Will there be new militant left-wing groups?

[skooooo]

Anyone want to speculate? This is simply a question asking for opinions, I'm not advocating for or against. In the 60s there were the Weathermen, Black Panthers, and other groups. What will happen now?

[H2O Man]

1. By "militant"

do you mean those associated with violence? I have no interest in this type, although the Black Panthers did not start out that way at all.

My interest in "militant" would be with such things as Martin Luther King's actions, as well as those of the Berrigan Brothers. Militant pacificism is on its way. And we just might sing Bob Marley songs in this generation.

[skooooo]

7. Not asking whether you have interest or not...

..I understand that you don't. I'm asking what you think will happen.

[H2O Man]

8. Which does not answer the simple question:

what do you mean by "militant"? Do you think of it only in the narrow and limited scope of "violent"? (wink)

[skooooo]

11. I guess I was ...

....thinking of militant as violent, yes.

[H2O Man]

15. You say you want a revolution

well, you know
we all want to change the world.
You tell me that its evolution
well, you know
we all want to change the world.
But when you talk about destruction
don't you know that you can count me out.
Don't you know it's gonna be
alright, alright, alright.
You say you got a real solution
well, you know
we'd all love to see the plan.
You ask me for a contribution
well, you know
we're all doing what we can.
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
all I can tell you is brother you have to wait.
Don't you know it's gonna be
alright, alright, alright.
You say you'll change the constitution
well, you know
we all want to change your head.
You tell me it's the institution
well, you know
you better free your mind instead.
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be
alright, alright, alright.
- John Lennon, militant pacifist

Okay, now you've done it. Got me singing Lennon this early, eh?

There already are groups that take extreme and ill-advised actions, often on environmental issues. Likely when the draft starts up, people will get worked up. Let's hope not. It is in all of our best intersts not to let violence build momentum in this country. It has to be seen as more of a potential on the far-right. Join the Southern Poverty Law Center to help comat violence. At least read their web site and consider what an increase in violence means.

[skooooo]

17. You seem to insinuate..

..that I am interested in seeing something happen. I was just asking what people thought. When you write: "At least read their web site and consider what an increase in violence means," you seem to make some assumptions.

I don't need to consider what violence means. I know what it means. Do you understand?

[H2O Man]

19. relax

If you are really interested in what people think, I'm not sure why you are taking offense at my saying that increases in violence would be a bad thing. Now, perhaps you do know everything about the rates of violence that the SPLC deals with. I'm guessing not, simply because you equate "militant" with "violence," which kind of puts your thinking into a context. Do you understand?

[skooooo]

20. let's just drop it..

You say, "why you are taking offense at my saying that increases in violence would be a bad thing." Obviously, you don't get my point.

[H2O Man]

28. I get your point.

Dropping it is fine. But don't kid yourself. I get your point.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. Only in the minds of the right wing.

I just don't see the left wing becoming violent but that won't stop the right from fantasizing.

[Sin]

3. most likey

Orange jump suits a small island and the patriot act. So no I don't see any visible ones happening because all the members and people they know will be part of the evil doers at that point.
If ever one did get organised and went public there would be immidiate confrontations I'm guessing.
This is Just covering the possiblity of Armed violent groups that is, depending on who is filling the vacant posiotions that are opening up heck maybe even the peacfull ones will be targeted as well.

[American Tragedy]

4. I'm sure that the right wing media hopes so

[luaneryder]

5. Extremists of all ilks

I don't think *'s second term was necessarily deemed a coup by RW extremists, Ruby Ridgers, Waco Koreth's, who resent all government interference. I do think we'll see more LW groups emerging, but my feeling is the RW ones will also become more active.

[billyoc]

6. I believe we will see political violence

that will make the '70s look like the '50s. :(

[gratuitous]

9. Sadly, I believe this is almost a certainty

It will come after another round of government repression and some downright nasty tactics (PATRIOT ACT II, anyone?). There will be those who will seek to recover their rights at the point of a gun or with the exploding of a bomb. They will be ineffectual, and the government will use it as an excuse to clamp down even harder.

[Dora]

10. I wouldn't be surprised if there already are.

The targets would change, I think. I think there would be less of an assault on academia and research and more action directed towards corporations.

[Danocrat]

12. I think the innauguration

will be a telling sign.

[Warpy]

13. Consider the events of the last two days

One man set himself on fire outside the White House and another tried to jump the fence. These are not Bushbot hero worshippers. They both are likely insane.

It's only a matter of time before the few Democrats living close to the edge start to drop off it.

So far, most of the violent lunatics have been on the extreme right fringe. That doesn't mean the left isn't capable of producing them.

[skooooo]

16. Hadn't heard of those two incidents..

...been trying to avoid the news like the plague. It is the plague.

[firebee]

32. Those two incidents...

The man who set himself on fire in front of the White House was supposedly a muslim making a statement, which sounds about right.

The other guy trying to jump the fence at the White House?? I don't know what his deal was, but I'm assuming he's one of the many pissed off people we have in this country.

[Cheswick2.0]

14. I certainly hope so... there is nothing wrong with militancy

as long as it is not violent. I have fantasies about some group taking over the 24 hour info-tainment stations and broadcasting real information.

[Midlodemocrat]

18. I don't see the left wing becoming violent.

...but I could be wrong. I think the left is morally opposed to violence.

[John_Shadows_1]

21. Depends on the economy, and this may interest you:

... If the economy gets worse, and the poor start getting more desperate, you may start seeing violence.

And here is a story you may not have seen:

http://rdu.news14.com/content/your_news/raleigh/default.asp?ArID=58396

I know one of these girls - she was a waitress at my favorite local bar.

[Javaman]

24. Interesting comment by the police captain...

"Capt. Ken Mathias said, "It's an old movement with roots back to the 1800's." "Their goal is to end government."

If this was true, why didn't they also attack the Democratic Parties office?

More RW bullshit.

[John_Shadows_1]

31. I do think that Anarchists's goal is to ...

.. end government - and I think they were burning an effigy of both Bush and Kerry.

By the way I completely approve of what they did.

[Javaman]

33. Here, here!

[NewJeffCT]

22. are you kdding?

The RW thinks America is already under assault by: PETA, Hollywood, The "Liberal" media, Femi-Nazis, Tree-Huggers, Flag Burners, Atheists, Agnostics, Islam, the ACLU, MoveOn.org, George Soros, Liberal New England Elitists, etc, etc.

They have demonized every attempt to criticize them in an attempt to marginalize their opposition. If a similar group as the Black Panthers started today, they can expect similar treatment. Back in the '60s, the mainstream media was more even-handed than they are now.

[Javaman]

23. It seems to me...

That the less informed a republican is, they become more militant, however the opposite is true of Democrats and Liberals, they become the more militant as they are more informed. Stereotype?
Personally, I have become more and more pissed at the gov't, the more I read and dig up information on issues.

[Jose Diablo]

25. Yes n/t

[Thtwudbeme]

26. Yes.

Yes, there will be.

[starroute]

27. I expect to see more monkeywrenching and hacking

In the early 20th century, there was an idealization of violence in certain areas of both the left and the right, and that carried over as late as the 60's. Violence was seen as a wake-up call to the apathetic, or a counter to decadence, or a proof of your commitment. But I just don't see those attitudes around on the left these days.

What I do see is a strong inclination towards monkeywrenching -- a willingness to toss spanners into the cogs of the great military-industrial machine and watch as it goes fzzz-bzzz and momentarily grinds to a halt.

The environmental left has been talking about tactics like these for decades -- not the spectacular stuff like torching car dealerships, but almost undetectable things like putting sugar in the gas tanks of bulldozers. Especially if the Bushies open the gates for a lot more environmental devastation, I would expect to see various forms of low-level sabotage aimed at making certain sorts of operations unprofitable for the corporations which might otherwise be tempted to engage in them.

The computer people are an even likelier source of industrial sabotage. They hate anything that interferes with their right to move information around, they pride themselves on their ability to slide invisibly through the system, and a lot of them are currently out of work or stuck in poorly-paying and unrewarding IT jobs. That's the sort of situation that begets viruses, hacks of websites, and even more obscure attacks on whoever they take to be responsible.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

29. Inevitable with a draft

Kids are better-armed today than in the sixties

[Name removed]

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