Right and Left Wing Terror Groups in America: Extremism

Introduction: Polarization and the Rise of Extremism

Extremism in the U.S. is on the rise, driven by growing polarization throughout the country as the Left and the Right become more and more opposed to one another ideologically, politically, socially, and emotionally. There is a deep rift between the two sides and little sense of common ground. Much of this rise has come on the heels of the explosion in social media use, which allows individuals to promote their views to the rest of the world in a way that was literally unheard of prior to the digital revolution (Freberg, Graham, McGaughey & Freberg, 2011). As social media use has risen exponentially since its inception in the 2000s, the level of ideologically driven influencers in that space both reflects and facilitates the level of extremism in the United States.

As both the popularity of groups like Antifa on the Left and the Proud Boys on the Right demonstrate, young people are those most likely to be drawn into extremist groups. They are the most likely to be using social media, networking with others, and falling prey to terror predators seeking to lure impressionable young minds into their cells (Chatfield, Reddick & Brajawidagda, 2015; Costello & Hawdon, 2018; Mouras, 2015). The politicization of views has only intensified with the clash of two cultures since 2016 — a blue-collar, mostly religious, anti-establishment culture on the Right versus a liberal, inclusive, mostly progressive, politically correct culture on the Left. Since 2016, there has been no meaningful movement to close the cultural gap, and as a result, a rise in violence has been observed on both the Right and the Left.

The future trends and threats related to domestic extremist groups point toward an increasing wave of polarization that will lead to mounting tribalism, where groups splinter and fracture off from larger communities. Tribalism can produce pockets of extremist behavior and thinking similar to terror cells. The Branch Davidians in Waco, TX, could be regarded as a foreshadowing of what is to come in the 21st century. However, with the power of social media, the extent to which tribal groups can grow and develop is far greater than it was in the early 1990s. As Hamm and Spaaj (2015) point out, the relaxation of gun laws in the 1990s and the increase in mass shootings since that decade all indicate a breakdown in social order and an inflammation of extremist mentalities, extremist groupthink, and extremist tendencies. Since the ability to create havoc on a large scale using small-arms weapons is readily available, there is little reason to assume that weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) should be the primary focus of counter-terrorist activity. Rather, individual extremists or lone wolves are fully capable of inflicting extreme violence on a local population. They may be stopped shortly afterwards, but because so many are being radicalized by social media and invited to join radical groups, they are emerging everywhere.

Preventing the swarm mentality is going to be the main challenge going forward, and it will not be easy, as the primary tool of indoctrination — social media — is difficult to police, and the wider Internet, with its various platforms where extremists can meet and gather online, is even more difficult to monitor and control. Digital technology has allowed for unprecedented growth in communications, and the more connected people become, the easier it is for extremist groupthink to proliferate. For this reason, the trends of violence, domestic terror, and extremism are likely to continue to rise unless significant structural measures are put in place with respect to the Internet and to small-arms weapons acquisition.

Political and Social Roots of Extremist Groups

A lack of representation and a sense that politicians are attempting to strip citizens of their Constitutional rights are two of the main factors that have contributed to the rise of political extremist groups in the US. Beinart (2017) notes, for instance, that Antifa has developed in the US in response to perceived authoritarianism by the US government. The members of Antifa associate today's leaders with the fascists of the 1930s and 1940s. The rise of the Black Panthers in the 1970s came about for similar reasons — particularly in response to the assassinations of the 1960s, and especially the murder of Malcolm X, who had energized black America with rhetoric and actions that did not shy away from violence in the way that Martin Luther King's civil rights movement did. Black Nationalism today, particularly Black Lives Matter, is fueled by contempt for law enforcement, which the group views as unfairly targeting and killing black Americans (Mulloy, 2014).

It can thus be seen that the rise of extremist groups in the US is essentially a reaction to policies and actions on the part of the government. The members of these groups feel marginalized and oppressed by the government and believe that no other choice or option is left to them other than to take violent action against the government and its agents. For this reason, the lone wolf terrorist known as the Unabomber targeted Americans as a way to express his outrage at the authoritarianism of the US government (Barnett, 2015).

Part of the problem is that the political system itself in America does not lend itself to overcoming the differences that these groups feel. It does not genuinely foster or promote bipartisanship. The two sides — Right and Left, Republican and Democrat — create a political arena in which members adopt a competitive spirit and demonstrate active animosity toward one another. The Left vowed to stop President Trump upon his election, and the Right responded with equally contentious words and actions. The extremist group Proud Boys developed on the Right, for instance, to counter the leftist extremist group Antifa in the streets, while their political representatives battled it out in Congress.

The spirit of the political arena creates division and anger, which translates into violent action on the part of constituents in society. They see themselves as members of a street force serving a militant role — somewhat like the Church Militant in the Old World, a force that would resist any efforts by groups seeking to undermine their power. Today's groups are similar, though they do not all feel disenfranchised. Proud Boys members are very supportive of President Trump and feel he represents their interests. Antifa members are inspired by the growing bloc of radical leftist politicians. This type of political dynamic furthers the feeling of disenfranchisement among those who dislike the party politics that keep the two-party system from allowing political outsiders access to the political mechanism. The end result is that people in America are angered by how their so-called representatives appear to look out for the party's interests instead of those of the people they claim to represent. The political divide is exacerbated by the economic divide, as the poor become poorer and the rich become richer. The disenfranchised on both the Left and the Right feel this tension in similar ways — namely, that profits are privatized while losses are socialized. The disenfranchised on the Left and the Right do not, after all, disagree on every political and social point.

The Radicalization Process and Lone Wolf Terrorism

The radicalization process for individuals entering extremist groups typically begins with questioning. Individuals like Nidal Hasan, the 2009 Fort Hood shooter, became radical Islamists after reflecting on the actions of the US government and the American military in the Middle East. Hasan began to feel that the American government was deliberately targeting Muslims in the Middle East, and this angered him. He began to question what was happening and communicated online with radical Islamist leaders in the Middle East, who encouraged an extremist viewpoint. The interaction between Hasan and foreign extremists fortified his views, and he became increasingly overtly religious. The activities of being an actively religious person with extreme views inevitably led him toward a sense that action was required — action that aligned with his religious convictions. The more extreme those religious views are, the more extreme that action is likely to be. For Hasan, his views hardened into a belief that he needed to engage in jihad to make the Western government pay for what he perceived as its misdeeds against Muslims in the Middle East. He subsequently planned and executed a terror attack on Fort Hood.

Most people who are radicalized today are radicalized over the Internet, where they come into contact with others they would otherwise never meet. Social media is the primary agent that allows this to happen. Communication technology has developed so extensively that groups and individuals now have access to one another at unprecedented levels. A person seeking out like-minded others on the Internet will inevitably find them with relative ease. This is the main challenge in stopping the radicalization process. There appears to be no way to police the Internet without violating the rights of individuals (Costello & Hawdon, 2018; DeCook, 2018).

References

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