This is, IMHO, a very important topic.

There is a significant and insidious reason for why the U.S. government ignores the threat posed by domestic right-wing terrorists: namely, that right-wing extremists are potentially useful to the State and to Capital in the event of a mass left-wing social movement. Remember, the radical Right is treated with kid gloves compared to the radical Left. The Left is composed of "dangerous extremists" who "threaten American values", but the Right are merely expressing their rights to "freedom of speech" and "freedom of association."

We on the Left must be aware of and vigilant against the threat posed by these groups - and recognize that the U.S. government will not help us.

What Left?

It is evidence of our weakness that they don't even bother with us, pretty fucking embarrassing. In time, sure, and it's always something to keep in the back of your mind, but first we gotta work on having something that gets that unwanted attention.

What Left?

It is evidence of our weakness that they don't even bother with us, pretty fucking embarrassing. In time, sure, and it's always something to keep in the back of your mind, but first we gotta work on having something that gets that unwanted attention.

Fair points, I suppose that "Islamic terrorism" is the current bogeyman for focusing the attention of the malcontents and discontents of Empire. But my point was that the far Right - even the violent elements of it - is not given much thought in spite of its alarmingly high (and rapidly growing) presence here in the US of A, precisely because they represent not a rejection of capitalism or bourgeois rule (not even a reactionary rejection), but on the contrary, an extreme defense of capitalist economic and social relations. In many ways, that's what the bizarre phenomenon of Donald Trump is about.

Also, keep in mind that the agencies tasked with defeating the "terrorists" (FBI, CIA, the military-industrial complex, police departments, and such) were either created for or expanded in response to the threat posed by the radical Left - especially the Commies - in the 20th century. They were tasked with destroying the American Left, and for the all intents and purposes, they succeeded. Those are the conditions under which we operate....

What Left?

It is evidence of our weakness that they don't even bother with us, pretty fucking embarrassing. In time, sure, and it's always something to keep in the back of your mind, but first we gotta work on having something that gets that unwanted attention.

One more thing: the importance of recognizing the threat posed by the far-Right is that they are poised and willing to seize power (or more likely, seize political power with non-negligible amounts of bourgeois Establishment support) from a neoliberal bourgeois Establishment that is fracturing apart, has been utterly (and deservedly) discredited and is rapidly losing its influence over the direction of American politics.

But indeed..."What Left?" The only alternative to neoliberalism on the horizon is no alternative at all, but the ultra-reactionary and increasingly fascist vulgar Right - which, not coincidentally, is a product of neoliberalism and its consequences, as well as the Anerican Left being eviscerated and left for dead. That is precisely why we must work to build an actual alternative to capitalism, one that is radical and revolutionary in both theory and in practice. A massive undertaking, considering that the far-Right has a decades-long head start on us...go figure.

Fair points, I suppose that "Islamic terrorism" is the current bogeyman for focusing the attention of the malcontents and discontents of Empire. But my point was that the far Right - even the violent elements of it - is not given much thought in spite of its alarmingly high (and rapidly growing) presence here in the US of A, precisely because they represent not a rejection of capitalism or bourgeois rule (not even a reactionary rejection), but on the contrary, an extreme defense of capitalist economic and social relations. In many ways, that's what the bizarre phenomenon of Donald Trump is about.

Also, keep in mind that the agencies tasked with defeating the "terrorists" (FBI, CIA, the military-industrial complex, police departments, and such) were either created for or expanded in response to the threat posed by the radical Left - especially the Commies - in the 20th century. They were tasked with destroying the American Left, and for the all intents and purposes, they succeeded. Those are the conditions under which we operate....

Yeah, the Trumpsters want reform, essentially a rollback to when this was a White Man's Country, with no doubt or ambiguity, on the stupid assumption that that would solve their economic woes. All the rest is window dressing. I live among these folks, this is Trump Country.

Like Mark Twain said, “It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” This can only be overcome by reality smacking people in the face. Meanwhile we sharpen our game.