Several weeks ago the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security released a report – coordinated with the FBI – that examined the potential threats from right-wing extremist groups where it concerns domestic, homegrown terrorism.
The open and constant instigators of the sort of violence described in the report populate, like so many mutating viruses, talk radio and television and operate with complete impunity hiding, as they do, behind the guarantees of the First Amendment – guarantees that they, swine like Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Boortz, et al, have no problem denying rational people.
During the presidential campaign normal Americans were able to watch on the evening news the spear point of this right-wing hate at more than one McCain/Palin rally. The shrieks and screams of “kill him” from the Republican herd in attendance and the repeated references by the candidates – especially the always-on-the-lookout-for-nearby-Demons – Sarah Palin – to the “Socialist” Barack Obama got the attention of federal law enforcement to the extent it was one of the reasons the report was compiled.
In addition to incitements and urgings from these right-wing political and mainstream media morons, there also came – and still are coming – the claims from the weirdest and dankest holes in the blogosphere, the deep rat warrens where readers of Newsmax, NewsBusters and other collections of neo-Nazi rants, can come together to rub vigorously each other’s, um, reptilian fears and stroke each other’s faux bravery as they plot their “counterrevolutionary” tactics and strategies. It’s a real zoo, populated as it is by cowards, blowhards, Limbots, and wretched crazy people, all clawing in the Web-based muck for some, any, recognition from their fellow nut-balls. Hence, the over-the-top rhetoric in the foaming, near-incoherent plethora of blog sites.
One of the highlights of the report was a section dealing with the possibility of returning veterans – soaked in combat stress, the exhortations from Jesus-is-God-so-kill-the Muslims military chaplains, and a toxic stew of right-wing hysterics broadcast incessantly by Armed Forces Radio – being recruited by right-wing extremists who will try to “radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.” It was this section that caught the attention of an entire pod of right-wing media crazies. One of the more vocal was columnist and right-wing drooler Michelle (Maglalang) Malkin who insisted that this report was an open attack on our “returning war heroes” engineered entirely by the US-hating Socialist Barack Obama and the undercover foreign agents that now sit in his cabinet.
She was not the only one, of course. All the prominent (and more than a few of the lesser nut balls) leaders of the right-wing toxic waste dump we know as “conservative” talk radio seized on this report as yet another reason Obama was a threat to the nation and, gee, we better get ready because next he’ll come for our guns and make us all divorce our spouses and marry the nearest queer!!!
But, there’s more. (There always is when you are dealing with the media psychopaths who infest the nation’s broadcast band.) The report addressed also the concern that “[R]ightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues. The economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment.” Consider the broadcast history of racist thugs such as Neal Boortz and Rush Limbaugh. Boortz has made a career of touting his racism for the benefit and enjoyment of the Southern white males who flock to him like flies around a dead and rotting armadillo. The concern expressed in the report has to do with the very real possibility that Boortz may inspire one of his racist listeners to take a .50 caliber sniper rifle, hide behind a half-open window along a presidential parade route, and alter history in the same way Lee Harvey Oswald ( a veteran) did.
Or someone listening to Limbaugh may decide – as did Timothy McVeigh (a veteran) – that the best way to put one’s contempt for the Socialist president on open display is to bomb a building and kill scores of innocent people, including, for the obvious shock value, dozens of kids.
The report is extensive and can be downloaded and studied here.
At some point normal Americans, regardless of their political alignment, must realize and end the madness and poison right-wing radio and television injects daily into this tired, vulnerable society.
- MDM
Amen Brother! I wish you could believe in some kind of god, Mike. Because the god I believe in will sort them out in due time. So-called human justice is too goddamned slow!
The mouth breathing republicons pressure had an unfortunate effect on DHS Sec Janet Napolitano to repeal the report. Despite the simple fact that the worst domestic terror attack in the USA was committed by army vet Tim McVeigh helped by vet Terry Nichols. More people died in OK City than any act by (for this discussion ‘liberal’) Unabomber, Earth Liberation Front, Animal Liberation Front, even republicons 2008 villain Bill Ayers and Weathermen.
This ‘success’ will only embolden rethuglicons to continue the obstruction of any sanity in laws and policies to clean up the ‘steaming pile of dog poop’ (Stephanie Miller term) the Bush crime family left on the planet.
At least the report has been posted on non-DHS sites like the one Mike linked to
Front page above fold May 13, 2009 Wash Times I saw walking past a newspaper sales machine (newsbox?). Didn’t buy it machines only take 2 quarters while Wash Post newspaper machines take any coin combination except pennies that equals $.75. Physical proximity to print sources hasn’t been replaced by online-only media.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/14/report-citing-vet-extremism-is-pulled/
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Report citing veteran extremism is pulled
Audrey Hudson (Contact)
A contentious “Rightwing Extremism” report that warned of military veterans as possible recruits for terrorist attacks against the U.S. was not authorized, has been withdrawn and is being rewritten, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Capitol Hill lawmakers.
“The wheels came off the wagon because the vetting process was not followed,” Ms. Napolitano told the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.
“The report is no longer out there,” she said. “An employee sent it out without authorization.”
The report was shared with state and local law enforcement officials nationwide via the department’s internal Web site on April 7, angering Republican lawmakers and military veterans who said it unfairly stereotyped veterans.
Ms. Napolitano did not say when the report was taken off the “intel Web site” and all Homeland Security Department Web sites, but she said it is in the process of being “replaced or redone in a much more useful and much more precise fashion.”
Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania Democrat, said that as a veteran he “took offense personally,” and his constituents were offended by the report as well.
“It really hit home hard to me and in our district,” Mr. Carney said. “It’s not a good start when I go to town hall meetings and I hear people calling for your resignation.”
Ms. Napolitano said the report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” is not the only report she has seen that says veterans are targets for recruitment by racist and other hate groups.
“It was an assessment, not an accusation,” Ms. Napolitano said.
“It didn’t say that,” Mr. Carney interrupted.
“That’s right,” Ms. Napolitano responded. “That is why it should not have gone out.”
Asked whether the person who wrote the report is still employed, Ms. Napolitano said, “Appropriate personnel action is being taken.”
Rep. Peter T. King, the ranking Republican on the committee, said the report “made an impression” in his New York district as well.
“I don’t think it reflects well on the department, and I know you want to address it,” Mr. King said.
David K. Rehbein, commander of the American Legion, said the withdrawal of the report “validates our objections.”
“It did not contain any evidence,” Mr. Rehbein said. “It was an unfair and unsubstantiated stereotype based on Timothy McVeigh.”
The report also said “rightwing extremism” may include groups opposed to abortion and immigration, among several other threat assessments.
In March, the department issued and recalled within hours, a lexicon of key terms and phrases used by Homeland Security analysts “that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States.”
Whites and blacks, Christians and Jews, Cubans and Mexicans, along with tax objectors, were among several political leanings listed in the “Domestic Extremism Lexicon.” Both reports were prepared by the department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
“Some things in my initial days have gone very well at the department, some things have not. And that was probably the worst thing,” Ms. Napolitano told the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security on Tuesday.
“It was not authorized to be distributed. It had not even completed its vetting process within the department. It has been taken off of the intel Web sites and the lexicon that went along with it was similarly withdrawn,” she said.
“Neither were authorized products, and we have now put in place processes. And it turned out there were really no procedures to govern what went out and what didn’t before, and now there are. I do not want to see a replication of that,” Ms. Napolitano said.