
These Americans are preparing for battle against their own government - mudil
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2016/05/21/armed-with-guns-and-constitutions-the-patriot-movement-sees-america-under-threat/
======
mindcrime
There's nothing "nutty" about the belief that the US federal government is a
huge threat to our freedom and liberty. And those kooks at the SPLC are the
ones who should be branded a "terrorist organisation". I'm tired of the way
they try to spin any "anti government" orientation as a brand of "domestic
terrorism" or "extremism." I'm about as anti-government as anybody you're
going to meet, but you don't see me throwing bombs or shooting at people. This
is just another attempt to marginalize a group of people who are tired of
being shit on by the government/corporate/military/prison/espionage complex.

~~~
extra88
The Southern Poverty Law Center performs a variety of good works. They are not
spinning, the page linked to with listing ~1,000 anti-government groups says
"Listing here [d]oes not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage
in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist." [0]

These people are already on the margins, this article is trying to inform the
public that the Bundys and their cohort seen in the headlines are at the more
extreme end of a continuum that's larger than most Americans might think.

I understand a discomfort with list-making and it plays into these groups'
persecution complex (and apparently yours) but it's a good idea like it's a
good idea to pay attention to houses on a sandy cliff; when a big storm comes
they're the ones most likely to fall.

[0] [https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-
unite...](https://www.splcenter.org/active-antigovernment-groups-united-
states)

~~~
DrScump
They label these groups without so much as a shred of documentation or even
stating their criteria in specific, objective terms. Certainly, "engaging in
groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme
antigovernment doctrines" applied to pretty much the entire Occupy movement,
yet no such groups were ever counted by SPLC.

------
noir_lord
The US government is a potential threat to it's people, all governments are by
wont of been the ones with the right to execute force.

That said as soon as you start talking about One World Order or
Autism/Vaccines you go from "right to be wary of government" into "batshit
crazy" territory.

I'm not pro/anti government, I realise the need for government I also think
it's out duty as voting citizens of wherever we live (in my case the UK) to
make sure we watch what they _do_ in our name.

The biggest threat to western democracy isn't some strange people waving a 200
year old document, it's complete political disengagement by the people who
vote.

~~~
vixen99
it's a threat to its people.

------
ezoe
So, the US government has Missiles, Tanks, Supersonic aircrafts and Nuclear
weapons. The best these patriots may have are rifles, hand grenades, commodity
vehicles and aircrafts.

Good luck with that.

~~~
mindcrime
[http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-
technology/2169909...](http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-
technology/21699098-makeshift-weapons-are-becoming-more-dangerous-highly-
sophisticated)

