The Enemies Within

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/opinion/18blow.html

The Enemies Within
By CHARLES M. BLOW
Published: April 17, 2009


The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis issued a report last week suggesting that current political and economic conditions are energizing right-wing extremist groups, that many of these groups follow extremely conservative ideologies and that some may seek to recruit and “radicalize” veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

True, true and true.

But, conservatives reacted by throwing a knee-jerk hissy fit. They twisted the report’s meaning to imply that they, and more importantly our war heroes, were being vilified by a partisan document.

Their argument seeks to suppress and subjugate two rather unfortunate facts: while only a tiny number of conservatives and veterans are members of hate groups, nearly all hate groups do indeed follow far-right ideology. And they covet members with military experience.

A report issued last summer by former President Bush’s F.B.I. entitled “White Supremacist Recruitment of Military Personnel since 9/11” said that “military experience is found throughout the white supremacist extremist movement” and that these groups “have attempted to increase their recruitment of current and former U.S. military personnel.”

snip//

Because many know firsthand the value of military experience, they not only recruit those leaving the military, they send recruits into it. According to Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Many white supremacists over the years have pushed their followers to join the military and enter either the special forces, where the training is judged to be the best in the world, or the infantry, where you will learn the skills necessary to fight the coming race war.”

The only debate we should be having is about the best way to protect our newest veterans from falling prey to this handful of military apostates.

If they only recruit a few, that is still too many. Terrorists have shown the world time and again that a few well-trained men is all it takes.

[The Straight Story]

1. Sorry, but you missed the memo

The problems are not hate groups, racists, rw nut jobs, etc.

Only guns harm people.

Get rid of guns, and we will have a paradise of heavenly proportions. No one will be able to do any harm...

Yeah, I just hijacked your thread like a Somalian pirate in the bermuda triangle swigging rum.

side note: Racist fucktards can join the military but gays can't? What a fucked up world we live in.

[Bobbieo]

2. I agree with you BabSis - it is already happening!!! I also agree about the guns, but there is no

way in hell we can abolish guns without starting a revolution - which may already be started - damned if you do and damned if you don't!

[bbgrunt]

3. well ultimately, tim mcveigh didn't need a gun--nor

did the alleged hijackers. It's not the guns but the paranoia and fear and worship of a highly competitive and warlike culture.

[kimmerspixelated]

4. I agree with all on these ops.

I'm mostly anti-gun, but what really needs to be addressed is just blatant ignorance in its excessive rampant forms! IGNORANCE KILLS!