Today’s example? The explosive increase in the rate of hate groups on the right this last year as reported in a study conducted by The Southern Poverty Law Center (via Think Progress):
The radical right caught fire last year, as broad-based populist anger at political, demographic and economic changes in America ignited an explosion of new extremist groups and activism across the nation. […]
Hate groups stayed at record levels — almost 1,000 — despite the total collapse of the second largest neo-Nazi group in America. Furious anti-immigrant vigilante groups soared by nearly 80%, adding some 136 new groups during 2009. And, most remarkably of all, so-called “Patriot” groups — militias and other organizations that see the federal government as part of a plot to impose “one-world government” on liberty-loving Americans — came roaring back after years out of the limelight. […]
“We are in the midst of one of the most significant right-wing populist rebellions in United States history,” Chip Berlet, a veteran analyst of the American radical right, wrote earlier this year. “We see around us a series of overlapping social and political movements populated by people [who are] angry, resentful, and full of anxiety. They are raging against the machinery of the federal bureaucracy and liberal government programs and policies including health care, reform of immigration and labor laws, abortion, and gay marriage.” […]
[L]ast year … a dramatic resurgence in the Patriot movement and its paramilitary wing, the militias, began. Now, the latest SPLC count finds that an astonishing 363 new Patriot groups appeared in 2009, with the totals going from 149 groups (including 42 militias) to 512 (127 of them militias) — a 244% jump.
Well we all remembered what happened the last time the militia movement was surging, don’t we? It ended up with the largest domestic terrorist attack in our nation’s history.
So, I wonder why the sudden rise of “hate groups” and “patriot militias” happened — again? Hmmm. Lets see.
1st African American with funny sounding “furrin” name ever elected as President. Check.
Crazy lunatic given media platforms to preach revolution spread lies that said President is a (take your pick) Fascist, Socialist, Marxist, White hater who wants to steal your guns, raise your taxes and let Muslim terrorists date your daughters, etc. Check.
Republicans in Congress have gone to unprecedented lengths to obstruct passage of legislation to provide health care reform and job creation, and have blamed the Democrats for this fact, all while adopting the rhetoric of said crazy lunatic mouthpiece. Check.
So-called Liberal Mainstream News Media adopts talking points of Republicans and Industry lobbyists opposed to President Obama’s policies and Democratic reforms. Check.
See why I am not surprised.
.
That “fearless young conservative firebrand” Jason Mattera [sorry for link – Oui] responds to the NYT The Caucus blog article by Kate Zernike – CPAC Speaker Bashes Obama, in Racial Tones.
The state of politics just deteriorates, there isn’t an ounce of respect or decency left towards the U.S. President Barack Obama. In The Netherlands, a similar deterioration can be witnessed in Parliament, calling cabinet ministers liars in an open debate. The hard right turn of voters towards populism is very worrying.
Geert Wilders stance on Islamization of Europe and his infatuation with Israel in mind. ADL on Wilders’ hate speech.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Populism used to be Left, not Right. The fact that populists are turning right illustrates the failure of the left to be true to their principles. Instead the Left has been seduced by the Corporate State.
populism used to be left? populists aren’t turning right?
populism is some kind a moving machine steered by a group of people who move left or right based on who’s supporting the corporate state, as your comment implies.
no. American populism is a fantasy and, now, a media caricature.
Lawrence’s Spirit of Place might be instructive here.
Now, American Radicalism, American Dissent…we can talk about that.
American Non Sequitor-ism.
The Tea Party and the Republicans were not the only groups actively engaged in the racist anti-Obama activities. The other people worked behind the scenes and have been even more effective. This group is composed of most of the Congressional Senate Democrats. These folks would never reveal their inherent racialist feelings to the public, rather they use the arcane stalling procedures that the Senate is famous for. Most of the members of the Democratic Senate Caucus were convinced that Obama’s Presidential bid would fail, and when he won they unexpectedly found themselves in total agreement with the Republican Senators that Obama must be a one term president. So even with an initial majority of 60 votes in the Senate, the Democratic Senate Caucus has introduced unexplained manipulative delays to deny Obama any legislative success.
Obama’s mistake was picking Joe Biden to be his point man in the Senate, so he was forced to rely on Reid to move the Obama legislation through the Senate. Early on Obama’s presidental campaign it was obvious that Obama could not claim any support or sympathy from Harry Reid, and thus far he has not received any. But Harry Reid is not the only racialistically motivated Democrat in the Senate Caucus, and now one year later the situation is unchanged.