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Right-wing bloggers are up in arms about a Department of Homeland Security report (PDF) leaked on Monday that urges a careful watch over right-wing militias in light of increasing economic uncertainty, the election of the nation’s first African-American president and possibility of more stringent gun control laws. Though the report never mentions the words conservative, Republican, federalist or even tea party, the reaction by some on the right gives the impression that the document was talking about them and the upcoming tea party protests.
The report summary says:
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.
During the Bush administration, Twin Cities vegan potluck dinners were the targets of suspected terrorism, as were environmental groups, gay rights activists and PETA. One of the biggest criticisms of the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of 9/11 was that it was quickly becoming politicized. Now, the shoe seems to be on the other foot.
Minnesota Majority, a conservative interest group, seems to find a link between the tea parties and the right-wing militias in the DHS document. Quoting the report, Minnesota Majority wrote, “‘The historical election of an African American president and the prospect of policy changes are proving to be a driving force for rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalization.’ The rise of the national ‘Tea Party’ protest movement may be considered a part of this radicalization and recruitment,” said Minnesota Majority. “Joining policy-focused organizations like Minnesota Majority, the NRA or the Taxpayers League could also be construed in this way.”
The group continued, “At more than one point in the report, opposition to illegal immigration is linked to racism, xenophobia or white supremacy. It is a document clearly written by people with a strong ideological bent of their own and unfortunately, this report was crafted by employees of the federal government, on government time for official government purposes and was bought and paid for by us, the US taxpayers.”
The DHS report talks at length about groups promoting racism and xenophobia, but bloggers say that rallying against illegal immigration is not racist or xenophobic.
“The report seems to suggest that opposition to illegal immigration equates to white supremacy and is symptomatic of ‘right-wing radicalization,’” wrote Minnesota Majority.
On the contrary, Tea Party organizers suggest their event is open to all, regardless of race or ideology.
“We just got Barb Davis White on board, so that’s exciting,” state coordinator Toni “No Bologny” Backdahl told KTLK’s Chris Baker (MP3). “And I’m doing some outreach now to see if I can’t get a diverse crowd so I can prove we’re not racist! We’re across the board.”
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4 Comments »
Comment posted April 14, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
According to its website in February, 2009, “FreedomWorks is now working with other groups to plan a massive, nationwide tea party protest day for Tax Day on April 15th, 2009″
This type of corporate ‘astroturfing‘ is nothing new to either organization. While working to promote Social Security privatization, Freedom Works was caught planting one of its operatives as a “single mom” to ask questions to President Bush in a town hall on the subject. Last year, the Wall Street Journal exposed Freedom Works for similarly building “amateur-looking” websites to promote the lobbying interests of Dick Armey, the former Republican Majority Leader who now leads Freedom Works and is a lobbyist for the firm DLA Piper.
Americans for Prosperity is run by Tim Phillips, who was Ralph Reed’s former partner in the lobbying firm Century Strategies. The group is funded by Koch family foundations — a family whose wealth is derived from the oil industry. Indeed Americans for Prosperity has coordinated pro-drilling ‘grassroots‘ events around the country.
Atlantic.com, April 13, 2009
The “tea party” anti-tax movement is not as spontaneous as its organizers would like you to think. Chris Good writes, “Here is the organizational landscape of the April 15 tea party movement, in a nutshell: three national-level conservative groups, all with slightly different agendas, are guiding it. All are quick to tell you that the movement is a bottom-up affair and that its grassroots cred is real. They are: FreedomWorks, the conservative action group led by Dick Armey; dontGO, a tech savvy free-market action group that sprung out of last August’s oil-drilling debate in the House of Representatives; and Americans for Prosperity, an issue advocacy/activist group based on free market principles. Conservative bloggers, talk show hosts, and other media figures have attached themselves to the movement in peripheral capacities. Armey will appear at a major rally in Atlanta, FreedomWorks said. All three groups vehemently deny that the movement is a product of AstroTurfing — fake grassroots activism organized from the top down — as some on the left have claimed.”
Comment posted April 15, 2009 @ 2:50 am
Interesting to see the radical right being watched by the government. The Justice Department and Homeland Security know that there are (and have always been) links between radical right-wing groups and the Klan, the John Birch Society and various white supremacist groups, including the American Nazi Party.
The anti-immigration movement is full of haters and racial supremacy theorists. These kooks need to be under surveilance. They are a threat to democracy and to the future of America.
Comment posted April 15, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
RE: EK’s comments…Funny you should mention the John Birch Society. The insane one, Glenn Beck, seems to be a Bircher supporter. I just read last night that he has been pushing some book by a now deceased Bircher (can’t remember his name). That book I believe talks about some conspiracy for a one world order.
These people are kooks, and they need to be under surveillance. They’re a threat, no doubt!
Comment posted April 18, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
Conservatives Are America’s Greatest Threat
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a new warning about the grave threat to America now being posed by Right-Wing extremist groups. Many Republican and Conservative political flacks have voiced strong objections to this warning by the DHS about the current very real threat of potential domestic terrorism.
Well, here is what the Southern Poverty Law Conference (Klan Watch), the leading monitor of American domestic terrorism, has to say about the matter:
“As you may recall, we’ve recently documented 926 hate groups operating in the U.S. These organizations are being fueled by immigration fears, the faltering economy, and the racist backlash to the election of President Obama.
Now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has just issued a new alert warning of the dangers posed by these hate groups. It says that “white supremacist lone wolves” and “small terrorist cells embracing violent rightwing extremist ideology” are currently the most significant domestic terrorism threat.
With your help, we’re fighting these groups every day by tracking and exposing their activities. We’re also training law enforcement officers and making sure they have the latest and best intelligence on these dangerous extremists.
And we’ve warned the Pentagon about extremists who have infiltrated the armed services. No one, of course, can forget the deadly toll of the Oklahoma City bombing by Gulf War veteran, Timothy McVeigh.”
Many Republicans and Conservatives dismiss these threats, and object to the alerts now being issued by the DHS. No wonder Conservatives have become either worthless or dangerous, or both.
Please visit my Blog: “Conservatives Are America’s Real Terrorists”
http:/conservativesarecommunistss.blogspot.com/
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