FBI Issues Warning About Far Right Anti-Government Group

Elements of the radical far right that seem to be living in some bizarre fantasy world continue to show themselves to be potential sources of violence. Some of their rants sound like they are direct from World Net Daily and/or Fox News were being tethered to objective reality is not a requirement. The worry is that some of the crazed hyperventilating will lead to some of the more unhinged elements actually resorting to armed confrontation or other actual attacks against government personnel akin to the recently disclosed plot to kill a Michigan police officer and then attack the funeral procession. Think Progress looks at this phenomenon which has the FBI concerned. Here are some highlights:

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[T]he FBI has issued an intelligence note warning police that an anti-government group’s call to remove dozens of sitting governors may encourage others to act out violently. The group, “Guardians of the Free Republics,” wants to “restore America” by dismantling parts of the government, according to its website. Governors receiving the threats include Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Chet Culver (D-IA), Jim Gibbons (R-NV), among others.
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While much of the rhetoric from the group resembles the style of patriot extremist organizations, their concerns seem to stem directly from economic anxiety. The group’s broadcasting affiliate, Republic Broadcasting Network, advertises survival kits, gold buying guides, and other hallmarks of a movement in America which believes that the country is heading towards economic collapse. The website also promotes tea party protests, calls for revolution, videos from Glenn Beck, and sympathetic articles about recent right-wing domestic terrorist activities, like the suicide attack on an IRS building in Austin earlier this year.
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Guardians of the Free Republics’ call to dismantle the government has gained traction on right-wing tea party websites. The groups’ proclamation is posted on ResistNet, the popular tea party forum, as well as Tree of Liberty, a tea party forum known to have been frequented by users which supported Hutaree, the Christian militia recently arrested in Michigan.
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A Department of Homeland Security report, ridiculed by Republican lawmakers last year, details that extended economic downturn with real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit could foster an environment for extremists to recruit new members who may not have been supportive of these causes in the past.
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Not surprisingly, these groups bear hate and suspicion towards those who are "other": gays, blacks, immigrants, etc., who they see as not "real Americans."

Local Story on Rise of Hate Groups

I have written about the rise of hate groups and also anti-Semitic vandalism in this area previously. Now one of the local television stations has opened its eyes to the phenomenon - which is a timely story in as much as there are several local hate groups, including one mentioned in Virgina Beach. local expert at Old Dominion University pin points the motivation for joining a hate group -fear and the desire to feel that one is better than others. It is always easier to condemn and hate those who are different than build one's self esteem in more constructive ways. Here are some story highlights:

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A new study indicates the election of the first black president has spurred hate-groups within the U.S.It suggests hate groups are stronger than ever - up more than 50 percent since 2000. Doctor Lou Lombardo at ODU is an expert on criminology and cycles of hate."You have an African American president, you just had a Hispanic supreme court justice…We also have a sense of the policies that might be coming, and I think that's fuel for a lot of people.

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"The fuel Lombardo says is fear. One reaction to it: heated conversations turning to shouting and fist-fights at forums on President Obama's health-care plan. Fear inciting violence, according to Lombardo.Gay rights are another point of contention, along with gun control. Subjects, experts say, that are continually used to inspire fear and potentially violence by hate groups.

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"One thing violence does is that it provides a collective identity. Not a positive one, but it appeals to - 'I'm not the other person, I'm not the Jew, I'm not the Hispanic, I'm not the gay person, I'm not Catholic... I'm better." The groups are growing and also doing more traveling. The white supremacists that vandalized a Norfolk synagogue were based in Oregon. Those newsletters in Isle of Wight, printed in Missouri. But how about hate groups here?So far intelligence groups link at least 30-known hate groups to North Carolina, with another 26 in Virginia, including an underground skin-head group out of Virginia Beach.

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