What's the far right trying to build power for?

[Nevilledog]

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Philip Bump
@pbump
A party that didn't bother developing a platform in 2020 is now seeing its fringe work to hem in elections and extremists seep into the party and elected office.

What does the far right want to do with this power?

washingtonpost.com
Analysis | What’s the far right trying to build power for?
From the Proud Boys in Florida to the "stop the steal" fringe nationally, what's the endgame?
8:15 PM · Jun 2, 2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/02/whats-far-right-trying-build-power/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/yd9Dz

There was a time when Enrique Tarrio, the currently imprisoned head of the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys, wanted to be an elected official. In 2019, he briefly entertained a bid for Congress from South Florida. He completed a questionnaire offered by Ballotpedia in which he explained his candidacy and his political role models — Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) among them.

For those familiar with Tarrio solely through his recent political activity — leading a fringe movement that embraces violence and was central to the Capitol riot — this may seem incongruous. But Tarrio has for some time been intertwined with prominent political actors in Florida. He has known Donald Trump’s longtime adviser Roger Stone for years and ran a group called Latinos for Trump. His flirtation with running for office was a flirtation with gaining power via one route. He ended up choosing another.

Others in his organization, though, aren’t forcing that same choice. The New York Times on Thursday explored the extent to which the Republican Party in Miami-Dade County had been infiltrated by active members of the Proud Boys.

“At least a half-dozen current and former Proud Boys … have secured seats on the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, seeking to influence local politics from the inside,” Patricia Mazzei and Alan Feuer report. “Their ranks include adherents who face criminal charges for participating in the Capitol attack.”

*snip*

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. They are anti-socialist, anti-government,

What happens when you give the idiots control of your Government?

[Pyryck]

2. Hungary, the country, happens...

CPAC was held in Hungary for reasons...none of them good for the future of democracy in America.

[Abolishinist]

3. Seems pretty simple to me.

They consider themselves to be the 'true/real Americans' who have sat back and watched as lefties/liberals/marxists/commies/socialists et al have gained power/taken away their rights to the point they are willing to go to war to defend their way of life. And although they have little to no comprehension of the history/interpretations of the 2nd Amendment, it doesn't matter.

In their way of 'thinking', they have been marginalized (due to their lack of income/intellect/education/class/culture) to the point where they have nothing left to lose.

And they will do WHATEVER is necessary to accomplish their goals.

[Boomerproud]

13. They're wrong on all levels.

EOM

[lostnfound]

4. Perhaps scared of implications of climate change on their own wasteful lifestyles

Trying to grab power and preserve wealth to maintain current privilege

[Lithos]

5. Would you rather eat steak or McDonalds?

Or at least think you are going to get steak?

[JHB]

6. The same thing any aristocrat wants. Doesn't matter that they're gutter aristocrats.

They want to feel the sheer joy of stepping on people and causing pain, because they're the ones on top and the people who they step on have the temerity to not be in awe of that and follow them with a smile on their faces.

[dchill]

7. They want to legislate and adjudicate themselves...

...out of trouble for their deeds done and yet to he done.

[Woodswalker]

8. Not what they want to build power for but who.

simple answer the very rich who wants slave labor back in the homeland

[Kablooie]

9. The end game is to hand the country over to a total dictator.

They want a country like 1940s Germany. A country where anyone can disappear overnight for having an opinion. A country where everyone is terrified of their neighbors who might condemn them to death. That’s what they are dreaming of.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Simple: They want total permanent power and access to all US financial assets.

The GOP wants what Putin has.

They have their foot soldiers of armed men who will do their bidding, overturn elections and terrorize the American public into compliance.

[Amishman]

11. To preserve the status quo, or even roll back the societal clock

It comes down to social issues.

They don't want the diverse multicultural society that this county is slowly becoming. That future has already arrived in large cities. They want to go back to a pseudo-christian capitalist monoculture.

[anarch]

12. white supremacy

I mean honestly, that's really what it comes down to, regardless of whatever other supposedly moralistic or patriotic-sounding bullshit they try to bring into it.

[betsuni]

14. It got out of hand and is chaos.

[Efilroft Sul]

15. They want to kill us. They're only waiting for the okay from above.

I have two people in my neighborhood waiting to do that. I have a diner in the town next to me where a pro-gun/anti-mask militia of the worst kind gathers to speak out against "freedom-hating" libs and the way the world ought to be. Once a guy like Trump, De Santis, or Mastriano promises to look the other way, it will be like Christmas and the first day of hunting season rolled into one for the happy warriors on the right.