INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
The paranoid and the paramilitary: An American traditionAnger, guns and simplistic theories stir the new patriots' brewBy Russ
Bellant
Are militias linked to the white supremacist movement? Who is Mark of Michigan? Glossary of terms near and dear to right-wing extremists Quotes, " . . . BACK TO MILITIA HOME |
The climate of fear that has led thousands of Americans to take up arms, potentially against their own government, is as American as apple pie. Some support has even come from elected officials, particularly those who have insisted for years that government is bad--while trumpeting the National Rifle Association's line that any and all guns are good. Differences abound among the right-wing militias that have sprung up under various names in perhaps 18 to 30 U.S. states--but there is a common and disturbing thread. All are armed paramilitary groups that claim as an item of faith that American society is controlled by a single-minded, sinister elite conspiring to create a totalitarian system, sometimes called the New World Order, possibly with the help of foreign forces. There is sometimes a whiff of anti-Semitism about their ideology; some refer to the present system contemptuously as ZOG, an acronym for Zionist Occupation Government. For anyone who accepts the basic outlines of this conspiracy, the logic is relentless: The sinister cabal at the top of the system is so powerful, so total it can only be countered by military power; little or no energy should be spent on reform efforts. Some believe the conspiracy controls Washington; for others, Washington is the prime agent of evil, or at least a willing extension of the conspiracy. If one accepts that, it logically follows that to wage war against the government--by whatever means necessary--is to strike a blow against evil. Blowing up a federal office building, therefore, can be seen as a patriotic act. Indeed, many on the extreme fringe identify strongly with the New England patriots of 1775, and see the federal government as, like King George III, a hostile occupying power. THE conditions that lead any one person to be open to such beliefs may vary, and are often complex, but there is one key common factor: those attracted to the militias and their allied movements feel powerless. Already feeling oppressed, they believe the system is out to enslave them, to destroy the prospects of economic security and political freedom they believe is their birthright. Historically, such movements often flourish in times of economic stress and change. What is clear is that the economic system indeed is not working for everyone. Studies of wealth concentration, even by conservative institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank, show beyond doubt that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the working farmer or average employee has seen his standard of living drift downward since the 1970s. Americans are working harder for less, and know it. But while economists offer complicated explanations and even more complex and uncertain solutions, the world of the militia has a simple diagnosis and cure: It's not the American system that is wrong, but just this evil elite that has a grip on the system. Purge these conspirators, and everything will be OK. It is easy to see this as simplistic and irrational politics. More than 30 years ago, historian Richard Hofstadter referred to "the paranoid style of American politics." The creation of bogeymen, the mobilizing of resentful, angry men in armed, uniformed units bears the earmarks of the origins of European fascism. To the militia member, however, the conspiracy is real and their efforts are comparable to colonial revolutionists. They are constantly trying to prove and document their claims; a whole network of movements and a sort of tract publishing industry constantly struggles to "prove" or "expose" the conspiracy and its many subplots. The renewed growth of the once-moribund John Birch Society, the classic Cold War-era model of right-wing paranoia (Birch founder Robert Welch used to argue that Dwight Eisenhower was a communist) is a symptom--and the Birch network has also influenced militia members and allied groups. BUT peeved white guys were drilling in the woods long before they started using the term "militia" to describe themselves; they were generally referred to as paramilitary groups. Some have been around since the 1930s. Many were hate groups, mixing white supremacy with economic populism, especially in the farmbelt. Elements from these older paramilitary bands have moved into the newer militias, recruiting militiamen into their hate doctrines. Others, who come out of the John Birch/anti-communist strain, resist recruiting along those lines. They realize armed hate groups do not recruit large numbers of people. And they know they will need lots of people if they are going to eventually confront the United States government. Also feeding the militias are the anti-tax and anti-gun control groups. Rallies sponsored by the former Gun Owners of Macomb last spring helped kick off militia organizing in southeast Michigan. The group now has evolved into Gun Owners of Southeastern Michigan, and tables at its events are often stocked with militia regalia, videotapes, some purveying anti-Semitic propaganda, and conspiracy theory books and periodicals. Another element adding to the anti-government fervor is the talk-radio hosts from Rush Limbaugh nationally to Detroit's own Mark Scott, who finds fault with every feature of government because, he says, he believes there should be none. The anti-abortion movement has also been more a factor than often realized; as it has grown more militant, so have its views of how the world worked. Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry, for instance, urged his followers to adopt a conspiratorial view of politics. In his book, "Accessory to Murder," Terry wrote that his goal was not just to stop abortion: "We are at war for the soul of our nation." He asserts a conspiracy controls U.S. politics as well. Several independent militias have come directly out of the anti-abortion movements, including the Army of God. Its manual was a how-to guide in the use of chemicals and explosives. Anti-abortion militia activists have been involved in many bombings, death threats, assaults and several killings of doctors and abortion clinic personnel in recent years. The authors of these deeds, like other types of militia members, seek to overthrow the system. Abortion is just an issue that pulls some in to engage in this larger war. Anti-environmental groups have also spawned armed groups that have threatened federal Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officers in Western states. They emphasize property rights and portray environmental regulations as part of a New World Order conspiracy to destroy freedom. The religious right has also contributed to the views that buttress militia organizing. In particular, Pat Robertson's book, "The New World Order," is a classic of conspiracy literature. Robertson compiled and synthesized all the standard conspiracy theory texts, including several anti-Semitic books. The Robertson book says the same thing the militias are saying--that there is a New World Order that controls society and which must be stopped. His book was written as a manifesto for the Christian Coalition, which he believes can gain power through elections rather than guns. But like the militias, he agrees that a radical restructuring of society must occur. His book was on the New York Times best-seller list for months, with its sole jacket endorsement from the John Birch Society. ALL of these currents have helped make extreme right-wing politics popular and even respectable. And the more the disaffected are told that society is in the grip of a conspiratorial cabal, the more some of them are tempted to take up arms to overthrow it. Finally formed, some militia leaders and members must feel legitimized by the attention given them by some "respectable" elected officials. U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Troy), for instance, shared a podium with three leaders of the Michigan Militia a week before the 1994 elections. State Rep. Deborah Whyman (R-Canton) has praised the militia and was featured in a white supremacist publication for her role in supporting its concerns. Although these currents seem separate, the leaderships network with each other and share a similar outlook. Behind the scenes, the national leaders of many of these movements want a radical restructuring of society along theocratic lines. They directly or indirectly influence all of those movements, including Robertson's. But many of their followers in the "patriot" movement, including militia members, are unaware who is behind the curtain. They are so busy looking for
government conspiracies, they miss the possibility that they
are being taken in themselves by a conspiracy of the right,
for whom, as Bob Dylan once sang, they are only pawns in
their game.
|