Six Things You Should Know About the Homeland Security Report on ‘Rightwing Extremism’

Homeland Security Warns of Rise in Right-Wing Extremism

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment”, dated April 7, 2009, is apparently an unclassified summary of a larger classified report.

1. The summary contains few proper names, has no footnotes of any significance, lists very few sources, and is drafted with a prejudice against anyone who criticizes the role of the federal government in our lives today. It lumps together in its definition of “rightwing extremism” hate groups, anti-government groups, and single issue groups “such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

My guess is that the sentiments revealed in the report I read are the tip of an iceberg that the DHS would prefer to keep submerged until it needs to reveal it. This iceberg is the heavy-hand of government; a government with large and awful eyes, in whose heart there is no love for freedom, and on whose face there is no smile.

2. The document itself cautions the reader that the document is “not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know without prior approval” of the DHS. The document refers to itself as one of a series of intelligence assessments intended to “deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks against the United States.”

3. The thrust of this report is that in the present environment of economic instability, returning military veterans, those who fear of the loss of Second Amendment-protected rights, those threatened by an African-American president, and those who fear “Jewish ‘financial elites’” could all be a fertile breeding ground for groups whose power and ideas the government hates and fears.

After the progress from the Clinton years, I realized that things could get much worse. I guess they will shut down the Internet and other such outlets before going for guns. And not so long after that it will be against the law to hand deliver your own mail. You claim to be a good person, but before we let you drive the solar powered tricycle you first got to pass this lie detector test.

Thanks for the clarification.

I live “in the belly of the beast” (Seattle) here in Washington state. Plus I work in the energy business and that is a lightning rod for all sort of people, so I too know a bit about hostile lefties.

I’ve learned a few things in my years...one is that virtually every would-be bully lefty is in reality a coward. Like a stray mutt, you look them directly in the eye and they back down.

The O’bumbler is no different, except that he has a whole posse to do his dirty work. They are drunk with power right at the moment and are pushing their luck for all it’s worth. They are soon going to find that they can only push so far and then they’ll get pushed right back.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.