(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

So now that Chuck Norris has proclaimed his support for right-wing rebels and terrorists in the United States (h/t tauthomas), what will become of barrens chat?

ETA. I don't want to go off on a rant here, but we're going to be seeing a lot of this kind of thing in the weeks and months to come, so it's best to start discussing it now. "Thousands of cell groups ... united around the country" is meant to be ominous and threatening. I do not, however, think there is anything hollow or idle in this threat. These wackos were the face of terrorism in the US before 9/11. They've been relatively silent since then, while one of their own was president. Over the last couple of years they've made a few vague crackpot grumblings, but the thing is, left wingers, even on the extreme end, are not organized in thousands of cells in preparation for a violent uprising. In moments of anger there was some vague musing about riots, but nothing that was quite so believably menacing as this. There haven't been any militantly-organized leftists in the US since the Weather Underground. During the Bush years, the worst we really saw from the left was some talk about moving to Vermont and seceding.

If the economy gets really bad, i mean really really bad, these crackpots won't look so crackpotty anymore. Things like this essay by Chuck Norris represent the emergence of something truly ugly and dangerous in American society.

Comments

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

It will become mandatory for all, as the sole permissible medium of political discourse?

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

It's approaching that with or without Chuck Norris. I'm waiting for the day 4chan becomes the host of the presidential debates. (This will also, by sheer coincidence, be the day i slit my wrists while sitting in a running car in my garage.)

OTOH maybe Chuck Norris jokes in Barrens chat will take a sinister turn. "Chuck Norris doesn't pledge allegiance to the flag, the flag wraps itself around him of its own accord."

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

I'm sure many will rally to Chuck's cause, because, as all Texans know, we'd be much better off being run by our homegrown breed of fiscally-responsible, impeccably ethical, corruption-free, egalitarian Texas politicians than being dictated to by those bastards in DC.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I don't think there are enough of them radicalized enough to get what they want, but there are enough of them for shooting rampages that won't be reported and more KC style terror attacks. I'm not so worried about a violent takeover of the country as I am of just getting shot over my bumper stickers. I am worried about that.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Oh, i think there's little chance that they can take over the country via armed rebellion. But the potential for mayhem is high.

[nebris.livejournal.com]

And here, in a nutshell - all puns intended - is why I am a very 'pro-gun progressive'.

Also, Patriot Act anyone? ;)

~M~

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeedy. I never thought that the heirs to the BLack Panthers, Weather Underground, etc., would be the ones calling for unilateral disarmament of our side.

[nebris.livejournal.com]

We need more organizations like The Pink Pistols (http://www.pinkpistols.org/).

~M~

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Anything that evens the odds even slightly is a good thing.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

My prediction, posted just over a year ago, is that during the Obama administration "The new face of the terrorist menace is the white survivalist/separatist." This menace (which at least is real, unlike the 'danger' that was supposedly poised to the US by Saddam Hussein) is the reason Democrats will decline to roll back *any* of the domestic surveillance provisions enacted during the Bush years.

Democrats will decline to roll back domestic surveillance

[nebris.livejournal.com]

As the Marines like to say, "Payback is a mother fucker." =)

~M~

[jimkeller.livejournal.com]

And here, in a nutshell - all puns intended - is why I am a very 'pro-gun progressive'.

Hear, hear!

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

I expect it is people with a radical turn of mind
on the left who are most hoping for this to blossom
and become somehow credible at least to them now that
president obama is proving to be ...well... a normal
president. :)

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Well... some militant leftists, maybe. I don't think there are all that many. And it's probably more accurate to say they hope militant right-wingers will do something stupid.

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Yeah - speaking a person with "a radical turn of mind
on the left," - what you said.

I'm not too worried about right-wing crazies in general, given that so many of them (like Norris and his ilk) view the "enemy" as Black, Brown, secular, and educated ("elitist"). Not the type of attitude that will attract a lot of popular support.

The right-wing militias had some sympathy from the left during the Clinton years, due to the gross excesses and disregard for constitutional procedures used against them by the government, but they come across as much less libertarian, and more clearly and overtly racist, classist, and flat-out insane than they did back then. Possibly this is because their views are now given certain "mainstream" legitimacy, being expressed by folks like Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, Glenn Beck, etc.

Please, please...

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

...encourage them to secede.

The United States of America would be so much better off without Texas and everything the people of Texas (most of 'em) believe in!

Re: Please, please...

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

There're a lot of people in Texas i like, for whom i would be terrified if anything of the sort actually happened.

Re: Please, please...

[fooltheworld.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's always sad to me when people lump us all into one category. It would be terrifying if that ever became a serious possibility. My parents and my husband's parents would likely be thrilled to stay and I'd want to get the hell out! Well, I actually want to get the hell out now.

Re: Please, please...

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

I'll settle for Austin seceding. We might as well - the legislature already refers to us as "Hanoi on the Colorado." :)

Re: Please, please...

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Seceding from Texas i assume you mean, not the US. AlTHOUGH... *strokes chin*

Re: Please, please...

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

How extremely rude. And arrogant.

Re: Please, please...

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

Indeed! So "rude and arrogant" that I have permanently expatriated myself from the United States, so that I no longer have to display my "rudeness and arrogance" in conversations with American political neandrathals!

Re: Please, please...

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

That's quite all right. I'm glad of it, in fact. We need fewer people in America who are willing to insult entire groups of people based on a single data point.

Since not all Texans are of a common race, it's not actually racism that you're displaying. It's just bigotry.

Re: Please, please...

[pbrim.livejournal.com]

Oh, great! Those of us left leaning people here don't have enough problems alread! Now you want me to have to abandon my job, my home, my friends and family and run for the border. You know "Texans" is no more monolithic a group than any other group of 24 million people and we don't all worship Chuck Norris.

Re: Please, please...

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but, in my opinion, YOU would be better off leaving, as well.

Re: Please, please...

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

That would just be playing into their hands.

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

that bitch has been kicked in the head too many times.

or maybe the only thing he's read in the last 30 he's read is ridiculous scripts.

he's an entertainer. unfortunately sheeple don't see that.