The Terrorist Threat: Right-Wing Radicals and the Eliminationist Mindset

[laststeamtrain]

The Terrorist Threat: Right-Wing Radicals and the Eliminationist Mindset
By Joshua Holland, AlterNet
Posted on June 12, 2009, Printed on June 12, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/140578/

<snip>

As eliminationist rhetoric becomes increasingly mainstream within the American right -- fueled in large part by the wildly overheated discourse found on conservative blogs and talk radio -- Neiwert's new book, The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right, could not have come at a more important time. In it, Neiwert painstakingly details how the rise in eliminationism is a very real threat and points to the dangers of dismissing extreme rhetoric as merely a form of "entertainment."

<snip>

Joshua Holland: There is a lot of ugly discourse in this country, and there always has been. What makes eliminationist rhetoric different from the kind of run-of-the-mill nasty stuff that we see on all sides of the political spectrum?

David Neiwert: Right -- there is a lot of hateful rhetoric that floats around on both sides. What's unique about eliminationist rhetoric is that it talks about eliminating whole blocs of people from the body politic, whereas most of the hateful rhetoric, in the case of people on the left, is directed at an individual -- George Bush or Dick Cheney and various characters on the right. That's one of the key differences -- when right-wing people talk hatefully, it often is directed at entire groups of people: Latinos, African Americans, gays and lesbians or liberals.

JH: People they deem to be inferior.

DN: Deemed inferior, or not even human. That is a critical aspect of eliminationist rhetoric. It often depicts the opposition as subhuman -- comparing them with vermin, diseases or carriers of diseases. I think for me the classic historical expression of eliminationism in America was Col. Chivington's remarks prior to the Sand Creek Massacre, where he urged the white Colorado militiamen to kill all the Indians they encountered, including women and children. He said, "nits make lice." That to me is pretty much a classic eliminationist statement.

We certainly saw it through the lynching era in America, because the same sort of rhetoric was aimed at African Americans. We saw it between 1900-1942 directed at Asian Americans, particularly Japanese. Then more recently, we have had eliminationist rhetoric and behavior directed towards gays and lesbians and other minorities. This often expresses itself in the form of hate crimes.

JH: In the book, you discuss the connection between eliminationism and fascism. Can you dig into that a little bit for me?

DN: Well, eliminationism is of course longstanding thing. It's not just something new. We have a history of it in the United States, and not just here -- it's a global phenomenon. It's rooted in tribalism, and it goes way back.

<more>

http://www.alternet.org/politics/140578/the_terrorist_threat%3A_right-wing_radicals_and_the_eliminationist_mindset/

[annabanana]

1. The primitive mindset that gives rise to this kind of extremism

may be hard wired in some brains. I honestly believe that the Authoritarian brain has a genetic component that can only be overridden by education. The same way that different languages wire the synapses differently, new information can forge new firings that change the way people think.

[mwb970]

3. Overridden by education?? And exactly how would you "educate" a right-winger?

In my observation, wingnuts are completely totally impervious to any aspect of reality, including facts, logic, evidence, science, the historical record, objects right in front of their faces, and so on. There is no possibility of "educating" people who hold as a core belief that they are right about everything, all the time, and that anyone who disagrees should be killed.

Sorry. These people are beyond "education". I agree with your comment in principle, but with the right-wingers I know of, it simply won't work.

[annabanana]

4. They can only be reached when the issue touches them PERSONALLY.

If something happens to them or their family.. or someone else that they care about. Remember, with them it's all personal and they bend the issues around it. Obama could bring Jesus back to Earth hand-in-hand and these guys would be sure it was the Devil in a Jesus suit.

If they can be shown that something is better for THEM... if it's buck in THEIR pocket, or a life saving procedure for THEIR kid.. they can be brought around.

[mwb970]

6. You're right, I have noticed that too.

Like the way Mancow reversed himself on waterboarding only after he tried it himself and suffered. Does this mean we have to waterboard each right-winger separately in order to get them all to understand? That sounds impractical.

In any case, the attitude on the right is basically "I got mine, screw you". The total lack of empathy and compassion for others is striking, especially from those who piously call themselves "Christians".

[zbdent]

2. Guy shoots up a public place, kills bunch of people, has "Conservative" books in trunk, receipts

for Rush Limbaugh's fan club ... media says "He's a lone wolf, acting alone, not representative of all the Righties ..."

Guy gets arrested for spraypainting a peaceful message on a wall of an abandoned building ... lumped in with Stalin & Hitler & Ho Chi Minh's slaughters ...

[stray cat]

5. Terrorist hatred - hate filled radicals of almost any political persuasion.