Reply With QuoteAgain, not a whole lot of fundamentalist muslims in America. Ask a Pakistani how ineffectual they think fundamentalist agitation is.
I've acknowledged before that right-wing extremism will certainly go up while the left is in power. I'm pretty young and not too familiar with this stuff, so let me bounce this brainstorm off everyone. Couldn't you say that the agitation from Fox News is similar (though admittedly less) than what we read about from certain Muslim leaders? Given that we've only had a few isolated successful cases of Islamic terrorism in the US recently, that actually makes me optimistic that we won't be significantly affected by the same kind of thing from home grown right-wing-whatevers. Of course there's the whole "fighting them over there" aspect, but I don't know how important that is. And it could be that we're fighting Islamic terrorism better holistically than we do right-wing extremism, but it's really hard to imagine we could be doing any worse.
Still worth crossing fingers behind my back even if I argue it from a tribal perspective.
Again, not a whole lot of fundamentalist muslims in America. Ask a Pakistani how ineffectual they think fundamentalist agitation is.
Is America really the equivalent of Pakistan when it comes to quantity and quality of right-wing extremists? That seems a bit reaching.
I plan on moving the day America becomes anything like Pakistan.
Because when I think of an elderly white stormfronter who posts on freerepublic.com shooting a black man at the Holocaust Museum, I automatically think of left-wingers like Michael Moore. The guy allegedly posted under the name "Rush is Right" on a board. At this point what would it take short of a signed and notarized document stating "I am right wing" to convince you?You can't prove that von Brunn was even right-wing
It's only reaching if you're ignorant. Pakistan isn't actually all that fundamentalist. Or at least, it wasn't. They used to be a relatively secular society, with a moderate form of Islam. From what I've read, the quantity & quality of Pakistan's extremists were equivalent to ours.Originally Posted by Tim James
But of course, you have to accept that there is a sizeable chunk of virulent right-wing extremists already in America. And you seem to be in denial about that fact, too.
"Denial about that fact if you're ignorant." Are some of my hangers-on starting to get why it's easier and more fun to just do snark? Jeez, everyone's vagina started hurting when I suggested similar about lack of knowledge around here regarding firearms law and issues. WAH! It's the Internet folks, quit trying to be meta about me.
Back to adult discussion: Iraq was also secular and under control until the US provided a reason to stir the hive. This then goes back to my moderate assertion that perhaps how the US government approaches the situation it is more important than the instigators at Fox News. Sure, they might not actually plan to invade your home or help the Jews, but this is a PR war against ignorant people just like it was with Islamic terrorism, where despite a lot of bumbling on our part at least it hasn't hit home too badly.
Tim, I was speaking to the existence of an audience for the rise in islamic fundamentalism. The reason why the existence of islamic fundamentalism hasn't resulted in more attacks in America is because there aren't a lot of people here receptive to the message. In areas where there are, like Pakistan, it has been quite a larger problem.
Likewise, Bill O'Reilly is probably not very good at stirring up anti-abortion extremists in China.
Not sure if you saw my reply yet. Even entertaining the idea that these folks can't get on a plane and aren't merely hitting US interests as proxy for hitting us at home, could the US government be as inept with right-wing extremists as it is with Islamic terrorists? There have been a few goof-ups like scare documents about people with Ron Paul stickers, but like I've mentioned elsewhere, I think there's reason for optimism that this administration will ignore left-wing agitation (that will only make things worse) just as the Bush administration did not ignore right-wing agitation about Muslims.
Thinking more about your assertion about audiences, I also wonder if culture differs enough to make that somewhat moot as well. For example, America has a lot of murders every year and a visible but relatively tiny right-wing extremist culture, but I see no reason to believe it has a culture that responds to religious/media decrees to take to the streets and commit organized terrorism with any sort of tacit approval by the rest of society like in Pakistan or Iraq. I simply don't think that's how America is even if Pakistan was "secular" at some point in time. But I suppose that's what this thread is about, trying to find the trend. *shrug* We'll see.
Actually, I do think the right-wing blowhards in this country incite their followers through their rhetoric in much the same ways fundamentalist Muslim leaders in other countries incite theirs: strident language, overt religiosity, rigid morality, xenophobic overtones, lots of repetition.
Is Glenn Beck directly responsible for Tiller's death? No. But constantly calling the man a "mass murderer" who needed to be stopped was pouring oil on the fire.
Are you directing that A-B or me? I can't really tell at what point this got spun into someone allegedly saying that people who commit acts that could be considered terrorism shouldn't be called terrorists. If the shoe fits, and all that. It was the other baggage you attached to that simple, unexceptional notion that I was taking issue with.
Anyway, you seem to think "because they're terrorists" is some sort of magnificent conclusion that you've been building towards against a wall of denial, so have at it. As far as the law is concerned, these people should be prosecuted, investigated, and preempted where possible because they are criminals. Problem addressed. I suppose getting really worked up about the terror label is part of the process for you.
I'm sorry you feel like you're "back in intel basic course". That must be very traumatic for you.
Sorry, I just don't see these calls for violent overthrow of the government on Fox News that you do. Just a lot of saying 'It's time to make Washington listen' and 'If they won't listen in the voting booths then we must find other ways to make our voices heard' or generic BS like that.
As revolutionary rhetoric goes, I've heard more confrontational and violent language out of poetry slams.
Hey look, more evidence that these folks were totally and only motivated by politics! That's why she robbed her half brother and a friend of her mothers!
Damn Rush, Hannity, and Beck! She never would have done any of this if it weren't for those rabble rousers!
:-)
I don't think you yet realize that hyperbole is part of the problem, not the solution.
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