Crossposted at http://mrbillingham.blogsome.com
With all the buzz about the DHS report - including Gingrich flailing about that it's about Obama's conspiracy to arrest all conservatives - I thought it would be worth putting together a little summary and analysis in case you don't feel like reading it all yourself. It's not a terribly long report, and I would encourage you to read the whole thing, but hopefully, this will get your interest up.
Here's some highlights of the full report (PDF):
*The Authors:
The Report was written by the Department of Homeland Security, coordinating the FBI with the Extremism and Radicalization Branch of the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division. That division comes directly under the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Intelligence, who reports back to the Under Secretary for for Intelligence and Analysis and his deputy. Roger Mackin is the head of that division at the moment, formally only the acting secretary since he's a holdover from the Bush Administration and a Chertoff deputy. So while Newt Gingrich whines that this is an attack on his friends, he should remember that it was authored, or at least approved, by a guy who donated $2,300 to John McCain. I don't think he's the type to suddenly turn into a leader in a conspiracy against his own partisans.
* Second in a series:
The report is just one in a series on domestic extremism. And in fact, the left-wing edition beat the righty one to the punch, being released in January. Also, the DHS does its homework - they're not releasing these on the command of the Obama administration, they're releasing them in a series that was commissioned last year.
* The report logically asserts that the election of a black President, combined with an economic slump, may drive people towards greater radicalization. It compares the current era with '90s, when a slump also triggered a right-wing response (the militia movement). It justifies itself by saying that greater enforcement and plot disruption in the 90s helped cause that movement to fade away.
* Returning vets:
the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.
It's not talked about much, but a recession is a shitty time to return from war. It's not a coincidence that McVeigh was a vet who struggled to find work in the economic downturn following the first Gulf War. You go off to do something incredibly dangerous and psychologically intense, and you (rightly, I think) believe that you are entitled to greater respect when you get home and the privileges of the country you just put your life on the line for. So when you come back and you can't get a job, alienation is a very common response. And the report also notes that these returing vets have a lot of very well developed combat skills - the kind of men militants want in their organizations. So the DHS worries that veterans will be a ripe target for recruitment and radicalization by unsavory forces. And remember, there have been reports of white supremacist activity even within the military already.
The recovery plans should clearly have a focus on providing jobs to returning soliders: not least because they deserve it.
* Clinging to guns
The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement.
This is a legit concern: stockpiling weapons can just mean paranoia, but building an arsenal is the first step towards using an arsenal. It doesn't mean gun owners are crooks, but big surges in gun purchases - particularly for stockpiles, is alarming. And if you don't trust me, listen to the DHS and law enforcement. There are also notes about perceived attacks on gun rights (mandatory registration, the DC Supreme Court case).
*And Did I Mention He's Black?
In addition, the historical election of an African American president and the prospect of policy changes are proving to be a driving force for rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalization.
The report notes that the Pittsburgh shooting was motivated by racist beliefs. And the racial/bigotry issues here are bigger than just the simple reaction of KKK-type bigots to Barack Obama. The report talks about how the economic downturn has triggered a fair amount of anti-Semitism: radical types quickly conflate Bernie Madoff and Lawrence Summers with "Complete Jewish Control of the Government and Business" and see the bailout as a Elders of Zion style conspiracy. If you want creepy, note that there has been a rise in Google searches for "Timothy Geithner Jewish"
So if you've been worried about what that attack meant for the larger picture here, the DHS shares your concerns. It's nice to have some faith in your government, isn't it? They're on to both the anti-Semitic and anti-black connotations here.
*Immigration
That's the next front the DHS is researching in the "race war" ideology of the radical right. The report notes a marked increase in crimes against Hispanics, particularly those that seem to be clearly motivated by race. And they're monitoring the hate speech, noting particularly that while most of it is solidly legal and protected, there are groups that are teetering towards illegal calls for violence.
* And it's Just Not Xenophobia without the New World Order:
Fear of Communist regimes and related conspiracy theories characterizing the U.S. Government’s role as either complicit in a foreign invasion or acquiescing as part of a "One World Government" plan inspired extremist members of the militia movement to targetfacilities in past years.
And these issues are back: Look at the right wing response to Obama's dealings with Cuba for the communist part, the IMF currency nuttiness, or the fact that Dobson and the Christian Right are mobilizing against the United Nations to keep their rights to abuse their children.
*Conclusions:
There's a few. First, is that the biggest threat is lone-wolf white supremacists, who remain off the grid and are difficult to track. "Leaderless resistance" has pushed many people to further action, and you can see the possible results of the vague calls for vengeance from the Glen Becks of the world.
Then they talk about the role of the Internet in dispersing information and allowing for encrypted communications. I'll note here that in the 90s, most radical propaganda got spread through underground tapes advertised in magazines. That's easier to follow.
And all in all, it's optimistic, saying that law enforcement beat back the rising tide of militas in the 90s, and could do so again.