What is Radicalism? The fact that this word, and its usage by the White House, has become confused is intentional and the result of political correctness run amuck. If you asked most Americans what radicalism is, they would immediately think of 9-11, and radical Islamic terrorists. They would think of brutal organizations like ISIS, Al Qaida, Boko Haram and the murderous, terrorist acts recently committed throughout the world in their twisted efforts to further Islam. The Boston bombers, the attackers at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington D.C., Major Nadal Hasan and the Fort Hood Shootings would likely also come up since they occurred here in America. Most recently, the attacks in Canada, and in Paris would get mentioned. All of these attacks have one, very simple thing in common, they were committed by radical Islamic terrorists.

Why then is the Obama Administration conflating the global threat posed by radical Islamists with “extremism” by hosting an 18 February Summit on Countering Violent Extremism while the rest of the West is focused on Islamic terrorism? The answer goes back to the beginning of President Obama’s first term.

I retired from the USAF in August 2012, serving my last ten years in the Pentagon. I watched the systematic purging of references to Islam, Islamic extremism, etc. from government and military documents and plans beginning shortly after President Obama’s first election. They were replaced with lessor domestic threats, generic examples or outright profiling of conservative thinking people and groups. This is no revelation. Many news organizations, and members of Congress such as Representatives Michelle Bachmann and Louis Ghomert, testified to the same changes, as reported in the “Washington Examiner”. The clear result was focus on the existential threat became blurred. Rep. Bachmann stated:

Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann Speaking to patriotic Americans

“This is truly censorship by our government, the government purging itself of documents, Bachmann said…We are not only seeing documents purged. We are seeing trainers purged and we are seeing the FBI library purged.”

Representative Ghomert voiced his concerns:

“We’ve got material being removed more because of political correctness than in the interest of truth and properly educated justice officials. We are blinding our enforcement officers from the ability to see who the enemy actually is”

Examples of efforts to redefine the threat include:

1. A Judicial Watch FOIA request that exposed a compliant FBI.
“The Obama administration labels conservatives “extremists” to delegitimize opposition to its radical socialism and to justify government oppression against them. And the Obama administration’s refusal to plainly identify and focus on radical elements within Islam demonstrates a willingness to overlook real threats to our security in the name of political correctness.”

2. DHS issued a report in 2009 titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic And Political Climate Fueling Resurgence In Radicalization And Recruitment.” The first key finding of the report was: “The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence.” Among the definitions of rightwing it includes “those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority…”

That definition covers a large part of the American population, and would include all of this Nation’s founding fathers, George Washington among them.

3. 72 types of Americans the US Government now considers potential terrorists, based upon government documents.

4. Here’s an excerpt of what the White House is teaching regarding extremist threats to America:

Source: (DoD Training Materials, obtained by Judicial Watch)

– Definitions: “When a political ideology falls outside the norms of a society, it is known as extremism”
– Extremist “A person who advocates the use of force or violence; advocates supremacist
causes based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or national origin; or otherwise engages
to illegally deprive individuals or groups of their civil rights.”

– The activities of the founding fathers to break away from British rule are cited as “extremist ideologies”.

Some of the “Traits or behaviors that tend to represent the extremist style”:

1. Character assassination
Extremists often attack the character of an opponent rather than deal with the facts or
issues raised.
2. Name calling and labeling
Extremists are quick to resort to taunts (e.g., pervert, racist, and crackpot) to label and
condemn opponents and to divert others from listening to their arguments.
3. Irresponsive sweeping generalizations
Extremists tend to make sweeping claims or judgments with little to no evidence
4. Inadequate proof behind assertions
Extremists tend to be very fuzzy about what constitutes proof for their assertions
5. Tendency to argue by intimidation
Extremists tend to frame their arguments in such a way as to intimidate others into
accepting their premises and conclusions.
6. Use of slogans, buzzwords, and thought-stopping cliches
For many extremists, shortcuts in thinking and in reasoning matters out seem
necessary to avoid troublesome facts and compelling counterarguments
7. Assumption of moral superiority over others
8. Tendency to personalize hostility
Extremists often wish for the personal bad fortune of their enemies and celebrate
when it occurs.

Ideologies
a. Nationalism -The policy of asserting that the interests of one’s own nation are
separate from the interests of other nations or the common interest of all nations.

I bet most Americans would put the interest of the United States, and our allies, above those of other nations. This philosophy was the basis behind NATO, the ANZUS PACT, and countless other alliances that the US was a signatory to.

This brings us to the 18 February Obama Administration Summit on Countering Violent Extremism.

One violent movement stands apart in the world. Islamic Jihadists are intent on overthrowing the world order and creating a radical utopia, i.e. A Caliphate. Islamic Terrorists must be focused upon separately, not in a watered down “all the above” type throwaway summit. The fact that the Obama Administration is intent on doing the opposite tells us all that we need to know. It is trying to change the national, and possibly international, lexicon to focus on extremism in general, taking focus away from the existential jihadi threat.

UPDATE:

– DHS released another Intelligence Assessment focusing on the threat from “right wing sovereign citizen extremists”.