By any means necessary?

One of the issues that first alarmed me to the unique dangers we face from the current "conservative" movement is that of domestic terrorism. Since my first days on radio during the early months of the Clinton administration I learned about the violent tendencies of some on the right. Not only did I hear callers to my station organize militia meetings and talk about their right ... no their duty ... to overthrow the government if they concluded it was not following (their interpretation of) the Constitution. I also witnessed national AM talk show hosts softly peddling this mentality and even worse, shortwave radio hosts making no pretences as to their taste for political violence. Finally, we all saw politicians like Newt Gingrich sowing discontent to pander to these militia types and it worked, as the GOP swept into power in 1994.

Then came Oklahoma City. A former GI, who had been living on a steady diet of "conservative" talk shows and right wing literature, blew up the Federal Building to protest government intrusion. I vividly recall the day after Oklahoma City where the general consensus among the listeners to my station was that it was a terrible tragedy - because of the kids and it was a horrific attack - but understandable given the circumstances.

I have been arguing that this movement still exists and has only gone into latency because their politicians have been winning. Well larger, more well known bloggers are now addressing this issue. One, Digby, sums things up quite nicely

I predict that we are going to see a remarkable resurgence of rightwing violence if the Democrats take full control of the government. These people are always surprisingly cooperative when the government is run by Republicans and then rediscover their "anti-government" beliefs when Democrats share or dominate the government. I can't imagine why that would be. We will also, sadly, see veterans involved in this. Aside from the PTSD they will come home to a world that isn't very understanding. How could we be? They've been in hell. I suspect that some of them will be attracted to the rightwing militia (or worse) unless the government makes some very aggressive moves to help these people out and provide every kind of counselling and support they can think of. The last thing we need are hardened Iraq veterans finding solace with the rightwing terrorists.

To me much of the conservative movement is populated by petulant children who, if they don't get their way, throw a fit. Unfortunately some these children have stockpiles of weapons, generous benefactors to help them organize, a media operation to disseminate their ideology and a willingness to use violence - even domestically - to advance their political beliefs. Oh Hell yes... if the Democrats win we will see these cockroaches crawl back out and terrorize this country. It will happen. Before Oklahoma City they were very open about it. I heard it from their own mouths. They believe that they alone know the real intent of the Constitution and it is their patriotic duty to defend it by any means necessary.