4 Responses (no word count)

A good response to others is not something like "I agree." Please find something that you can analyze, add to, critique, explain, disagree with, or something. It should be a few cogent sentences. It should contain something that shows your knowledge of the subject, as well as additional materials you might bring from the web and elsewhere. Apply relevant professional, personal, or other real-world experiences. Supports position with applicable knowledge

You should create substantial responses to your peers. Think of this as your opportunity to teach. Create substantial responses which expand on a point and present information on the topic. Your responses should demonstrate your critical thinking on the topic.

Respond to the following discussions (4X). Write how you would respond to their discussions. (No word count.) Be thoughtful and insightful and it must demonstrate critical thinking and analysis.

Read the following and respond

1.After reading this week’s modules and required viewing material, I feel that a future “nascent anarchist movement” supporters would maintain many of the same characteristics which have defined most of the leftist movements in the past, such as things of “counterculture (drugs, avant garde music, etc.).” (Jacobs, 1997). As for the how they will promote their issues or try to create change against globalization will be through demonstrations, rallies, protests, and civil disobedience, the grassroots of anarchy. These types of activities will be directed not only toward corporations themselves, but also institutions which represent globalization to this “nascent anarchist movement.” The best example of this type of capitalism focus was in 1999 in Seattle at the World Trade Organization (WTO) which was met with “over 70,000 protesters, many of whom were organized by the Direct Action Network (DAN), a group largely consisting of anarchists, which adheres to anarchist principles.” (Holtzman, 2002, page: 4) In regards to whether or not extremist on the left could potentially become violent? This question has been answered by the far left extremist group known as “Anti-Fascist Action” (Antifa) and “they usually condemn racism, sexism, homophobia and often capitalism.” (V.J., 2017, website) Capitalism being a mainstay in the field of globalization. One of the defining characteristics of Antifa is how they oppose those they are against which is ““by any means necessary”, including the use of violence.” (V.J., 2017, website) If an entity does not feel that there normal modus operandi is not achieving the results that they are seeking the next step is to “up the ante” and that usually means violence and violent methods. An it seems that this would be the course of action for this “nascent anarchist movement.” As for how this could potentially lead to confrontations, like in Antifa’s willingness to use violence has led to “violent protests and altercations with the police or with right-wing extremists.” (V.J., 2017, website) This in turn has led to right-wing groups to show up at pre-planned events or demonstrations that Antifa plan to hold in order to confront them with the hopes of the event turning violent. The same would hold true for the “nascent anarchist movement,” there actions would cause an equal reaction so in the end violence begets violence.

2. I personally believe that traditional Marxist/Leninist models of left-wing terrorism would not prove successful within the modern United States.  Traditional movements typically attempt to spread propaganda and instigate civil resistance to eventually overthrow the institution in power.  I don’t think that concerns with globalism are enough to inspire a major revolution that causes the downfall of the U.S. government.  America is a capitalistic society.  Globalism is something that capitalistic societies thrive for because successful globalism generates revenue and boosts the economy.  I don’t think that most Americans have major concerns with globalism.  However, there are some consequences of globalization that may instigate smaller scale, nascent movements.  Damage to the environment and/or corporate outsourcing of American employment opportunities to foreign countries are reoccurring topics against globalism. 

For the most part, I think that growing nascent leftist movements would initially shy away from violent practices used by modern day terrorist organizations because the violence would deter the organization’s ability to grow membership.  Initially, membership would be low and members of the movement would maximize use of social media and public protest to spread propaganda and increase membership numbers.  Successful movements gain traction when size, capability, and support increase.  A movement in early development would be small and lack resources.  A larger, mature movement that uses crime and/or violence to achieve organizational goals would most likely operate decentralized and rely on lone wolfs to carry out attacks.  Physical violence would most likely occur from arson, bombs, or small arms attacks intended to spread panic and social disorder.  Movements may also use technology to carry out large scale attacks.  Over the past decade, cyber terrorism against health care facilities and critical infrastructures have caused over 20 million dollars in damage to the U.S. (Oriti, 2017).  

In comparison between left-wing and right-wing movements, I don’t really foresee potential for violence between two groups unless one groups ideology and goals attack the other’s ideology and goals.  Conflict may also result if one group targets allies of another group.  For the most part, there are many left-wing and right-wing organizations that exist in the same social environment without major conflict toward one another. 

3. After reviewing this week’s module notes and required viewing material I feel that there has been a patriot movement that has surpassed the likes of which we have witnessed in the past. “The Patriot movement attracted a significant number of adherents during the 1990s, and militias at one point recruited tens of thousands of members,” (Martin, 2006, page: 460) there has been a greater movement since advancing into the 21st century. At the height of the 1990’s, “the militia movement had 20,000–60,000 active members, and perhaps five million people who agreed with its basic worldview.” (Sunshine, 2016, website) The modern patriot movement gained renewed notoriety with the Bundy Standoff in 2014 and the Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 as well as two other altercations that occurred, “in which armed Patriot movement activists gathered at Sugar Pine Mine in Oregon, and White Hope Mine in Montana, to back miners in disputes with federal government agencies.” (Sunshine, 2018, website) All four of these incidents according to Devin Burghart of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR) appear to have led to one patriot movement group alone to reach “in January 2016, during the Malheur occupation, the numbers jumped again to 85,000” members (Burghart, 2016, website). This one group alone exceeds the numbers of the entire movement of the 1990’s. However, it does appear that the large push for the patriot movement after the 2008 Presidential elections, has since decreased due to fact that "as President Donald Trump campaigned and rose to power, the number of Patriot groups operating in the U.S. fell by 38 percent, according to an analysis by the Southern Poverty Law Center." (Welsh, 2017, website) There are several groups that remain and we will have to contend with them in the future if they produce extremist or not. But the galvanizing lightning rod that brought them together, now that it is gone, seems to be have the same effect for a majority of the bandwagon members.

4.The likelihood that the new millennium will witness a resurgence of a rightist movement on the scales of the 1990s Patriot movement is possible. Unlike the United States (U.S.), Europe has begun to experience a significant amount of right-wing political successes and right-wing terrorism. A group that was founded in Austria supposedly by Nazi’s, Austria’s Freedom Party has experienced immense momentum. Britain has also experienced a lot of right-wing terrorism since the rise of Islamic terrorism has continued to leave this nation distraught Holleran, 2018). The amount of right-wing terrorism in the U.S. has dominated the attacks and deaths besides the 9/11 attack up until 2016. Since 2016, left-wing terrorism has been the leading cause of terrorism in the U.S. when it comes to the political spectrum (Nowrasteh, 2017).

 These are indications that these trends may or may not occur. The idea that a rightist movement may flourish is more prevalent in Europe than in the U.S. as of right now. Right-wing movements have begun to populate in Europe due to the tremendous amount of Islamic terrorism and the fact that no one feels safe because of left-wing terrorism. These people feel that it is time for someone to step up and issue more harsh immigration laws, and in some cases, discriminate against people that are Muslim or Middle Eastern. This is an example from the right-wing group in Austria, the Freedom Party (Isenson, 2017).  It is evident that right-wing movements are experiencing momentum in Europe, but within the U.S., the political violence seems to be in a shift at the moment. The likeliness of a rightist movement in the new millennium is definitely possible considering all of the protests, right-wing influence, and violence.