The Peasants Are Revolting, Sir

Malkinvania is completely stunned at the fact that Homeland Security is looking into right-wing domestic terrorism.

The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says.

The White House has distanced itself from the analysis. When asked for comment on its contents, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said, "The President is focused not on politics but rather taking the steps necessary to protect all Americans from the threat of violence and terrorism regardless of its origins. He also believes those who serve represent the best of this country, and he will continue to ensure that our veterans receive the respect and benefits they have earned."

The wingers are going more or less crazy, accusing the DHS of propaganda and painting all the loyal opposition to Obama as racist nutjobs.

Now, I wonder why anyone would think that about the right-wing media.

These same people told us we had to have this oppressive gulag-era secret police wiretapping and security apparatus in place to protect us from the Great Beturbaned Brown Horde. The fact that the apparatus still exists is a problem, of course. But it's now it's feeling out the same whackos that gave birth to it.

Only now, in the last 24 hours, is this all a bad thing to these idiots. They didn't care if Bush used it on Americans, as long as those Americans weren't conservative Republicans, the rest of the effing country was fair game. Anyone who wasn't a conservative Rebpulican was of course a suspect Muslim terrorist sympathizer.

The mere possibility that the tables have been turned and Bushenstein's Monster has turned on its creators had never, ever, ever, occured to them.

It's all Obama's fault, of course. Bush would never use that kind of power unethically, after all. Only Democrats can actually break laws. Republicans simply heroically resist unjust and activist legislation.

And while the report itself does somewhat unfairly single out Iraq and Afghanistan vets as being potential recruits, the same was said about Gulf War vets 15 years ago...and more than a few of those ended up going bad because they didn't get the mental health care they badly needed. Sadly, there's plenty of evidence that's still going on today.

So what's the difference, you say? Obama's still using wiretapping against his political enemies just like Bush did. The difference is those like myself called out both men on it. The wingnuts only figured out it was ripe for abuse when they were unfairly smeared with the Tim McVeigh brush.