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These Americans are preparing for battle against their own government

9 points by mudil 10y ago

mindcrime 10y ago
There's nothing "nutty" about the belief that the US federal government is a huge threat to our freedom and liberty. And those kooks at the SPLC are the ones who should be branded a "terrorist organisation". I'm tired of the way they try to spin any "anti government" orientation as a brand of "domestic terrorism" or "extremism." I'm about as anti-government as anybody you're going to meet, but you don't see me throwing bombs or shooting at people. This is just another attempt to marginalize a group of people who are tired of being shit on by the government/corporate/military/prison/espionage complex.
- extra88 10y ago
  The Southern Poverty Law Center performs a variety of good works. They are not spinning, the page linked to with listing ~1,000 anti-government groups says "Listing here [d]oes not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist." [0] These people are already on the margins, this article is trying to inform the public that the Bundys and their cohort seen in the headlines are at the more extreme end of a continuum that's larger than most Americans might think. I understand a discomfort with list-making and it plays into these groups' persecution complex (and apparently yours) but it's a good idea like it's a good idea to pay attention to houses on a sandy cliff; when a big storm comes they're the ones most likely to fall. [0] https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-united-states https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-unite...
  - DrScump 10y ago
    They label these groups without so much as a shred of documentation or even stating their criteria in specific, objective terms. Certainly, "engaging in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines" applied to pretty much the entire Occupy movement, yet no such groups were ever counted by SPLC.
noir_lord 10y ago
The US government is a potential threat to it's people, all governments are by wont of been the ones with the right to execute force. That said as soon as you start talking about One World Order or Autism/Vaccines you go from "right to be wary of government" into "batshit crazy" territory. I'm not pro/anti government, I realise the need for government I also think it's out duty as voting citizens of wherever we live (in my case the UK) to make sure we watch what they do in our name. The biggest threat to western democracy isn't some strange people waving a 200 year old document, it's complete political disengagement by the people who vote.
- vixen99 10y ago
  it's a threat to its people.
ezoe 10y ago
So, the US government has Missiles, Tanks, Supersonic aircrafts and Nuclear weapons. The best these patriots may have are rifles, hand grenades, commodity vehicles and aircrafts. Good luck with that.
- carsongross 10y ago
  How'd the mujahideen do? Read some Bill Lind.
- mindcrime 10y ago
  http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21699098-makeshift-weapons-are-becoming-more-dangerous-highly-sophisticated http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/2169909...

9 points by mudil 10y ago

There's nothing "nutty" about the belief that the US federal government is a huge threat to our freedom and liberty. And those kooks at the SPLC are the ones who should be branded a "terrorist organisation". I'm tired of the way they try to spin any "anti government" orientation as a brand of "domestic terrorism" or "extremism." I'm about as anti-government as anybody you're going to meet, but you don't see me throwing bombs or shooting at people. This is just another attempt to marginalize a group of people who are tired of being shit on by the government/corporate/military/prison/espionage complex.

extra88 10y ago
The Southern Poverty Law Center performs a variety of good works. They are not spinning, the page linked to with listing ~1,000 anti-government groups says "Listing here [d]oes not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist." [0] These people are already on the margins, this article is trying to inform the public that the Bundys and their cohort seen in the headlines are at the more extreme end of a continuum that's larger than most Americans might think. I understand a discomfort with list-making and it plays into these groups' persecution complex (and apparently yours) but it's a good idea like it's a good idea to pay attention to houses on a sandy cliff; when a big storm comes they're the ones most likely to fall. [0] https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-united-states https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-unite...
- DrScump 10y ago
  They label these groups without so much as a shred of documentation or even stating their criteria in specific, objective terms. Certainly, "engaging in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines" applied to pretty much the entire Occupy movement, yet no such groups were ever counted by SPLC.

noir_lord 10y ago

The US government is a potential threat to it's people, all governments are by wont of been the ones with the right to execute force. That said as soon as you start talking about One World Order or Autism/Vaccines you go from "right to be wary of government" into "batshit crazy" territory. I'm not pro/anti government, I realise the need for government I also think it's out duty as voting citizens of wherever we live (in my case the UK) to make sure we watch what they do in our name. The biggest threat to western democracy isn't some strange people waving a 200 year old document, it's complete political disengagement by the people who vote.

vixen99 10y ago
it's a threat to its people.

ezoe 10y ago

So, the US government has Missiles, Tanks, Supersonic aircrafts and Nuclear weapons. The best these patriots may have are rifles, hand grenades, commodity vehicles and aircrafts. Good luck with that.

carsongross 10y ago
How'd the mujahideen do? Read some Bill Lind.
mindcrime 10y ago
http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21699098-makeshift-weapons-are-becoming-more-dangerous-highly-sophisticated http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/2169909...