Most of us remember Bill Ayers.  He was that fanatic who was a ringleader of the left wing extremist Weathermen protesting the Viet Nam War.  They were later referred to as the Weathermen Underground Organization (WUO).  Bill Ayers went on to gain a higher education and a career in education.  The jury is still out on his redemption.  There is not a nickel’s worth of difference between the Left Wing Radicals of the 1960’s and contemporary Right Wing Radical fanatics.  Both groups talk of revolution.  Both groups oppose the government of The United States of America.  Both groups have representatives who intentionally terrorize America.  Both groups are responsible for the fear and hate and divisiveness that grips our country in troubled times.

From Wikipedia on the WUO:

“In 1970 the group issued a “Declaration of a State of War” against the United States government, under the name “Weather Underground Organization” (WUO). The bombing attacks were mostly against government buildings, along with several banks.  Most were preceded by communiqués that provided evacuation warnings, along with statements regarding the particular matter which motivated the attack. For the bombing of the United States Capitol on March 1, 1971, they issued a statement saying it was “in protest of the US invasion of Laos.” For the bombing of The Pentagon on May 19, 1972, they stated it was “in retaliation for the US bombing raid in Hanoi.” For the January 29, 1975 bombing of the United States Department of State Building, they stated it was “in response to escalation in Vietnam.”^[2]“

The Weathermen took positions which resembled Communism.  I was a young man in the 1960’s.  And I admit, no – I am proud, that I participated in the Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-War Movement.  I knew a lot of people doing the same thing.  I never met Bill Ayers or his cohorts – and none of the people I knew personally were opposed to our government – many were opposed to the Vietnam War.  Most of us saw ourselves as participating in our patriotic duty of Civil Disobedience. Blowing things up is disobedient, but not Civil.

We find a similar behavior pattern in the modern radical right wing.  The most radical think they represent everyone who is unhappy about some facet of our government.  So we must take an example of extremism of the modern right wing to compare with the Weathermen – and to compare with other modern right wing extremists.  We will start with Timothy McVeigh.  You readers surely remember that rascal – he killed 169 innocent Americans when he bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City.  A few quick notes about McVeigh – he came from a broken home, was a decorated Army veteran – receiving a Bronze Star in the Gulf War, struggled with conflicting religious beliefs, “He once ordered a “White Power” T-shirt from the Ku Klux Klan in protest against black servicemen who wore “Black Power” T-shirts around his army camp.^[18],” “After leaving the Army in 1992, McVeigh grew increasingly transient.”  Here are some quotes from McVeigh (Again from Wikipedia):

Taxes are a joke. Regardless of what a political candidate “promises,” they will increase. More taxes are always the answer to government mismanagement. They mess up. We suffer. Taxes are reaching cataclysmic levels, with no slowdown in sight … Is a Civil War Imminent? Do we have to shed blood to reform the current system? I hope it doesn’t come to that. But it might.:^[22]

It is a lie if we tell ourselves that the police can protect us everywhere at all times. Firearms restrictions are bad enough, but now a woman can’t even carry Mace in her purse?

Go ahead, take everything I own; take my dignity. Feel good as you grow fat and rich at my expense; sucking my tax dollars and property.^[25]

The government is afraid of the guns people have because they have to have control of the people at all times. Once you take away the guns, you can do anything to the people. You give them an inch and they take a mile. I believe we are slowly turning into a socialist government. The government is continually growing bigger and more powerful, and the people need to prepare to defend themselves against government control.^[28]

In the gun show culture, McVeigh found a home. Though he remained skeptical of some of the most extreme ideas being bandied around, he liked talking to people there about the United Nations, the federal government, and possible threats to American liberty.^[31]

He dissociated himself from his boyhood friend, Steve Hodge, by sending a 23-page farewell letter to him. He proclaimed his devotion to the United States Declaration of Independence, explaining in detail what each sentence meant to him. McVeigh declared that:

“

Those who betray or subvert the Constitution are guilty of sedition and/or treason, are domestic enemies and should and will be punished accordingly.It also stands to reason that anyone who sympathizes with the enemy or gives aid or comfort to said enemy is likewise guilty. I have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I will. And I will because not only did I swear to, but I believe in what it stands for in every bit of my heart, soul and being. I know in my heart that I am right in my struggle, Steve. I have come to peace with myself, my God and my cause. Blood will flow in the streets, Steve. Good vs. Evil. Free Men vs. Socialist Wannabe Slaves. Pray it is not your blood, my friend.

Enough of McVeigh – you get the point.  But so what?  What does that have to do with the right wing extremism of today?  Well, we here at thefiresidepost.com have been writing regularly and we have a catalog of comments from the right wing.  Let’s examine a few:

In a post on bureaucratic foolishness we solicited this response:

“We have changed our head of government 43 times without bloodshed.”

This is true so far.
However, with actions like those you wrote of, we are one step closer to revolution.

In this article on Taxing Tobacco we solicited this thoughtful analysis:

That article is the biggest crock of shit I have ever witnesses.

The tax is to just control people, reduce the free choice factor, and finally, just more money to go to some shitass pork barrel project.

Health for kids my ass. socialized bullshit is more like it!

39 billion over four years??The govt. spends that in a day!

Then we have this jewel on the association between lax gun laws and the Mexican Drug Cartels:

The reason for our second amendment is to protect us from a government gone corrupt. Do you really think you will be able to protect yourself against machine guns and tanks with your hunting rifle? Do you beleive that our country’s founders were concerned with our right to shoot helpless animals? Hunting was a given in their times. Freedom was their main concern. If you would like stricter gun laws, move to China. The Drug Cartels are a product of prohibition. Ever hear about the Drug Cartels in Amsterdam? Maybe if we treated drug users as patients, instead of evil-doers, drug trade wouldn’t be so profitable. I don’t think we should be supporting any government that does this to their own citizens.

From a post on The Passion of Gun Lovers and Pit Bulls:

Unless you go through the governments onerous process, no full-autos, no short barreled rifles, no sawed-off shotguns, nothing over .50 caliber, no guns that look like non-gun objects (cellphones, briefcase, pens), no suppressors, no grenades, no rockets, no armor piercing ammo, and no mortars. And when they invent photon lasers and smart bullets, rest assured the government will restrict those as well.

The government always takes, never gives.

And from an artilce critical of John McCain:

Soon liberals and Dems alike will be complaining once the gov’t owns all the banks, pushes the small farmer out, and declares martial law. Which is very likely, since during his campaign he spoke of united law force that would rival the US military. Hitler or SS troops ring a bell?

I particularly liked the comment about the 2nd Amendment as a means to protect us from a government gone corrupt.  There are some strong implications in these comments – implications of hating the Government of the United States of America.  I also liked the comment about the likely hood of martial law and the direct connection to Hitler.

But here is the thing about these right wing radical fanatics – many are arming themselves with some of the most sophisticated weapons ever used in actual combat.  They are screaming mad at the same government that grants the rights to bear arms.  These folks do not distinguish between bad government behavior and the form of government itself.  And they sound an awful lot like Timothy McVeigh.  They want blood.

The Department of Homeland Security recently warned of “rightwing extremist activity.”  From the Washington Post:

The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity,” saying the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

The Obama administration took some hits for the generalized warning.  I think that is unfortunate because I believe there to be truth in the warning.  I believe we are seeing the craziness every day – even in commentary on a relatively insignificant online magazine such as thefiresidepost.com.  As I researched each of the articles I wrote on this site I was shocked to find the extremism was far beyond my imagination.

These radical right wing groups are much more dangerous than the Weathermen ever dreamed of.  It is safe to say they are extreme because many of them have moved to the right of the Republican Party and even to the right of the NRA.

Timothy McVeigh was a flying monkey.  A flying monkey is a creature that does the bidding of the master – whether real or perceived.  The master in this case is a fundamental distrust and dislike of The United States of America.  These monkeys fly on the hot wind of spokesmen like Limbaugh and Hannity and Cheney.  But the most dangerous is DICK Cheney.  Cheney actually had a real job in the government and thus carries more credible weight.  Cheney is fueling the wind of anger, resentment, bitterness, and distrust of the our government.  If the Weathermen of the 1960’s were aggressive, then the best we can say of Cheney, Limbaugh, and Hannity is that they are passive-aggressive.  They are too personally cowardly to actually engage their false enemies in real battle. But they sure love to stir up the flying monkeys.

Another very dangerous person is Ron Paul – he is not personally dangerous, he does not understand the impact he has on socially dysfunctional people who love having a reason to hate.

When we arm the flying monkeys with machine guns and explosives we are asking for real trouble.  These are people who associate The United States of America with Nazi Germany, with Communist China, or the oppression of Stalin.   Ironically, some of these same folks call themselves Nazis.  Some of them speak of an Arian Nation.  Some go so far as to call themselves Christians – justifying their hatred with reference to Jesus.  But the common thread is a hatred of America.

The other scary element is the seemingly unrelated issues that unite them.  Right to life, capital punishment, gun rights, gay marriage, taxes, prohibition on drugs, remove prohibition on drugs, prayer in public schools, some hate the theocracy of Iran but want a theocracy for America. Many believe our government is inept at managing anything but the military.  The military of the United States is the finest ever assembled in history – but the right wing radicals insist that the government cannot do anything correctly.  These people are bitterly anti-American while claiming a love of their country.  Any one of these issues seems to suffice. Again, the common thread is the fear of the United States.

There is a reason the logic is conflicted.  These people are flying monkeys – following a bitter dictate to satisfy their own emotional disturbances.  Many will submit that you have to believe all of the Bible or you cannot believe any of it – and to top it off, you have to believe it their way.  They would say the same thing about the Constitution – but you have to believe it their way.  There is no interpretation other than their own.

How can we make this any more clear:  The Radical right wing is conflicted, there is no continuity in the right wing message.  The only continuity of thought is the fear of the United States.  And many of these folks are arming themselves, preparing for the day when they have to defend themselves against the United States.  Some do not wait for a defensive posture – like McVeigh.  Or like the abortion clinic bombers.

The radical right wing has a commonality with Osama Bin Laden and Al Quaeda – they all hate authority figures.  They all hate the United States of America. They all believe the only reasonable authority is their own.

The irony really is in the conflict of love and hate for country.  Some speak openly of armed revolution.  The ‘my way or the highway’ philosophy resembles fascism.  Most would deny this charge.  But the proof is in the pudding – they want a government that imposes their ideology.  They do not like the present government that manages by the law of the Constitution of the United States.

People really are buying machine guns while talking actively about revolution. Fanatic extremism is always wrong – whether left or right.  But the election of Barack Obama has forced the right wing to greater levels of hatred and distrust of our country.

Again, the irony is that our government is working as designed.  We change leaders at the ballot box, not in the gun ammo case.  The beauty of the United States is that it is self-correcting.  We go astray because we are human – but the design of our system of government allows for peaceful correction.

Here are a few sites that promote confusion about America:

Political Activism for the World

Desert Conservatives

Glen Beck

Factnet recommend books on White Supremacy

Ku Klux Klan

Arian Nation – “Stop the Hate, Segregate”

These folks pose a greater danger than Bill Ayers and his Weathermen.  They are disorganized, each having their own particular agenda for hating The United States.  That lack of organization creates the danger of the Timothy McVeigh syndrome.  The flying monkey will do anything to be worshiped by his perceived brethren.