American Extremist
This is just too good to pass up …
Extremist “patriot” groups and other armed militias have undergone a dramatic resurgence in America, their numbers more than doubling in the past year amid growing Right-wing fears over expanding federal power and gun control.
First, you say “extremist patriot groups” as if it’s a bad thing. Thomas Jefferson was in an extremist patriot group. Perspective, people.
Secondly … should we not be concerned with expanding federal power or gun control? Seems like perfectly reasonable subjects for concern if you ask me. It’s not as if expanding federal power is strictly off the menu here …
Such groups – a mix of libertarians, gun rights advocates and survivalists – appeared to be in terminal decline before the election of Barack Obama, according to monitoring bodies.
AKA: People I like to hang with …
The Southern Poverty Law Centre, which tracks extremist organisations, says it has so far counted more than 300 patriot groups this year, at least double last year’s total of 150. The real total will be much higher as many groups do not go out of their way to publicise their existence.
Yah, makes sense that groups of people annoyed at an ever-encroaching government aren’t going to go around wearing matching hats and trying to draw the attention of … an ever-encroaching government.
However, SPLC researchers said there was a new race factor reflecting President Obama’s ethnicity and immigration fears.
Ohferchrissakes here we go again …
Enlighten me … what’s this about race?
The groups themselves reject accusations of racism but agree that many members are deeply worried about gun control, are angered by the federal economic rescue packages, and are dismayed by government interference in areas such as health care. They voice frustration at what they perceive as America’s international decline.
This article would have you believe we have camo-hooded redneck klansman conducting military-style exercises deep in the woods with a bunch of cardboard Obama cut-outs as targets. Obviously ridiculous. The race card always is.
You know who they’re REALLY describing in that paragraph right there?
These guys. And I’m proud to be one of the millions who are angered by the rescue packages (which, by the way, didn’t exactly work as advertised), and dismayed by government interference in healthcare – an industry (really, ANY industry applies) where government has no business sticking their greedy little nose.
This author is writing all of this as if it’s scandalous. It’s not scandalous to be angry with the loss of personal liberty or the loss of a voice in your government. It’s not scandalous to horde ammo, or practice a survivalist lifestyle. What’s scandalous is that not enough people care about what’s going on.
One of the new patriot groups is called Oath Keepers. Its members, like those in other groups, look for guidance from America’s Founding Fathers.
FIND ‘EM AND HANG ‘EM HIGH! Extremist PSYCHOS!
Formed last spring, Oath Keepers’ members – limited to current or former servicemen and police – swear to obey the US constitution rather than politicians.
Clearly an unpalatable idea in the once great Britain.
He said: “The one thing that would probably lead [groups] to armed resistance is if the government did try to confiscate weapons, but that was what finally led to fighting in the American Revolution”.
Well, yeah. If armed “law enforcement” or even worse a UN-Led Interpol sweep started knocking on doors, you’d have a lot of dead Interpol workers by the curb ready to be hauled out with the neighborhood trash.
What’s interesting is that the author quite obviously plays up the sensationalism by inferring that any ideas like this are positively ludicrous. The Earth, however, is littered with the souls of innocent people who thought it “ridiculous” that their government would move to oppress them by force.
Mike Vanderboegh, a former militia leader and founder of a vociferous gun rights group called the Three Percenters, pointed to a huge increase in sales of ammunition, many of it to new gun owners.
“This is far larger than Obama. It speaks to an existential fear of societal collapse,” he said.
He said group members were looking for “practical self-defence”, whether from “predatory government or street-level crime“.
And protection from predatory government is one of the reasons the 2A exists. Street-level crime is something tens of thousands of people deal with every day in this country. So what’s the issue?
If the government carried out “another Waco” – the 1993 storming of a cult’s Texas ranch, in which 76 occupants died – “you’d see a reaction bloody beyond belief”, he added.
Wouldn’t surprise me one bit, either. But this administration is too gutless to initiate something like another Waco. There’d be nobody else to blame. They’d just as soon have an “international” force do it so they can stand back and shift blame if it’s an epic failure.
Mr Rhodes said: “I don’t want to take it for granted that the destruction of the republic can’t happen here.” He said he had also attacked encroaching federal power under the Bush administration, adding: “They’re refusing to acknowledge the fundamental American libertarian streak that says, ‘We don’t care who’s in power, we don’t like the expansion of executive power.’”
Exactly. Nail. Head. Whammo. Our esteemed politicians (and, apparently, authors of tripe like this article), are so quick to blame anything – ANYTHING – other than the obvious. It’ll be racism, extremists, gun-nuts, and every other name they can drum up. The reason for all of this increased anger at our government would never be the politicians. They’re just doing their jobs …
Finally, this gem:
Richard Poplawski, a Pittsburgh man who shot dead three police officers in April, complained to friends that the government was infringing gun rights.
He was also heard complaining that Snapple Iced Tea was too sugary. Maybe that’s the reason he shot dead three police officers … or … just maybe … he was a FARKING LUNATIC.
That is all.