Obama insults half of the country

Real world effects of this kind of bullshit:

Quote :

Inside the DHS: Former Top Analyst Says Agency Bowed to Political Pressure

Daryl Johnson has been battling extremist groups for two decades. He got his start in the field in 1991, when he worked on counterterrorism for the U.S. Army. In 1999, Johnson left the Army for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where he was a subject-matter expert on violent antigovernment groups. In 2004, officials at the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approached Johnson to take a key post as the senior domestic terrorism analyst. He accepted and, for six years, Johnson led a team of experts on domestic extremist groups.

While at DHS, Johnson and his team wrote the April 7, 2009 report, "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." The report, which was intended for law enforcement only, was quickly leaked and caused a firestorm among some on the political right who accused DHS of painting all kinds of conservatives as potential Timothy McVeighs. In fact, it had merely pointed out that some domestic extremists focused on single issues like immigration and abortion and also noted that extremists were interested in recruiting military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Its analysis of the causes of the surge of right-wing radicalism — the election of the nation's first black president and the economy, among other things — still seems completely accurate and is in line with similar findings by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

But DHS ultimately reacted to criticism from conservative columnists and groups like the American Legion by withdrawing the report. (Ironically, given the criticism of his report, Johnson describes himself as a registered Republican who "personifies conservativism.") In the months following the leak, Johnson says in the interview below, DHS gutted its domestic terrorism analysis unit.

Nothing like putting American lives at risk to score a few political points.

Congress Obsessed with American Muslims, Neglects real threat of White Supremacists

Quote :

The shooting of Kaufman, Texas district attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia remains a mystery. But investigators are increasingly looking into a cell of extremist white terrorists as the suspects. Two months ago, a county assistant district attorney, Mark Hasse, was murdered not far from his office at the court. (I used the term extremist white terrorists because that is what they are, but usually the American press only describes foreigners and Muslims as terrorists, while calling whites “extremists.”)

Likewise, a gang of white terrorists is suspected in the recent slaying of the head of Colorado’s prison system.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and other Islamophobes in Congress, seeking to look good to campaign donors who hate Muslims, has conducted several hearings on the alleged increased radicalization of American Muslims. Sociologists don’t find evidence of such a thing; American Muslims on the whole are relatively well-integrated into US society and are disproportionately well off and pillars of the society. The hearings are a form of McCarthyism.

. . .

In the meantime, Congress not only has held few or no hearings on the danger of white terrorism, it has actually pressured the Department of Homeland Security not to produce studies on the phenomenon.

Democracy at work? Or useless/detrimental pandering to a lunatic fringe?

Either way, we, as a free society, should be able to do better. Where do we go from here?

Just bumping up this old thread because it appears that jack has memory issues.

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

Just bumping up this old thread because it appears that jack has memory issues.

Well, then, Scorpion - refresh my memory.

Have I missed something?

Actually I was referring to Heretic's point in the other thread...

Heretic wrote:

This continues to remain relevant, even after six years:

Quote :

The leaders of right-wing talk are playing a dangerous game, tapping into a dark, paranoid underbelly of American politics. I’ve been following Orcinus pretty closely in the last few months and am increasingly disturbed by what I see. While we might want to dismiss the paranoid rantings of pundits like Beck, we should remember that such conspiratorial beliefs aren’t meant to convince the masses. They exist to radicalize ideologues, and ideologues are dangerous, whether left-wing or right-wing. Conservatives may be furious that the the FBI and DHS are tracking right wing extremism, but I see this as a rare example of them actually seeing a threat coming, and being ready to do something about it. For those of us old enough to remember Oklahoma City, I don’t think we should be dismissive about the terrorist potential of the militant right, especially with Beck and Limbaugh stoking the fires of paranoia.

The only reason that I bumped up this thread is because of the fact that you totally ignored his point, and instead chose to engage with Artie in a discussion about Islamic terrorism vs. right wing terrorism.  I don't have any intention of engaging in that discussion, because I think that it is irrelevant to the topic of the thread, which is titled "Tea Party Terrorism." (which is about right wing terrorism.)  

I have nothing further to say in this thread. Again, I bumped it for reference only, because the topic of this thread is directly related to Heretic's post in the "Tea Party Terrorism" thread.

I probably shouldn't have singled you out, but I will most likely be commenting in the other thread when I get a chance, and this thread is simply handy for me to have as a reference.  

Sorry for any confusion that I may have caused.

Specifically, I was referring to this...

Quote :

Conservatives may be furious that the the FBI and DHS are tracking right wing extremism, but I see this as a rare example of them actually seeing a threat coming, and being ready to do something about it.

This part refers specifically to the DHS report that prompted this thread... and that's why I resurrected this thread.

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

Specifically, I was referring to this...

Quote :

Conservatives may be furious that the the FBI and DHS are tracking right wing extremism, but I see this as a rare example of them actually seeing a threat coming, and being ready to do something about it.

This part refers specifically to the DHS report that prompted this thread... and that's why I resurrected this thread.

What is this threat?
Can you be more specific?

Right wing lunatics like this:

Gunman in Sikh temple shooting identified as ex-Army soldier Wade Michael Page
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/06/authorities-search-for-motive-in-deadly-shooting-at-wisconsin-sikh-temple/


Larry McQuilliams, Shooter In Austin, Had Extremist Views: Police
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/01/larry-mcquilliams-austin-shooter-extremist_n_6251928.html

happy jack wrote:

Islamonazis - 7,000,000,000,000

If you don't mind my asking, why do keep posting this ridiculous number?

Scorpion wrote:

happy jack wrote:

Islamonazis - 7,000,000,000,000

If you don't mind my asking, why do keep posting this ridiculous number?  

It's a lame attempt at humor.
Further proof of why there's no such thing as a right wing comedian....except of course for people like Donald Trump, Rick Perry, George Bush and Sarah Palin.

FBI Finds White Supremacists Infiltrated Law Enforcement Agencies

Quote :

WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND other domestic extremists maintain an active presence in U.S. police departments and other law enforcement agencies. A striking reference to that conclusion, notable for its confidence and the policy prescriptions that accompany it, appears in a classified FBI Counterterrorism Policy Guide from April 2015, obtained by The Intercept. The guide, which details the process by which the FBI enters individuals on a terrorism watchlist, the Known or Suspected Terrorist File, notes that “domestic terrorism investigations focused on militia extremists, white supremacist extremists, and sovereign citizen extremists often have identified active links to law enforcement officers,” and explains in some detail how bureau policies have been crafted to take this infiltration into account.

Although these right-wing extremists have posed a growing threat for years, federal investigators have been reluctant to publicly address that threat or to point out the movement’s longstanding strategy of infiltrating the law enforcement community.

. . .

In a heavily redacted version of an October 2006 FBI internal intelligence assessment, the agency raised the alarm over white supremacist groups’ “historical” interest in “infiltrating law enforcement communities or recruiting law enforcement personnel.” The effort, the memo noted, “can lead to investigative breaches and can jeopardize the safety of law enforcement sources or personnel.” The memo also states that law enforcement had recently become aware of the term “ghost skins,” used among white supremacists to describe “those who avoid overt displays of their beliefs to blend into society and covertly advance white supremacist causes.” In at least one case, the FBI learned of a skinhead group encouraging ghost skins to seek employment with law enforcement agencies in order to warn crews of any investigations.

Florida school shooter belonged to white supremacist group, leader claims

Quote :

The 19-year-old accused of killing nearly 20 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday belonged to a white supremacist militia, the group's leader claimed Friday.

The leader of the Republic of Florida white supremacist militia claimed in interviews with the Anti-Defamation League and The Associated Press that accused Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz belonged to the group and trained with other members in paramilitary drills.

Heretic wrote:

Florida school shooter belonged to white supremacist group, leader claims

Quote :

The 19-year-old accused of killing nearly 20 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday belonged to a white supremacist militia, the group's leader claimed Friday.

The leader of the Republic of Florida white supremacist militia claimed in interviews with the Anti-Defamation League and The Associated Press that accused Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz belonged to the group and trained with other members in paramilitary drills.

Or not.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/02/15/florida-school-shooting-suspect-nikolas-cruz-member-white-nationalist-militia-tallahassee-leader-say/341751002/

Local law enforcement sources have not found a connection between accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz and a Tallahassee-based paramilitary group.

Tallahassee white supremacist taken away in handcuffs after FBI search

Quote :

Jordan Jereb was led away in handcuffs from his mother’s Tallahassee home Wednesday after the FBI searched for evidence in connection with misinformation he gave regarding the shooter in last month's Parkland school massacre.

FBI director: White supremacy a 'persistent, pervasive threat'

Quote :

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday told lawmakers that white supremacist violence is a “persistent” and “pervasive” threat in the U.S.

"The danger, I think, of white supremacists, violent extremism or another kind of extremism is, of course, significant," Wray said at an FBI budget request hearing before the House Appropriations Committee.

"We assess that it is a persistent, pervasive threat," he said. "We tackle it both through our joint terrorism task forces on the domestic terrorism side as well as through our civil rights program on the civil side through hate crime enforcement."

FBI agents warn domestic terrorism poses 'threat to the American people'

Quote :

The FBI Agents Association on Tuesday demanded that members of Congress codify domestic terrorism as a federal crime, warning it poses “a threat to the American people and our democracy.”

“Acts of violence intended to intimidate civilian populations or to influence or affect government policy should be prosecuted as domestic terrorism regardless of the ideology behind them,” FBIAA President Brian O’Hare said in a statement.

The association “continues to urge Congress to make domestic terrorism a federal crime,” O’Hare added — a designation that “would ensure that FBI Agents and prosecutors have the best tools to fight domestic terrorism.”

The statement from the association, which represents more than 14,000 active and former FBI special agents, follows the Justice Department’s announcement Sunday that it is treating the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, as a case of domestic terrorism.

And, of course...

White House rebuffed attempts by DHS to make combating domestic terrorism a higher priority

Quote :

White House officials rebuffed efforts by their colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security for more than a year to make combating domestic terror threats, such as those from white supremacists, a greater priority as specifically spelled out in the National Counterterrorism Strategy, current and former senior administration officials as well as other sources close to the Trump administration tell CNN.

"Homeland Security officials battled the White House for more than a year to get them to focus more on domestic terrorism," one senior source close to the Trump administration tells CNN. "The White House wanted to focus only on the jihadist threat which, while serious, ignored the reality that racial supremacist violence was rising fast here at home. They had major ideological blinders on."

. . .

The document mentions that domestic terrorism is on the rise, but the subject is only briefly addressed, all the more stark given that FBI Director Christopher Wray's July testimony that there have been almost as many domestic terror arrests in the first three quarters of the fiscal year -- about 100 -- as there have been arrests connected to international terror. Wray noted that the majority of the domestic terrorism cases were motivated by some version of white supremacist violence, adding that the FBI takes the threat "extremely seriously."

This is fine.

The domestic terrorists that Billy Barr's DOJ stopped the other day, which they don't want to talk about, all had military training:

Man Who Intentionally Divided Nation For Eight Years Calls For Unity
September 7th, 2018

URBANA, IL—In a moving speech delivered Friday, President Barack Obama called for the nation to turn from fear, anger, and resentment, despite having stoked these emotions at every opportunity during his time in office.
The man who had carefully stoked divisions and pushed identity politics for a full eight years called the nation to turn away from divisive “politics of resentment” and instead be loving and inclusive.
“Common ground exists, I have seen it, I have lived it,” he said, though his presidency was spent turning people on each other and encouraging a culture of victimhood and resentment. “I know I spent a lot of time encouraging you to feel oppressed by each other so you look to the federal government to fix it and turn a blind eye while I massively increased the power of the executive branch. But this time I’m serious. Let’s not hate each other, at least not until a Democrat is in office again.”
He also blasted President Trump for his policies and brash style of governance, hoping the assault on Trump’s rude behavior would help Democrats forget that Obama bombed foreign countries constantly throughout his presidency. “Trump is really mean, let’s all focus on that,” he said.