IS THE LEFT-WING MORE LIKELY TO INDULGE IN TERRORISM?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Democrats and those of us to the left of center seem to be watched more closely.
Do you remember when this happened?
Back in 2005 a Senate Judiciary Committee revealed that for a period of five weeks Senator Edward Kennedy was repeatedly denied flight on commercial airplanes because his name was on a government “no fly” list.

Between March 1 and April 6 airline agents blocked him from boarding flights, mainly between Washington DC and Boston, on five separate occasions.

The 72-year-old Kennedy briefly recounted the Kafkaesque incidents: “He said, ‘We can’t give it to you ... You can’t buy a ticket to go on the airline to Boston.’ I said, ‘Well, why not?’ He said, ‘We can’t tell you.’ Tried to get on a plane back to Washington ... ‘You can’t get on the plane.’ I went up to the desk and said, ‘I’ve been getting on this plane, you know, for 42 years. Why can’t I get on the plane?’”

National Security Watch:

60 right-wing terror plots foiled

By Danielle Knight

In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing killed 168 people, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by anti-government militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.

The plots demonstrate that the Department of Homeland Security still needs to closely monitor right-wing groups, says Heidi Beirich, with the Intelligence Project. The DHS was criticized by hate-group experts in April when an internal planning document on domestic terrorist threats was leaked to the press. The DHS report listed radical leftist groups, such as the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front, which have been involved in numerous arson cases, but not violent right-wing militia and skinhead groups.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security, is calling for the DHS to do more to fight right-wing domestic terror groups and to work more closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "The FBI has a considerably more thorough view of domestic terrorism than DHS," says Thompson. The DHS has said that the internal document was never intended to be made public and does not represent all its assessments on domestic terrorism.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050712/12natsec.htm

[The Straight Story]

1. According to this govt paper from 1999 - the left is more sympathetic to terrorists:

www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Soc_Psych_of_Terrorism.pdf

D. Guttman (1979) also sees terrorist actions as being aimed more at the
audience than at the immediate victims. It is, after all, the audience that may
have to meet the terrorist’s demands. Moreover, in Guttman’s analysis, the
terrorist requires a liberal rather than a right-wing audience for success. Liberals
make the terrorist respectable by accepting the ideology that the terrorist alleges
informs his or her acts. The terrorist also requires liberal control of the media for
the transmission of his or her ideology.

:)

[kenfrequed]

2. What a load of crap

Yes and I suppose the terrorism of all those German Brownshirts, directed at Jews, socialists, artists, gypsies, communists, homosexuals, intellectuals, and "degenerates" were all obviously to encourage and engage the liberal mindset. Oh yeah and the KKK, sure of course they were trying to get the approval of liberal yankees.

Seriously how does this person have a job?

[The Straight Story]

4. I would argue though, who IS more sympathetic right now towards Iran, etc?

One the left we seem to take the side of those who, on the right, see as our enemies.

The right loves Israel, for example, and the left seems not to (ie, have more sympathy to their opponents). Iran? Even HRC was against their leader going to 9/11, but many on the left see it as all ok (despite his record of human rights violations).

On the left, anyone who hates bush is our friend it seems. Who cares how much evil they do in their own country, as long as they share sides with us against bush?

In that sense, I can see the article being somewhat accurate in a mainstream sense.

We take people that most people see as supporting terrorism or hate at home and say good things about them. Why?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. for the record, my political views are somewhwere between JFK and Che...

and I like MANY Democrats strongly support Isreal and other Jewish interests.

[The Straight Story]

7. I support Israel as well

and I am on the left.

I think the point was though that there are those on the left, more so than those on the right, who are sympathetic to those generally considered against the US.

From Fidel Castro to Chavez, from Iran to Iraq the left seems to take sides with those who hate America - which is why I think the moderates in our party shy away from those people (ie - those who vote in the US tend to want to vote for people who love our country and not for those who side with those who hate it).

That does not mean LW'ers are wrong in their analysis of our country and it's failings. But when push comes to shove people tend to stick together against those who don't like us.

I think that is why the left sometimes have issues getting swing voters to side with us.

Even though we have problems internally, we tend to want to stick together (rooting for the home team and such) - and when someone like the leader of Iran (for example) that most see as a total jerk is given a pass by the left it does not help our cause.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

20. your words are worth MUCH more than 2 cents! thanks...

[Oilwellian]

8. Are you having a few drinky poos today?

The right despises Israel. The KKK & christian fundamentalists come to mind to back that up. Which party helped create Israel? It certainly wasn't the GOP. We just don't support the extreme rightwing Likud party that's in power now. It doesn't mean we support Israel's enemies for chrissake.

Insofar as supporting terrorism, who armed Iran back in the 80's? Who supports Saudi Arabia? Pakistan? Hell, who supported Hitler? It certainly wasn't the leftwing in this country. I want some of what you've been smoking...or drinking.

[kenfrequed]

11. Nonsense.

Really? so all those bumper stickers that I see on liberals cars that say "If you want state religion move to Iran" are doing what? Celebrating diversity? This is the kind of myopic argument I would expect on O'Reilly. Theatre of the moment and subject to the spectacle.

You must seperate the parts of the right wing to sort out its allegiance to terror. Because certain Neo-cons and Conservative Christians have recently found Israel on a map does not make them 'anti-terror.' Hell, being Pro-Israel doesn't necessarily even mean you are against terrorist tactics.

Can you provide a concrete example of this sympathy on the left for terrorism other than a shill for big business afraid of ecotage? Or are you that set that all terrorists must be grubby hippies or guys from the middle east?

[The Straight Story]

12. I was talking about here on DU

Plenty of examples in GD :)

[kenfrequed]

14. Oh really

Or you could provide concrete examples?

[The Straight Story]

18. Take a look around, and at how most people relate to teorrorism and such

Many here support Fidel, Chavez, and find no issue with the leader of Iran - when even our own dem candidates have issues with those same people.

We hate bush, so to some it follows that if you hate bush you are good and are our friend. In Iran they hang gay people, yet a 'liberal' university here wants him to speak there?

Why are we sympathetic to those who hate bush? Is it because they are on 'our' side on one issue?

If I said i was in favor of hanging people based on sexual orientation and I oppressed women, would you welcome me to a university and want to hear me speak, or to ground zero?

We are defending people like this...why?

[kenfrequed]

19. Right...

I have yet to find an actual 'pro Iran' liberal. You are conflating the arguments of the right-that liberals are into 'truthiness.' It is Bunk.

Yes we are opposed to war in Iran. War and threats of war in Iran do nothing but strengthen the hard line and the Ayatollah and weaken the reform movement there.

As to Pro Fidel/Pro Chavez.

First I have not seen a lot of pro-Castro stuff here either. Perhaps anti-embargo (because it really is stupid and pointless) or perhaps talking out against certain other US policies with regard to Cuba.

The fact is that Castro is not a terrorist (though the same cannot be said for certain operatives that have attacked and even hijacked Cuban planes) and though some may dislike him, his human rights records is many times better than China who STILL enjoys most favored nation status. And I only need to mention Saudia Arabia who we cozy up to constantly.

I am also miffed that you equate Chavez to Castro since I have not heard of Chavez killing anyone and all of the stupid anti-Chavez crap comes from a bunch of wealthy jerks in his country that don't give a rip about the poorest people in that nation. What is the reason for the hostility towards this nation?

Is it because they had the temerity to nationalize their oil and ensure some modicum of the profits went to social spending? Did that really create the need for the US government to support a coup against him?

[kenfrequed]

13. Oh yeah...

And also this requires that you decide to accept the stupid term "terrorist." A dumb term that suggests that the terrorist cares how we (the target) feels. Most bombings and militant actions done by small groups are done for a similar reason that governments do, attacking ones enemies and inspiring ones allies.

The proliferation of the word 'terrorist' has always annoyed me. What constitutes a terrorist? If we start using it a lot we have to accept the same title at our feet when we engage in action, directly or indirectly to intimidate or force our will on other nations using thugs. A lot of South and Central American nations might certainly be justified in saying that the US s a nation that funds and supports terrorism.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. LOL!!! "liberal media" blamed again!

I respect your right to take that position SS, now all you need is a story or other reasonable documentation to support it!

[DaveJ]

16. I agree with the finding, but not the analysis

I'm sure liberals are more sympathetic to terrorists, but the opinion that this aides terrorists is just that, an opinion, part of the analysis of the findings that all research includes. The analysis is a product of the researchers' bias.

An analogy is the way the Reight asserts we encourage the entitlement mentality. In reality, because we care about the poor, we are more likely to help them improve their situation. On the other hand, since the Reight has no sympathy for the poor and do nothing to help them, all we get is more and more poverty because the Reight does nothing about it.

[OHdem10]

6. Too often and I mean to often, the Left and I Include those

are just a bit left of Center, those left of center Lefties, Far
left,, have far too long ust let accusations from the Right slide.
Very often dismissive--I have heard some : no one could ever
believe them.

As a result, the Right appears they have a right to smear us
at their whim. No one calls them on it.

The most serious mistake of all is the willingness of our party
just to assume that we caused all the failure in Vietnam.

In other words the Right has been permitted to put up their
interpretation of the 60s. Their choice was to smear Democrats
as weak on Defense. Almost weekly RWers and OReilly refer
to America Haters. RWers on the Hill refer to Democrats
as the"Hate America, Crowd." This type vitriol repeated
over and over begins to sink in out in Heartland. The Left
hate the Military is another of their favorite Myths.

Turning the other cheek is not the appropriate response.
But this has been going on since VietNam. Our Party has
for some reason ignored it.

This gives the GOP the idea they can get away with saying
the most vile things and get away with it.

Did you know we love Amindinojahd.(sp?)?


The Reality--Those Pesky Protestors in 60s were correct.

We almost need a full court WeekLong IMMERSION Therapy
describing the truth about the Left. I include everyone
because the Republicans include us all intheir accusattions.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

9. Hmmmm. From memory,...

:rofl:

I have no recollection of ever seeing an extreme left comparable to the extreme right that has existed in this nation.

None.

[Disturbed]

10. Three Left Wing groups that come to mind are:

The Black Panthers, The Weather Underground & the Symbanese Liberation Army.

[kenfrequed]

17. Oh sure

The first group was infiltrated and set up by the FBI while the other two managed a few bombings inthe 70's. Contrast that with the KKK in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. As Well as the wacky neo-nazi radical right in the 70's-today and the anti abortion assassins of 80's to today.

As far as state sponsored terror we have (during the same period the SLA and Underground was active) CIA supported death squads in:
Bolivia
Brazil
Cambodia
Chile
Domincan Republic
East Timor
El Salvador

and many other sovereign nations.

[undeterred]

15. Who were the anthrax victims? Senator Daschle?

That was a Republican bioterrorist attack wasn't it?

I would say that people on the left are more likely to be victims of terrorist attacks perpetrated by Republicans- attacks which will never be properly investigated or prosecuted.