Friday, June 19, 2015

What Is The Problem?


Just in case anyone is wondering if my recent posts were about gun control as the solution to the wave of violence that has become the new "American Exceptionalism", let me be clear.

The problem is not merely the readily available weapons for those who shouldn't have them. It is about the far Right culture of hate, incessantly scapegoating and demonizing peaceful fellow Americans.   

The hate cult of the far Right blames liberals and blacks for almost every problem. They are as tenacious in their scapegoating as the fascists of the previous century were. Instead of Jews and Communists, the subjects of their hate are liberals and African Americans. 

The Radical Right Bubble Cult is a cauldron of racism, authoritarianism, and hate. 

The deep racism that lurks in the hearts of so many Americans is nurtured by the far Right. Everyone knows blacks and liberals are the targets of their hate. The Right Wing Terrorists have told us so in their own words. 

So what is the problem, if not gun control?

The problem is tolerance. 

For too long moderates, conservatives and liberals have tolerated the open hate from the far Right.

As I said previously, there is a great institutionalized evil upon our land that desires this mentality. Who feeds into this hate and paranoia? Who is intent on dividing us?

FOX News and talk radio have been working nonstop as propagandists for the far Right. They wrap their hate in the flag as they hoist their Bibles in arrogant certainty of their moral superiority.

I have to wonder if these authoritarian thugs hate Blacks and liberals more than ISIS. They seem to go out of their way to spew more venom in our direction.

And speaking of the threat of radical Muslim terrorists, Let's compare that threat to the threat from the radical American Right.

Before 9-11 the deadliest terrorist attack on the country was committed by a Right wing, anti-government Christian. It happened in Oklahoma City.

McVeigh admitted to holding the "core beliefs" of a Christian.

Since 9-11, who do you suppose has killed more Americans, Muslim extremists or Right wing extremists?

A recent New York Time article has some answers.

Despite public anxiety about extremists inspired by Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, the number of violent plots by such individuals has remained very low. Since 9/11, an average of nine American Muslims per year have been involved in an average of six terrorism-related plots against targets in the United States. Most were disrupted, but the 20 plots that were carried out accounted for 50 fatalities over the past 13 and a half years.

In contrast, right-wing extremists averaged 337 attacks per year in the decade after 9/11, causing a total of 254 fatalities, according to a study by Arie Perliger, a professor at the United States Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center. The toll has increased since the study was released in 2012.

Other data sets, using different definitions of political violence, tell comparable stories. The Global Terrorism Database maintained by the Start Center at the University of Maryland includes 65 attacks in the United States associated with right-wing ideologies and 24 by Muslim extremists since 9/11. The International Security Program at the New America Foundation identifies 39 fatalities from “non-jihadist” homegrown extremists and 26 fatalities from “jihadist” extremists.

- From The Growing Right-Wing Terror Threat

The hate from the radicalized far Right is not only destroying what democracy we have left, but it poses the greatest domestic terrorism threat to Americans.

This rabid ideology is dangerous, criminal in intent, and should not be tolerated any longer.

Unfortunately we can’t count on corporate media to focus on this. They are under the thumb of corporate interests who’d rather not expose the threat that emanates from the fringes of the Republican Party base.

These radicalized extremists claim to be conservatives. They are not. They are as radical as any extremist can be.

Where is the "personal responsibility" on the Right, to disavow the "take our country back" and the "Liberals hate America" crap, to cease the endless accusations, demonization, blaming and scapegoating? 

While liberals say there are other ways and ideas, the far Right attacks them personally, and as a group, and offer neither solutions nor compromise . Liberals and blacks have been literal targets for their hate. 

Look at the frickin' body count!! Do conservatives see this as a necessary human sacrifice to sustain some sick view of American Exceptionalism? 

Where to start? How about that damn flag that adorns the terrorist's car and still flies over the State House in South Carolina?

Who really thinks that symbol represents any good will or equality for African Americans? 

We’ve often heard from the Right, “Where are the Muslim moderates speaking out against the extremists? 

Let me turn it to them and now ask, Where are the conservative voices against extremists of the far Right? Can we count them on more than one hand?

They are either with them or against them. What are we to presume by their silence?

5 comments:

Jerry Critter said...

God and guns -- a very dangerous combination.

Dave Dubya said...

God and guns are the divisive buzzwords that the far Right employs to divide and conquer. Let's add hate and scapegoating to that formula.

Many liberals are both firearm owners and Christians, and not all Democrats are out to repeal the Second Amendment and seize all firearms.

The propagandists will not admit this and will not compromise. They are clinging to their "Second Amendment remedies" as an alternative method of opposition to democratically elected officials.

Guns are more important than democracy to them. MOST Americans approve of universal background checks to buy firearms. Loopholes are there, and will continue because of the NRA's minority position, but overwhelming political influence.

Personally, I feel the Amendment is outdated. Militias are a thing of the past and exist only as vestiges of far Right paranoia.

Look at how well militias have worked out in "Iraqi Freedom". The American militia nuts consider their Iraqi counterparts the enemy, despite the fact they are doing exactly what they would do if occupied by a foreign power.

Those racist nuts consider Obama a foreign power, which makes them the paranoid sociopaths and disturbed individuals who shouldn't be armed.

While we can't expect to reason with that mentality, we can call them out for what they are.

Jefferson's Guardian said...

Don't you love how the far Right is claiming that the massacre at the church in South Carolina was actually an attack against Christianity?...and how the right-wing echo-chamber is pandering to their neofascist audience with this twisted lie?

Racism is alive, and thrives, in America...

Darrell Michaels said...

Roof is a racist and a killer. I strongly condemn his disguting attitudes and evil actions. This opiate user should never have been given a firearm for a birthday present from his father.

I am for background checks to ensure the felons, domestic abusers, and the mentally unstable do not legally acquire firearms. That said, the more motivated among them will still find a way to get a gun. Because of that, I want to ensure that I always have my second amendment right to protect myself and my loved ones.

As for the confederate flag over the South Carolina capitol and all government property, I agree with you Dave. They need to be taken down. Now.

All of that said, I know of white Christian Conservatives that went to Charleston to pray for those good people that were killed. They went to show love and solidarity, in contrast to what the leftist media would have us believe. One of them was even a "right wing talk show host".

Charleston showed the nation how love can overcome such evil hatred. I hope the people of Baltimore and Ferguson are watching.

Dave Dubya said...

I just thanked the governor of South Carolina.

Note that I have never called the racist killer a conservative. I'm happy to see conservatives distancing their politics from that of the far Right hate cult.

It would be great if this could become a trend in reducing the disproportionate influence of those who are neither liberal nor conservative, but of the fringes and of the elites.

Yeah, it's still just a dream.