Posted on 04/15/2009 2:06:37 AM PDT by pissant
What and who exactly are President Obama's homeland security officials afraid of these days? If you are a member of an active conservative group that opposes abortion, favors strict immigration enforcement, lobbies to protect Second Amendment rights, protests big government, advocates federalism or represents veterans who believe in any of the above, the answer is: You.
Department of Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano has turned her attention away from acts of Islamic jihad on American soil (which she now refers to as "man-caused disasters"). Instead, her department is sounding the alarm over an unquantified "resurgence" in "right-wing extremism activity." On April 7, DHS sent a nine-page warning memo to law enforcement offices across the country titled "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."
The report includes a sweeping definition of the threat:
"Right-wing 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."
You cannot ignore the context or the timing of this DHS report. It's no small coincidence that Napolitano's agency disseminated the assessment just a week before the nationwide April 15 Tax Day Tea Party protests. The grassroots events organized by fiscal conservatives, independents, Libertarians and, yes, even some Blue Dog Democrats were fueled by the "current economic and political climate" of bipartisan profligate spending and endless taxpayer-funded bailouts. The growing success of the loose-knit movement has invited scorn, ridicule and fear-mongering from Obama's supporters. Liberal bloggers have likened the Tea Party movement to neo-Nazis, militias and even Weather Underground terrorists.
These attempts to demonize the Tea Party movement come on the heels of widespread conservative-bashing over the recent shooting sprees in Pittsburgh and Binghamton, N.Y. Taking Hillary Clinton's advice to "never waste a good crisis," left-wing pundits and analysts have blamed the tragedies on everyone from Rush Limbaugh to Fox News to the NRA.
The DHS spokespeople I talked to on Monday insisted that the report was not a politicized document and that DHS had done similar assessments on "left-wing extremism" in the past. But past domestic terrorism reports have always been very specific in identifying security threats -- such as the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front -- and very specific in identifying their methods and targets, including repeated physical harassment, arson and vandalism against pharmaceutical companies, farms, labs and university researchers.
By contrast, the Obama DHS report is an overarching indictment of conservatives. "Right-wing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures," the assessment warns. When I asked DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban to explain who was responsible for this "extremist chatter," she could not and would not name names.
Moreover, the report relies on the work of the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center to stir anxiety over "disgruntled military veterans" -- a citation that gives us valuable insight into how DHS will define "hate-oriented" groups. The SPLC, you see, has designated the venerable American Legion a "hate group" for its stance on immigration enforcement. The report offers zero data, but states with an almost resentful attitude toward protected free speech: "Debates over appropriate immigration levels and enforcement policy generally fall within the realm of protected political speech under the First Amendment, but in some cases, anti-immigration or strident pro-enforcement fervor has been directed against specific groups and has the potential to turn violent."
"Potential to turn violent"? So did the hysterical fervor whipped up by Capitol Hill over the AIG bonuses, which prompted ugly death threats from across the country. No mention here, though. Not "right wing" enough. Nor will you see Obama DHS warnings to police and sheriff's departments about self-proclaimed bank terrorists such as Bruce Marks of the aggressive Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America or the mob activists of ACORN who have committed burglary, stormed corporate executives' homes and vowed to conduct "civil disobedience" by "any means necessary" in response to the "current economic and political climate."
If you can redefine dissenting opinion as "hate," you can brand your political opponents as "extremists" -- and you can marginalize electoral threats. "Antigovernment"? "Pro-enforcement"? "Disgruntled"? Feeling taxed enough already and "recruiting" and "radicalizing" your friends and neighbors through "chatter on the Internet"?
We are all right-wing extremists now. Welcome to the club.
The left has created a new religion, a new god, and a new enemy. It will sweep aside all others.
I saw someone bit@hing about a leftwing report issued undre Bush and I started a search. It is here:
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/Leftwing_Extremist_Threat.pdf
The difference between the two is striking. The cybre crimes mentioned are highlighted by specifics and is much better written. They mention actual crimes and criminals, nit just citizens using the right to assemble, free speech, 2nd amendment etc.
Just saying.
I must learn to preview my posts, I apologize for my typing errors in the dark.
You might be ‘just saying’, but it tells us everything we need to know about the difference between a patriotic administration and a marxist one.
I concur wholeheartedly.
The American Thinker piece this morning is speaking to the Information Warfare aspect of this report. That is what I am more concerned with.
Referring to wxgesr’s link to the left wing post, is the lefts idea of fair and balanced. That report portrays the left as fuzzy and warm and non violent, while the current right wing report portrays conservatives as violent and terrorist. Fair and balanced, you know, both sides were equally represented, one is good and the other is bad.
Thye will not find the South so willing. We bend no knee to man.
LLS
I answer to Jesus first. I will have no other gods before him.
We have allowed a political class to develop. With very few exceptions, there is little difference between Republican and Democrats in government. The only solution is term limits for Congress. However, they will fight that tooth and nail because they do not want to lose their power.
LLS
AMEN
It always gets to me when they picture neo-nazis as “right wing”. The Nazis stood for central planning of the economy and industry, socialism, eugenics and class warfare; all of which came from the hard left progressive movement.
Conservatives are standing at the ‘Hot Gates’ as did the 300 so many years ago. What we do and how soon will be the subject of history books for generations to come. The whole world is watching us now to follow our lead.
It is sad that our country has come to this point. After the National Police Force is in place we are doomed to be nothing more then slaves to the ruling elite. This includes BOTH parties not just democrats.
Republicans have stood by for years and aided and abetted these fascists in the lust for power.
We need to remove our central banking system, centeralized education, centeralized energry policy centralized law enforcement, and return power to the states where it belongs.
If the power the Federal Government is using isn’t in the US Constitution the laws they have passed need to be repealed.
I guess this makes me a right-wing exteremist.
“When in the course of human events...........”
It won’t take four years, my FRiend. AS I type and post and you tead, it is well on the way. The first steps have already been taken. We are in what they called the “Phoney War” phrase during WWII. Soon obama will have his deciples and troops in place. Then he will strike. We are being warned as to what he intends to do on a daily basis. What will we do is the question.
Next, neighbors will be ratting on neighbors for their opposition to the ruling party.
Reference your post #16: Right On!
AMEN!,AMEN!, and AMEN!
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