Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Right Wing Extremist"

My Facebook profile lists my political position as "Right Wing Extremist". I change this from time to time, to state things like "Capitalist Pig", or "Vast Right Wing Conspirator", but most of the time, it reads "Right Wing Extremist".

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report advising caution against increasing "rightwing extremism". Is the Obama administration targeting me? Analysis of the report suggests that they are.

Their definition of a rightwing extremist includes "those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority". This clearly includes me, and frankly, most people I know who are supportive of the United States Constitution, including the 10th amendment. (The US Constitution specifically LIMITS the power of the Federal government.)

The report went on to casually equivocate those supportive of state or local authority with "groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups)".

The whole thing is politically motivated, and designed to classify conservatives as dangerous racists, anti-semites, militants, etc. I would expect something like this from the LA Times or the New York Times, or maybe from Keith Olberman, but not from the Department of Homeland Security. It's sickening.

Michelle Malkin has excellent detailed analysis, that I won't try to duplicate.

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