Researcher sees a “dangerous” and significant shift by right-wing militia groups

The history of ​movements against the U.S. government has deep roots on both the left and the right. Rachel Kleinfeld of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has covered the history of anti-government movements around the world.

Kleinfeld joins Reality Check’s John Avlon to discuss a dangerous shift happening in the U.S. as right-wing militia movements are rallying against the government to defend former president Donald Trump.

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The one thing that terrifies White nationalists is what makes America great
Opinion by Dean Obeidallah

The horrific attack in Buffalo this weekend by an 18-year-old White gunman that left 10 people dead was, per the local sheriff, a "straight up racially motivated hate crime." The US Department of Justice backed up that view. They said they're investigating the mass shooting at a grocery store frequented mostly by Black customers "as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism."

What motivated the killer? While the investigation is in the early stages, a manifesto obtained by CNN, attributed to the suspect, expressed resentment that the White population in the United States is dwindling in size.

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69 comments

    1. @Maharajji NKB all of this evidence and not one positive outcome on a court case! You know, I realize you trolls have to go where your needed, but its never occurred to you that your backing the wrong side?

    2. @David Matejka I was devout Democrat until Hillary. So it shows that bad. Never could hide my feelings. Have a great day

    1. @ Jason M I’ve already stated that I’m English and live in the Isle of Man. We don’t get Fox. But tell me, what is it precisely that had been “debunked”?

    2. @ first “gop inbred hillbillies” last I’ve seen a video of an IRS agent talking about training them to use guns. It showed them on a range, practising. Perhaps you view media via a very narrow lens.

    3. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

      “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39.

    1. @Ava G reagan caused a lot of damage. I’ve despised “conservatives ” ever since he accepted help from Iran to defeat President Carter.

  1. Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.
    1. Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
    2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower’s mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused–as that person’s involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
    3. Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as “persecution”.
    4. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
    5. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
    6. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.
    7. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
    8. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
    9. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
    10. Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.
    From Cult Education Web Site

  2. “With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil – that takes religion.” Steven Weinberg
    I think this can be expanded a bit today when so many people on the right have interlaced their religious beliefs with their political beliefs. This is the heart of Christian nationalism and Christian fascism that appears to be gaining a lot of followers in our country. The fusing of religious and political beliefs is a very dangerous and volatile concoction.

  3. People need to look at the circumstances of a violent tomorrow and decide which innocents are they willing to sacrifice beside themselves. Parents, children, siblings, grandparents, extended relatives, the elderly, the public servants, public resources and infrastructure are all bound to lose from a civil conflict. What of those who gave their all for us to move out of the dark days and into the light of truth and democracy. Have we forgotten how compromise has been our key to becoming who we are.

    1. @There’s gold in these comments They’re the curvy ones that spit in your drink when your back’s turned. Bottom’s up!

    2. @alex nifong Yea, probably the type who claim to be Navy Seals and racked up 20 sniper kills when in fact they were some supply sgt sitting behind a desk at Bragg.

  4. Thank your for making more in-depth analyses like these. It’s much better than the constant, nauseating coverage of all-things Trump.

  5. Living here in Texas I still hear disdain for government officials over the Waco raid. A lot of people side with Koresh but what they miss is the bigger picture of why the raid happened. They, the Branch Davidians, were supposed to be a ‘peaceful’ group but instead Koresh, just like Warren Jeffs, used it to sleep with girls as young as 11 years old. When Koresh would go on one of his rants he would preach about end times and how they need to take up arms to defend themselves. He had armed guards on patrols on the compound daily. If you can find some of his music he wrote he even described himself as a ‘madman living in Waco.’ The guy was completely anti-government and used his followers and ‘church’ as a front to do his dirty work. I just shake my head and walk away when I hear people defending what Koresh did against federal agents. Not saying they couldn’t have gone about it a different way, because they could’ve. But what Koresh did leading up to what happened is not excusable.

    1. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

      “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39.

  6. The saddest part to me, is seeing regular people in Oklahoma talking about “civil war” like we didn’t just have the largest domestic terror attack ever in April of 1995. The absolute disconnect in these people’s heads is inconceivable.

    1. @Frau Hulda – “JUST? Ummmm 27 years ago isn’t something ANYONE would use that phrase for…..
      I mean….WHAT?! That’s almost 2 GENERATIONS ago ….”

      What? Were you having children when you were 12? 20-30 years is 1 “family” generation. Even 1 “social” generation is 15-20 years. So, I don’t understand your comment!? 🤷🏽‍♂

    1. lol these replies to your comment perfectly illustrate the average cognition of authoritarian right folks

  7. Being well acquainted with people involved with the 60s and 70s movements, I know there is a big difference between then and now.

    Yes there was violence and violent rhetoric in those earlier groups, but by far the major tactic of protest was marching and sit-ins. Public voices were Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, Rachel Carson and Carl Sagan. Mean people and paranoia were considered dangerous. Education and belief in facts or necessary components of a functional society. Donations primarily went to conservation movements. The major through line of the earlier movements was a desire for a better, more egalitarian democracy and taking care of an Earth so it can take care of us.

    The groups today march with with Confederate and Nazi paraphernalia and shout racist chants, block the streets and surround government buildings carrying assault style weapons and often use them. Their leaders spout Christian nationalism, push to ban freedoms while crying they have none. These groups on the right listen to propaganda and paranoia from Fox News and support the likes of Alex Jones and Rush Limbaugh by buying snake oil and fear mongered survival kits. They show unfettered adulation of fascist and autocratic leaders like Orban and Putin to the extent of having them the keynote speakers of their conventions. And they give and give and give money to the people who work against saving the Earth and preach starting a civil war to destroy American democracy.

    At least back then most of the rabble rousers believed democracy topped fascism and were working to save an Earth where people were educated, inclusive and kind and would study war no more.

    1. The difference from the 60’s/70’s: Cellphones are nothing but spies in your pocket and there’s surveillance camera’s everywhere. And back then, no Internet, no keyboard warriors like today.

    2. @Paul Whitcomb In those days, if you threw a cherry bomb at a courthouse, the FBI called it a bombing. If a planted bomb failed to detonate, it was a bombing. Set a trash can on fire: ARSON! The Government was terrified by what they saw in the streets back then and went to great lengths to stop it. Conversely, they say a government’s primary concern should be protecting the citizenry, so in part, I couldn’t blame them. But this story’s attempt to compare the Vietnam War era left with today’s radical right is a false equivalency. Back then, the US Government lied us into Vietnam with a Gulf of Tonkin resolution based on dubious info regarding an attack by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on the USS Maddox. I doubt if we’ll ever know whether or not the Maddox was in North Vietnam’s territorial waters, a topic beyond the scope of this comment, especially considering today’s general consensus: the US fought an illegal war in the interests of American’s corporations and killed a recent estimate of three-million Vietnamese in the process. Call me crazy, but in retrospect, I think the protests against the war were entirely justified. Many of those protests were tied to the Civil Rights Movement too, making anti-establishment protest mandatory then in my opinion. Yes, those were heady days, but to compare that era to today’s unwarranted atmosphere of imaginary grievance, pointless violence and civil war posturing makes me ill. So how does one compare then and now? It simply can’t be done, not honestly. Any attempt to do so is at best a stretch and at worst the worst kind of click baiting.

  8. “The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’” Edward R. Murrow, 9-March-1954. Murrow said these words in reference to Joseph McCarthy. But they are equally apt today.

    1. Gee when is not knowing what they do a failure to study topics so every person has content to know what is known can be known…and the persons who are least capable are held hostage to stupid by inexplicable adults.

  9. All these groups members information should be made public once a person involved with them is identified.
    Neighbors should know the dangers around them. Employers should be given access to that information for the betterment and safety of work environments.
    Parents should know what influences might be trying to coach public sports or social groups in the area.
    These guys hate America and want to shape it into some warped version of it that they fetish over wrapped in the same flag.
    Everyone should know who these traitors are.

    1. You are asking to shun people from society because they disagree with your beliefs. And you think you’re not the problem? LOL

  10. Left wing violence is usually involved with protesting injustices, which doesn’t make it right, but right wing violence is in favor of removing barriers to injustice in favor of their ideology.

  11. The expert lady suggests that the way we deal with this problem is to reach out and try to understand the people on the right. The problem I have with that is we already tried that several years ago and it didn’t help. And furthermore, I believe liberals do now understand the people on the right pretty well. They are seeking to overthrow our liberal democracy And apparently they will stop at nothing to do that. So my question now is how do we deal with that reality?

  12. I understand the whole reach out to try and understand the other side pitch, problem is the right NO LONGER operate in reality and have no desire to come back to it either. Sometimes, the whole both sides’ opinions matter simply doesn’t apply. The only thing that applies is the truth no matter how much you dislike it. When one side refuses the truth despite universal evidence, you can’t work with that, and their alternate reality shouldn’t be given a breath

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