We're all right-wing extremists now, according to the Department of Homeland Security's report, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." You may think you're just an average entrepreneur disgruntled with the debt, but Janet Napolitano is here to tell you you're so much more.
The report, which DHS argues was begun during the Bush administration and is analogous to reports on left-wing extremism, does not just warn of racist hate groups, but of threats posed by returning vets, gunowners, people who prefer local government over federal government, and single-issue advocates on abortion and immigration. Eli Lake at the Washington Times reports that key findings of the report show most of the work was done in the last couple of months, despite DHS claims that it was prepared long ago by non-political appointees.
The report alleges a resurgence in right-wing extremism, fueled by hard economic times and the election of Obama, but provided no examples or numbers to local law enforcement, to whom the report was sent. The broad generalities of the report give lie to the equivalence DHS is trying to make to previous reports on left-wing extremists, which were specific in naming animal-rights and environmental groups that had been proven to engage in terrorist activities:
"Leftwing Extremists" report, on the other hand, focuses on "animal rights, environmental, and anarchist extremist movements," warning that such organizations will focus their attacks on economic targets and specifically cyberattacks such as overwhelming a corporation's servers with spam e-mail or hacking into closed networks and deleting user accounts.
The report, however, limits its warnings to "animal rights and environmental extremists," which it says "seek to end the perceived abuse and suffering of animals and the degradation of the natural environment perpetrated by humans"; and "anarchist extremists" who the report says "generally embrace a number of radical philosophical components of anticapitalist, antiglobalization, communist, socialist and other movements."
That report does not lump such groups, though, with single-issue advocacy on broad topics and the stances of mainstream liberals. It also cites specific attacks by contemporary groups that fit the given descriptions, rather than draw analogies from the 1990s.
Now, for the second time in his administration-the first being when he floated the idea of having wounded vets pay for their own medical treatment- Obama has riled the American Legion:
The report, which prompted a storm of outrage Tuesday from conservatives, cited the example of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in warning that the return of disgruntled military veterans could lead to "terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."
Mr. Rehbein also challenged the department on that score, speaking on behalf of the legion's 2.6 million members. "To continue to use McVeigh as an example of the stereotypical 'disgruntled military veteran' is as unfair as using Osama bin Laden as the sole example of Islam," he said.
"I think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not the enemy. The terrorists are," David K. Rehbein, national commander of the veterans organization, said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about a security assessment titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence and Recruitment."
The Legion has asked for a meeting with Napolitano to discuss the report and other, you know, real threats to national security, and her office indicates she's willing to meet.
Are you now reading or have you ever read "Atlas Shrugged?" Are you now a fan of or have you ever been a fan of "The Federalist Papers?" I'm traveling to a tea party protest today in Edenton, N.C., so count me one of the rabble-rousers, I reckon. Who knew I was a terrorist threat? I must admit I do prefer local government control in many areas. Nefarious!
