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RandomNumbers

(19,388 posts)

32. Try googling "left-wing extremism"

Sun Jul 5, 2026, 11:29 AM

Jul 5

Hint: if someone wants to use violence in pursuit of their objectives - that's an extremist.

Yes those people exist on both the right and the "left". That is, if you consider the "left" to include goals like completely abolishing capitalism and abolishing police as we know them (don't worry, they would have to replace the current police with some coercive means to keep people in line with the extremist's ideals, even if they refuse to admit this).

I am not calling any specific group extremist here. The key is willingness to use violence outside of self-defense and protection of the vulnerable from immediate life-threatening danger. (note that I am not a pacifist, because I make these exclusions. Otherwise I support non-violent action only in pursuit of political goals. Violent action has an overwhelming tendency to harm causes more than it helps ... besides the potential harm to innocents, which is deeply immoral.)

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Here's quite a read, in the Guardian. " America is destroying itself. It's no surprise" [View all] NewHendoLib Jul 4 OP

I'd say 9/11 Bristlecone Jul 4 #1

I'd say the SCOTUS theft of the 2000 election Coventina Jul 4 #2

I've always that RFK's assassination was a big turning point. Blasphemer Jul 4 #3

yup Skittles Jul 4 #4

The end of the Civil War was mishandled badly -misanthroptimist Jul 4 #5

There wasn't the will at the time. Haggard Celine Jul 4 #6

They could have at least come up with enough rope -misanthroptimist Jul 4 #8

As a kid, I used to marvel that they let Haggard Celine Jul 4 #10

Absolutely correct... displacedvermoter Jul 5 #30

"When did it all go wrong?" J_William_Ryan Jul 4 #7

I would add to all of the above reasons listed that Corporate Greed became so huge Marie Marie Jul 4 #9

Newt and the Moral Majority. BidenRocks Jul 5 #11

We never dealt with the question of slavery. BarbD Jul 5 #12

Reagan letting an Australian own a TV network. Grumpy Old Guy Jul 5 #13

Murdoch became a US citizen in 1985. He did not have controlling ownership in American telly before that. Celerity Jul 5 #20

Reagan got him his citizenship. Grumpy Old Guy Jul 6 #34

KNR and bookmarking. niyad Jul 5 #14

I met with extremists on the left and right? Oh, really? Xipe Totec Jul 5 #15

Try googling "left-wing extremism" RandomNumbers Jul 5 #32

1996 Hieronymus Phact Jul 5 #16

Fox and the NRA. rubbersole Jul 5 #17

A radical element took over called Wayne LaPierre Hieronymus Phact Jul 5 #33

OK, now do the UK BaronChocula Jul 5 #18

The Closing of the Canadian Mind - By Stephen Marche, Aug. 14, 2015 Celerity Jul 5 #23

People chose entertainment and outrage bait over doing the right thing. Initech Jul 5 #19

The last 50 years of Republicans willfully GPV Jul 5 #21

Interesting. I have two main responses. yardwork Jul 5 #22

The failure to renew the Fairness Doctrine by the Reagan Administration in 1987 valleyrogue Jul 5 #25

Yes. And Citizens United made it easy for billionaires to buy elections. yardwork Jul 5 #28

When did it start to go haywire? valleyrogue Jul 5 #24

Yes. The power of corporations has grown to the point where they actually rule much of the government. Lonestarblue Jul 5 #31

Drum beat of talk radio BlueWaveNeverEnd Jul 5 #26

Much of it can be surmised as every billionaire is a policy failure... EarthFirst Jul 5 #27

America has intermittently "destroyed" itself. harumph Jul 5 #29

Robber barons corporate personhood and other laws they put in place Blue Full Moon Jul 6 #35