Crush Liberalism

Obama’s DHS declares war on you and me

Remember the left-wing paranoia that Bushitler McRummyburton was going to lead us to Orwellian days of government oppression?  Well, replace “left-wing paranoia” with “legit concerns” and “Bushitler McRummyburton” with “the Obama administration” and you’ve got an accurate description of this (PDF of DHS memo).  Excerpt from Hot Air:

Michelle has it covered pretty well, but I looked at the DHS report on “right-wing extremism” myself, and it’s every bit as bad as she says, and as Roger Hedgecock and the Liberty Papers first reported. The DHS fails to provide any specifics at all, preferring instead to smear half of the country or more as kooks for criticizing the government’s handling of the economy. As Eli Lake reports, the DHS has all but declared war on federalism, which used to be the founding concept of our republic:

The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity,” saying the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” the warning says.

The first question we should ask is whether the DHS is reacting to any specific threats at all? Er … no (emphasis mine):

The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues.

This gets repeated over and over again during the report. They have no threat information. In fact, the report can’t even say definitively whether “extremists” are gaining “new recruits”. In order to find that, they’d have to identify the actual groups, note the recruiting patterns, and determine whether in fact they’re gaining recruits or losing members. Bottom line: DHS has no actual data. They’re pulling threats out of their collective arse and publishing them without any supporting research whatsoever.

The document goes on to impugn veterans, especially those returning from war, as nutjobs teetering on the brink of becoming the next Tim McVeigh.  But hey, the left loves the troops, right?

Here’s a shameful excerpt:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

By their own definition, the administration would have to believe that the Founding Fathers were “right-wing extremists” and potential terrorists…as are/were anybody who believes in the Constitution and its 10th Amendment (i.e. the “states rights” amendment).  Therefore, if you believe that the 10th Amendment means what it says, then you are apparently a rightwing extremist.  If you believe that life begins at conception, then you are a rightwing extremist (which apparently means that the vice president is a wingnut…who knew?).

There’s more:

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Worrying about the economy, jobs, and foreclosures also makes a person a “rightwing extremist”?  And you thought Bubba was the president best at redefining English!

It’s gonna get fun out there, folks.

April 14, 2009 Posted by crushliberalism | big government, Obama, shameful | 13 Comments