile and autonomy—separate from any formalized group—which hampers warning efforts.
It is also significant that conservatives, at the time, were livid, claiming that the report was nothing but a liberal smear job, an attempt to politicize homeland security, leading to oppression against conservatives.
Remember Pamela Geller, the woman who recently organized the Mohammed “art show” designed to provoke an attack? This is what she said about the report back in 2009:
It is the fascist blueprint to create a police state and legalize gulags. This is not a spoof. This is Obama’s “civilian army’s” MOB. According to Obama’s DHS, patriots are the real threat to America…
And to the specific part of the report about white supremacist lone wolved posing the greatest threat?
This document poses the most dangerous threat to these great United States.
…There he goes again. Playing the race card again. Racism was dead in this country. It is Obama’s objective to create a divisive schism in this country. The country ain’t buying it. We, as a nation, elected him. Racism charge dead.
Nor was she alone. Newt Gingrich tweeted that the DHS report did nothing more than smearing conservatives and demanded the person who wrote the report be fired.
Rush Limbaugh spake:
[T]his Department of Homeland Security report is nothing more than a partisan hit job filled with lies and innuendo that portrays any conservatism as right-wing extremism.
Michelle Malkin at the time wrote:
In Obama land, there are no coincidences. It is no coincidence that this report echoes Tea Party-bashing left-wing blogs … and demonizes the very Americans who will be protesting in the thousands on Wednesday for the nationwide Tax Day Tea Party.
On the right-wing blog “Town Hall”:
Have we really come to this? Has Adolf Hitler’s propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels been reborn and recruited by the Obama administration to scare the heck out of the American people with absurdities such as this whacked-out document?
As a result of these protests and much more, the DHS backed off from at least outwardly reporting on the issue; whether or not this had an effect on actual work done by the DHS and other agencies, I have no idea. I imagine, however, it certainly did not help in any way, shape, or form.
I suppose it is no mystery as to why conservatives are now publicly stating their confusion as to what possible motive this clearly mentally ill non-conservative might have had, except that he seemed to hate Christians. After all, he couldn’t be racist, because someone on right-wing blogs said that he had a lot of black friends on Facebook.
But it couldn’t be right-wing terrorism. That just doesn’t exist.
It’s part denial, part No-True-Scotsman; they know that Dylann Roof lived at the heart of their political base, and is likely not mentally ill, but instead just filled with the hate that influential members of their movement find so politically useful to promulgate.
“We, as a nation, elected him. Racism charge dead.”
Just because the non-racists outnumber the racists by a little doesn’t mean racism is dead.
Obama’s 2008 white vote (vs Kerry’s in parentheses):
8 (tie) – South Carolina: 26% (+4)
8 (tie) – Texas: 26% (+1)
10 – Georgia: 23% (0)
11 – Louisiana: 14% (-10)
12 – Mississippi: 11% (-3)
13 – Alabama: 10% (-9)
Justice Alito in the gay marriage decision said the court is usurping the rights of the majority:
“Today’s decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage”
Well of course, shithead, that’s why we have the constitution that limits the power of lawmakers to take rights and freedoms away from minorities (like gay people).
When rights conflict, look for the greater good.
It’s like conservatives lack the brainpower to function at a very basic level. I don’t understand them at all.
Oh yes, I saw that. I just felt noting it was off-topic for the post itself. This was a big thing with them then—a black man got elected president, now racism doesn’t exist! Of course it was bullshit, and I think they all knew it. It was one of those magical things, like how they all tried to claim that 10 seconds after Obama was elected, it was HIS recession, and HIS Middle East Quagmire, and so on.
Also, I remember those voter maps from 2008 showing Changes in support for Kerry and Obama, the ones that showed this giant anti-Obama swatch through Appalachia… Yeah, had nothing to do with race.
As for the SCOTUS decision, that’s next on my blog list… especially about how Scalia is having a fit about how the rest of the court is just making crap up. Talk about projection! Wanna talk about Heller and the meaning of the Second Amendment, Mr. Science-Fracking-Fiction?
yeah, finding a right to self defense in the 2nd was really special.
It astonishes me that the plain, open, factual record of the Second Amendment debates could (1) be completely and exclusively about militia service, and (2) even include a clause for conscientious objectors, but somehow it’s all about the right of each person to carry guns to defend themselves and their homes. That a purportedly originalist justice could read that and come away with “personal right to self-defense having no dependence on militia service” is laughable—but also completely demonstrative of how factually and philosophically hollow and contemptuous the strict constructionist movement is.
In essence, Scalia just completely made up his own version of the Second Amendment—and now is screaming bloody murder because the majority of the court has decided that the founders felt that individual rights and freedoms were paramount, something that should be blindingly obvious even to a constructionist, were they to follow any sort of actual principle.
It’s not about principle, though—it’s about a political agenda, and nothing—nothing—else.
I think conservatism is a combination of some people having a different chip in their heads, plus the Dunning-Kruger effect, stupid people lack the awareness and tools to understand that they’re stupid.
As I quote too much, JS Mill nailed it 150 years ago:
“I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant, that stupid persons are generally Conservative. I believe that to be so obvious and undeniable a fact that I hardly think any hon. Gentleman will question it.”
Humans are not as logical as we pretend. Just last month I read somewhere that being exposed to a differing/offsensive opinion provokes a stress response in people; I’ve felt it and thought it very weird, but I guess it’s natural.