Economy, potential for Obama re-election spark militia growth

[Thomas Veil]

Man the armaments, men! Obama might actually win this thing!

Election, economy spark explosive growth of militias

The election of President Barack Obama in 2008 triggered an explosion in the number of militias and so-called patriot groups in the United States, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported in its annual tally of such anti-government organizations.

There were 149 militias and patriot groups when Obama took office, compared to more than 1,200 today — an increase of 755 percent, the nonprofit civil rights organization reported.

"The increase has just been astounding," said Mark Potok, editor-in-chief of the SPLC report. "The reality is that many of these groups are becoming more and more fearful that Barack Obama will win the re-election. You can see the anger rising along with that fear."

The SPLC defines the "patriot" movement as made up of conspiracy-minded individuals who see the federal government as their primary enemy. The movement includes paramilitary militias as well as groups of "sovereign citizens," who believe they are not subject to federal or state laws, nor obligated to pay federal taxes, according to SPLC.

I'll acknowledge these loonies probably come up with these ideas on their own, or from other loonies. But I think guys like our good friends Limbaugh and the late Breitbart help stoke these fears. The internet, unfortunately, is another culprit -- a convenient way for crazy people to share with other crazy people.

Anyway, if you are worried about the economy and need a good job, you might want to think about criminal justice. Sounds like they're going to need people.

[niuniu]

149 + Internet + Obama's skin colour = 1200

[rdowns]

There were 149 militias and patriot groups when Obama took office, compared to more than 1,200 today — an increase of 755 percent, the nonprofit civil rights organization reported.

Obama is a job creator.

[Zombie Acorn]

Their description of a militia doesn't sound right. Patriot group could mean the tea party. Who knows what else they are counting. If they aren't armed and practicing every week I wouldn't consider it a militia.

Obama will win because there are no other choices.

[thewitt]

Originally Posted by Thomas Veil

But I think guys like our good friends Limbaugh and the late Breitbart help stoke these fears.

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

[yg17]

Originally Posted by niuniu

149 + Internet + Obama's skin colour = 1200

Image

You can tell he wrote NIGGAR on a separate piece of paper and pasted it on. Did he spell it correctly with an E first and think it was spelled incorrectly?

Dumb racists....

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

Uh...right. Wow.

[mcrain]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

Out of curiosity, what is the fear that is being fed by the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press?

I'm fairly well connected and pay attention to the news on most of the major news sites, networks, and many of the internet sources, and keep an eye on sites that monitor other sites for anything out of the ordinary. I'm not aware of anything even remotely scary that the corporate owned media has pushed. On the other hand, they do report the crackpot theories that the GOP candidates and guys like Mitch McConnell spread. Those guys make it sound like the end of the world is near.

On the other hand, the Democrats in the news talk about working together to try to make things better. They talk about optimism and the ingenuity and productivity of the American worker. The Republicans, they bad mouth the Volt and any other American product, and just as recently as yesterday do things to reduce American competitiveness.

Yesterday, they voted along party lines to defeat a proposal by democrats to require all components of hydroelectric projects funded by the US government to be manufactured in the US. This is what happens when the Supreme Court Republicans let foreign money into the political process. The Republicans sell out American workers to benefit foreign corporations.

Unbelievable.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by mcrain

Out of curiosity, what is the fear that is being fed by the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press?

I'm fairly well connected and pay attention to the news on most of the major news sites, networks, and many of the internet sources, and keep an eye on sites that monitor other sites for anything out of the ordinary. I'm not aware of anything even remotely scary that the corporate owned media has pushed. On the other hand, they do report the crackpot theories that the GOP candidates and guys like Mitch McConnell spread. Those guys make it sound like the end of the world is near.

On the other hand, the Democrats in the news talk about working together to try to make things better. They talk about optimism and the ingenuity and productivity of the American worker. The Republicans, they bad mouth the Volt and any other American product, and just as recently as yesterday do things to reduce American competitiveness.

Yesterday, they voted along party lines to defeat a proposal by democrats to require all components of hydroelectric projects funded by the US government to be manufactured in the US. This is what happens when the Supreme Court Republicans let foreign money into the political process. The Republicans sell out American workers to benefit foreign corporations.

Unbelievable.

Not really that unbelievable. They've been doing this forever.

[flopticalcube]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

If by "hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press" you mean Fox News, I'll agree.

[Happybunny]

Why am I not surprised.

[Thomas Veil]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

"American freedom hating press"?! Uh, you do realize that if this supposed journalistic effort to destroy our freedom came to pass, the first people they'd come after are...the journalists.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by yg17

You can tell he wrote NIGGAR on a separate piece of paper and pasted it on. Did he spell it correctly with an E first and think it was spelled incorrectly?

Dumb racists....

Funnily enough, he actually has it spelled correctly. -AR is valid. -ER is derogatory.

BL.

[firestarter]

This is a good thing though, isn't it?

I thought it was part of the constitution that Americans can bear arms and form militias?

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

You guys are obviously just a load of freedom-hating commies that don't believe in good American values.

[eric/]

I don't really see why there is a lot of hate directed toward "militia" groups. So long as they're not bothering other people, I don't see how this is any more looney than any other group.

[renewed]

Originally Posted by eric/

I don't really see why there is a lot of hate directed toward "militia" groups. So long as they're not bothering other people, I don't see how this is any more looney than any other group.

Because they aren't on the liberal bandwagon and that's just naughty.

[mobilehaathi]

Originally Posted by bradl

Funnily enough, he actually has it spelled correctly. -AR is valid. -ER is derogatory.

BL.

For some reason, I'm not too concerned about the spelling.

[Lord Blackadder]

Originally Posted by eric/

I don't really see why there is a lot of hate directed toward "militia" groups. So long as they're not bothering other people, I don't see how this is any more looney than any other group.

The militia movement is currently perhaps the most likely source of domestic terrorism. A couple recent cases in Alaska and Michigan are disturbing reminders of this. Most militias consist of relatively harmless survivalist conspiracy theorists. But some are more dangerous and are actively contemplating terrorist attacks.

[mobilehaathi]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

The militia movement is currently perhaps the most likely source of domestic terrorism. A couple recent cases in Alaska and Michigan are disturbing reminders of this. Most militias consist of relatively harmless survivalist conspiracy theorists. But some are more dangerous and are actively contemplating terrorist attacks.

Surely not. I was watching TV the other day, and I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be scared of Muslims not Americans.

[eric/]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

The militia movement is currently perhaps the most likely source of domestic terrorism. A couple recent cases in Alaska and Michigan are disturbing reminders of this. Most militias consist of relatively harmless survivalist conspiracy theorists. But some are more dangerous and are actively contemplating terrorist attacks.

So what should we do then?

[Lord Blackadder]

Originally Posted by eric/

So what should we do then?

I was merely responding to the fact that you said you didn't understand the "hate" (though I personally wouldn't use that term) directed towards militia groups. The answer, as I articulated above, is that militias have a track record of crime, including, most worryingly, acts of domestic terrorism. Even if only a few groups out of the thousands that nominally exist are truly willing to carry out their threats, it stands to reason that we should be concerned about their threats.

As to what we should 'do', it's pretty simple - enforce the law. Nothing more, nothing less.

Do you underdstand the concern 'directed towards militia groups' now?

[Sedulous]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

I was merely responding to the fact that you said you didn't understand the "hate" (though I personally wouldn't use that term) directed towards militia groups. The answer, as I articulated above, is that militias have a track record of crime, including, most worryingly, acts of domestic terrorism. Even if only a few groups out of the thousands that nominally exist are truly willing to carry out their threats, it stands to reason that we should be concerned about their threats.

As to what we should 'do', it's pretty simple - enforce the law. Nothing more, nothing less.

Do you underdstand the concern 'directed towards militia groups' now?

Don't bother... he is one of those that feels the ATF had no legitimate reason to have a warrant to search the Davidian compound in Waco.

[citizenzen]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Actually it's your good friends in the hysterical, liberal, American freedom hating press who stoke the fear that feeds these groups.

Then it shouldn't be difficult for you to provide source material to back up this assertion.

[hulugu]

Originally Posted by Thomas Veil

Man the armaments, men! Obama might actually win this thing!

I'll acknowledge these loonies probably come up with these ideas on their own, or from other loonies. But I think guys like our good friends Limbaugh and the late Breitbart help stoke these fears. The internet, unfortunately, is another culprit -- a convenient way for crazy people to share with other crazy people.

Anyway, if you are worried about the economy and need a good job, you might want to think about criminal justice. Sounds like they're going to need people.

I went to a briefing from the SPLC during a conference and they noted that the rise and fall of militia groups was almost directly correlated with Democratic presidents. Clinton's run showed a remarkable rise in militias, while during Bush's era, the number of militia groups fell.

With this in mind, I'm unsurprised at the results of this new report.

Originally Posted by Zombie Acorn

Their description of a militia doesn't sound right. Patriot group could mean the tea party. Who knows what else they are counting. If they aren't armed and practicing every week I wouldn't consider it a militia.

Obama will win because there are no other choices.

From the SPLC:

...The Southern Poverty Law Center identified 1274 anti-government “Patriot” groups that were active in 2011. Of these groups, 334 were militias, marked with an asterisk, and the remainder includes “common-law” courts, publishers, ministries and citizens’ groups.

Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines. Listing here does not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist....

Originally Posted by eric/

I don't really see why there is a lot of hate directed toward "militia" groups. So long as they're not bothering other people, I don't see how this is any more looney than any other group.

The SPLC tracks militia groups because of their extremism, their connection to direct criminal behavior including domestic terrorism and the often deep connection to other hate groups.

[MacNut]

I guess the question is, if we have a right to over throw the government for over stepping it's responsibilities, but people are arrested for doing so are we really a free nation?