The Crisis and Obama Encourage a Resurgence of Right Wing Extremists

The election of the first African-American president of the United States has led to a resurgence of the extreme right movement in the country, a report issued by the Department of Interior Security states. Written by the department in charge of “extremism and radicalization,” which is in contact with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), the document has been distributed since early April to police to prompt them to be vigilant.

Pointing out that no evidence was produced that one of these “anti-governmental” groups had intentions of fomenting terrorist attacks, the report mentions a conjunction of alarming factors. Unemployment, seizure of property and the difficulty to secure bank loans could make “recruitment” among the extreme right wing easier, it says. This current social climate is a reminder of the ‘90s, “when the radical right saw a resurgence that was fed by the economic recession and relocations.” The authorities had then noted an increase of attacks against banks and federal infrastructure.

“LONELY WOLVES”

There is another reason: the fear of seeing the Democrats introduce reservations about fire arms sales. A second example could be the difficult reinstatement of soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and are on their way back. This toughness could lead to the “possible emergence of some terrorist movements” or “lonely wolves” (extremists that act alone), the document mentions.

Referring to these veterans gave rise to a polemic. The Republicans have considered it “unacceptable that some men and women who valiantly served the country” could be depicted as “potential terrorists.” Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, had to apologize profusely on April 16th, whilst reminding that she was employed as Arizona’s U.S. Attorney when the attack in Oklahoma City in 1995, perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh, a veteran of the Gulf War who then became one of those “lonely wolves,” happened.

Once more referring to the report, the “supremacist” small groups also “capitalized on the election of an African-American president” to enroll new members. The conclusions that are drawn by the government actually meet those from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the center that has been in charge of studying these “hate groups” since the ‘70s. In February, the organization took a census of 926 small groups; that is to say, there was an increase by 50 percent of the groups since the year 2000.

According to the document, the “white supremacists” boast about a subscription influx and an increase of the number of internet users who visiting their websites since Barack Obama was elected.