We all know that progressives have been getting agitated for the past couple of years over the many failures of the Obama administration to stand up on behalf of their issues, with good cause. Largely, it seems, the White House is choosing not to fight for key issues because they fear the right-wing noise machine and its ability to dictate the terms of the national discourse in their favor.
But there may be no area where the White House has been more cowardly than it has in dealing with domestic terrorism, where it has abjectly caved to the noise machine's angry complaints that trying to tackle right-wing extremism makes everyday conservatives look bad. The result: Americans are far more vulnerable to right-wing domestic terrorism and its lethal effects than they have been since at least the days of the Reagan administration -- particularly because that toxin has been dramatically on the rise since the day that Obama was elected president.
The Washington Post's R. Jeffrey Smith reported on this problem yesterday:
The Department of Homeland Security has stepped back for the past two years from conducting its own intelligence and analysis of home-grown extremism, according to current and former department officials, even though law enforcement and civil rights experts have warned of rising extremist threats.
The department has cut the number of personnel studying domestic terrorism unrelated to Islam, canceled numerous state and local law enforcement briefings, and held up dissemination of nearly a dozen reports on extremist groups, the officials and others said.
The decision to reduce the department’s role was provoked by conservative criticism of an intelligence report on “Rightwing Extremism” issued four months into the Obama administration, the officials said. The report warned that the poor economy and Obama’s election could stir “violent radicalization,” but it was pilloried as an attack on conservative ideologies, including opponents of abortion and immigration.
In the two years since, the officials said, the analytical unit that produced that report has been effectively eviscerated. Much of its work — including a digest of domestic terror incidents and the distribution of definitions for terms such as “white supremacist” and “Christian Identity” — has been blocked.
Multiple current and former law enforcement officials who have regularly viewed DHS analyses said the department had not reported in depth on any domestic extremist groups since 2009.
“Strategic bulletins have been minimal, since that incident,” said Mike Sena, an intelligence official in California who presides over the National Fusion Center Association, a group of 72 federally chartered institutions in which state, local and federal officials share sensitive information. “Having analytical staff, to educate line officers on the extremists, is critical.…This is definitely one area” where more effort is warranted by DHS.
We've addressed this very issue here previously, in the context of the sovereign citizens' movement and its lethal attacks on law-enforcement officers, most notably those horrifying cop killings in West Memphis, Arkansas:
The incident was yet another reminder that one of the most significant ongoing threats to law enforcement officers in this country comes from right-wing extremists of the Patriot/"sovereign citizen" variety -- people who take Republicans' government-bashing rhetoric to its illogical extreme and declare themselves free of federal laws and functionally laws unto themselves. There are constant reminders of this threat -- from the Hutaree Militia to the Richard Poplawskis out there.
Of course, we all were witness to the right-wing shrieking over that Department of Homeland Security bulletin warning police officers around the country about the nature of this resurgent threat. That's because conservatives are more concerned about whitewashing away these embarrassments than they are with the lives of police officers. They like to use dead cops as props to attack liberals while loudly arguing, as Glenn Beck did a couple years ago, that even paying attention to such right-wing threats is a smear of mainstream conservatives.
.... The unfortunate reality is that federal officials are almost certainly not sharing this vital intelligence with police officers because, whenever they do, they're viciously and loudly attacked by right-wing pundits for allegedly smearing mainstream conservatives. Amazingly, no one in the mainstream media seems to have yet cottoned to the fact that this really is a near-outright confession of complicity.
Indeed, domestic terrorism is sharply increasing in the past two years, as evidenced by the 22 incidents and counting we've documented involving right-wing extremists committing acts of violence against "liberals" and government targets.
But because right-wing talkers only want to discuss terrorism as a "Muslim" phenomenon, we're getting a badly skewed understanding of the nature of terrorism.
Ironically, this all is being explained away by the Obama administration as a civil-rights issue:
DHS’s caution or avoidance, as its critics claim, may partly stem from worries that aggressive intelligence operations could be seen as civil liberties violations. A DHS official explained that “unlike international terrorism, there are no designated domestic terrorist groups. Subsequently, all the legal actions of an identified extremist group leading up to an act of violence are constitutionally protected and not reported on by DHS.”
Seriously? There are "no designated domestic terrorist groups"? That's not only an astonishing assessment by a supposed domestic-terrorism official, it's outrageous.
Have these supposed terrorism experts never heard of the National Alliance, the folks who distribute literature promoting domestic terrorism as an avenue to fomenting race war, and one of whose members recently was responsible for attempting to bomb the MLK Day parade in Spokane? Or the Aryan Nations, one of the major conduits of domestic terrorism for the past 20 years and more in America?
Or, for that matter, how about the sovereign citizens movement, the subject of a recent 60 Minutes expose on the rising threat of right-wing domestic terrorism?
Indeed, since that piece ran, two more serious cases of violence involving "sovereign citizens" have made headlines -- but, the "liberal media" being what it is, only local headlines. In Ensley, Florida, a sovereign citizen shot up a local seafood market with an AK-47 because they didn't carry crawfish (!). And in Colorado, a father of 11 who claimed sovereign citizenship shut down the state Capitol for a day by terrorizing state officials with a fake-anthrax threat mailing -- one of their favorite tactics.
The threat of right-wing domestic has been steadily mounting, as we've documented here at C&L. Here's our map of the incidents so far:
Click on map to see interactive version.It's not only tragic that the Obama administration has -- out of apparent cowardice -- simply turned its back on this problem. It's also outrageous, considering that its own electoral base is often one of the chief targets of these crazies.
.. you don't have any affiliation with any organizations on THE International Terrorist Organizations list.
Which explains why the FBI has targetted anti-war activists in Minneapolis who travelled to Palestine or Colombia and (gulp) talked with people who are known to be associated with groups on THE LIST.
Thanks for the clarification.
On the other hand, consider how the right-wing gun lobbies' successful attempts to squelch background checks at gun shows have left the door wide open for al-Qaeda's operatives (as well as drug gangs) to have access to all the guns they want.
Brilliant strategy.
.. good grief ..
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
The reckless, incendiary invective used by the Right from the campaign to now has incited the unstable conservative base.
The bile spewed by Republicans is unprecedented in the modern era. They have the rubes convinced that the President is purposely hurting the nation. That he is a socialist, fascist, communist, Muslim, Kenyan radical. This gives the crazies ... of whom there seem to be plenty on the Right side ... the excuse they need to plan and take action against the President or anyone they deem as part of the government they despise.
Violence has already been done and sadly more can be expected.
beeryblog
Fighting a War on Ignorance
Exactly how should the situation be handled? Feed the paranoia by publicly targeting these groups? The Rand Paul solution? Colbert was brilliant on that one.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Should have just quietly gone about their business.
Wave a red flag in a racist's face and he'll attack you.
Duh!
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
In a most recent poll, 60% of Americans believe the GOP is better at dealing with the deficit than Dems and 50% think we should not raise the debt limit in spite of the fact that it will hurt the economy. That machine has been very successful at injecting opinions that fly in the face of the facts and are not in the best interest of the people holding them.
So you decide to compile a list of organizations and publicly brand them as terrorist organizations.Who gets to make that list? What then? Aren't you then obligated to take them down? How many Ruby Ridges or Wacos would you like? It is much better to quietly monitor and infiltrate such groups and prosecute provable criminal activity than to feed the paranoid delusions by direct confrontation.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
As it should be with similar foreign threats. There's no need for the fear. There's need for intelligence - in all meanings of that word. The problem is with the inconsistency. We're taught to fear the Muslim brown guy who makes bombs, but the blond patriot doing the same thing is no threat.
Obama's just sucking up to the corporate powers that be, not gonna make waves.
He's taking the easy way out and doing as he's told.
He's got his now, why care about anyone else?
It's way past time the populist left admit to ourselves we've been sold out.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
To that end, the must see:
From Naked Capitalism http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/06/liftin...
The original from Metanoi http://metanoia-films.org/compilations.php
You can download it!
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Domestic right wing terrorism is an enormous concern. However the small bat-shit crazies' groups are gnats.
The real right wing terrorist organization is the US government, the threat is domestic, it is world wide.
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Post script, I didn't vote for him.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
No one should be surprised - DHS was founded by the GOP after all and used extensively to terrorize US citizens into going along with massive incvasions of privacy, not to mention backing illegal wars.. Why should they report on the groups that are going to do their work for them (eliminate Democrats).
http://www.thealders.net/blogs
Just call me Dazed & Confused
So DHL is an arm of the republicani?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
DHL? Not sure what sending packages around the world has to do with the GOP.
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
The problem is not with the Administration. The problem is you lefties. You need to drop your expectations. This is the best we can get. Rahm Emanuel told you so.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
not a good one - but a reason.
Since most of these domestic terrorist groups are white supremacist's, it's difficult in these times for the FIRST black President, and the FIRST black AG, to press against white groups too hard.
Yes, both know that the groups would gladly kill them and their families, but there has been such a huge bullshit outcry about 'reverse racism' (from Beck, Rush, etc.), that maybe they're afraid to bring this issue to the front burner until or unless something horrible happens.
They managed to avoid the potential horror show on MLK Day in Spokane, Washington.
They're hoping they can continue to do so.
I think it's a fools errand.
But I try, whenever people overly criticize Obama, to look at it from his perspective as the FIRST black President.
Maybe. as such, he feels, and not without reason in my opinion, that he has to do certain things, and act certain ways, lest we never have another one.
Maybe I'm wrong.
I look forward to the feedback from all of the commenters.
That's why it's all the more important for the FBI / DHS to grow a pair and fight back against RWT.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
I guess DHS is okay with ignoring all the Islamic extremist stings the FBI has pulled off lately as well.
"The greatest threat to freedom of thought is intellectual cowardice." -George Orwell, 1946
http://christianfearinggodman.blogspot.com
Tea Party populism
The only difference is getting off ones ass.
"Better." It's what we should ask of ourselves and of our leaders.
A nutcase shoots up a store because they had no mudbugs.
If the sole method of analysis used is teh Google Alert, then this is an example of "political terrorism" because "crime" and "right wing" or "sovereign citizen" appeared in the same local newspaper article. Apparently that's all it takes. No kidding: shooting up a store because they had no mudbugs was a political act, because even if a person is gonzo looney tunes, it's the politics that cause the "terrorism" not the mental health issues.
So lets start investigating people based on their politics, and to heck with those silly "constitutional" issues. Can you imagine if this "terrorist movement" expands? Oh Noes! There are millions of supermarkets that don't carry crawfish! Soon, your children will be killed in their beds by those dastardly Krayfish Killers! That would be the KK folks.
Can we really afford to wait until they add another K?
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Claearly anyone with a brain can see the different between the terrorism that is Krayfish Killing compared to the mere criminality that is Mudbug Murder.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
President Obama has demonstrated that he will give away any ground to avoid conflict. He stands for nothing. He is little more than a seat warmer for the next President. Name one important issue he has fought for. He has maintained all of Bush's over-reaches for the Executive Branch. He has caved repeatedly to the voices on the right. Anything the Democrats have achieved since January '09 has been because of what Peloisi did as Speaker. If he had fought and lost every battle, at least he would have fought and gained some respect, and likely learned some political skills. But, he simply doesn't have the political skills necessary, even when he had both Houses.
http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
We still have 50k + soldiers in Iraq, the Afghanistan war has been ramped up, we have a remote control war in Pakistan, we have an air + CIA war in in Libya, there was no public option and no real cost control in the health care reform, Gitmo is still open, NOBODY has been prosecuted for war crimes (in fact, you can make a good argument that the current administration is now complicit in war crimes as well), unemployment is still high, taxes for billionaires are lower than ever, corporate tax cuts are going to get slashed, the housing crisis is still reverberating, we are involved in Libya. But wait, we have Lilly Leddbetter! Everything is fine!
Is it really that difficult for these terrorists to keep their hands off the Ding Dongs and Cheetos?
What's their motto? Flaccid for Freedom?
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
This is simply government cowards unwilling to stand up against antigovernment cowards.
When someone says to you that the men and women of the FBI, DHS, ATF, etc. are heros you will know you are talking to an idiot. The FBI never has a problem profiling liberals, blacks, unionist, gays, women and even the elderly, yet, they refuse to stand up against the real threats to our democracy. That is nothing more than seeking low hanging fruit.
Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
Time for the DHS and the FBI to buck up and find some courage.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Why are people surprised this president has once again shown his lack of a spine. As amatter of fact, he's a coward, in my book. These are the same people who attacked Bill Ayers and tried to tie Obama to the Weathergroud, something that happened over 40 yrs ago. Then they attacked Jeremiah Wright as a terrorist. Yet the people who really are the domestic terrorist are no longer an issue. The Shirley Sherrod firing should have been the final clue of Obama's cowardace. He had this woman fired because he was afraid of what that damned nutcase Glenn Beck would say, how sad was that.
Once again we see this White House kneel at the feet of the right and their attack machine. If we progressives are to try and mount any kind of defense against these cowards, we have to face the fact the coward in the White House is not our ally, and has no stomach for a fight, PERIOD!!!!. This man is pathetic. For those who are still waiting for that miracle to happen, and expect Obama to grow a pair and fight back against the unprecedented attacks on his administration, you need to wake the hell up and get a freaking clue. This guy is no fighter, he's no leader, and he seemingly has no principles he's not willing sacrifice at the altar of political expediency.
Although I voted for the man, I was a skeptic from the get go. I'm really sorry I was right.
Well, at least he is not the source of the problem. He is just having problems dealing with the problem - republicans, and the gutless among the Democrats.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Maybe the DHS / FBI should start looking at Right Wing Terrorists for the 2001 anthrax killings that were aimed at Democrats.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Seeing that law enforcement has been, in essence, hamstrung by highly paced right wingers who will never investigate, or prosecute, their own kind, I suppose we'll just have to depend on such groups as the Southern Poverty Law Center to do the job for us.
BTW, I pay dues every year to the SPLC, and I am proud to support them.
Obama is a fucking pussy. End of story.
"Oooooh, Fox News, Matt Drudge, Andrew Breitbart and Rush Limbaugh might say mean things about me, so I won't uphold my Constitutional duties! They're SO scary!"
What a bunch of bullshit. This shit is hopeless.
Just 'Cos You Got the Power...THAT DON'T MEAN YOU GOT THE RIGHT!
I'm sure you'll do a lot better when president. :)
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
will have none of it. Obama will not dare to upset the demands of the DC cocktail circuit to genuflect to the desires of the right wing rage machine. They just love them some tea party.
aceshigh said it best.
What part of the FBI's job do you want this Bush bureaucracy to usurp?
We are Homeland Security. We must duplicate. If not, we will complain to the press.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
You always find a way to spin the failures of the Obama administration don't you? You do realize the DHS kept local law enforcements abreast of the situation of domestic terrorism. But they don't even do that anymore, there has been basically zero reports since the one in 2009 where conservatives whined and Janet caved.
Got to perpetuate the Moslem scaregoat model to fit the narrative. 911 was hatched by goat herders in remote Afghanistan and buildings don't collapse like a controlled demolition. Israel never attacked the USS Liberty.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/06/08/chica...
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