Abstract: Government has become increasingly tyrannical. That's the belief that unites the diverse, right‐wing populist movement in the U.S. The armed militias constitute the militant wing of that movement. The core issues underlying the movement are anti‐government: members oppose taxes, gun control, and federal regulations while claiming to champion constitutional liberties—for themselves but not necessarily for others. Many militia members believe a secret elite conspiracy controls the government, the economy, and the culture. The militia movement's themes echo historic white supremacist, state's rights arguments and classical anti‐Semitic conspiracy theories, even though few members seem to realize it. The armed militia leadership promotes ideas that would deny basic rights and create a second‐class citizenship for people they oppose. The movement wants to short‐circuit the democratic process, forcing people—by bullets rather than ballots—to accept their ideas. Militia organizers manipulate people's real fears and grievances by directing their anger at scapegoats such as federal law enforcers and other officials, Jewish groups, abortion providers and pro‐choice supporters, environmentalists and conservationists, gay and lesbian rights organizers, and immigrants, people of color, and welfare recipients.
Publication Year: 1995
Publication Date: 1995-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 8
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