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Extremism in America: Out of the Shadows

In this worldview that extended to the an�-government separa�st movement, anything was possible. The Oklahoma bombing was a turning point in the an�-government movement. Despite efforts among extremist leaders to blame the government for the bombing, the convic�on and execu�on of Timothy McVeigh was tough to ignore. There was an immediate growth of the mili�a movement within a year of the bombing, but gradually, the mili�a movement lost most of its steam. The advent of the presidency of George W. Bush and his pro- gun orienta�on also played a role. More significant is that most of the mili�a leaders have gone underground without changing their worldviews. However, with the elec�on of President Obama mili�a groups were speaking their rhetoric to more individuals with a willing ear who feel they were disenfranchised and wronged by the federal government. Inspira�onal poli�cians who embrace conspiracy theories only add fuel to the fire and social media algorithms purposely feed people radical posts and drive people to the extreme. Without a change to how ‘big tech’ is allowed to mone�ze extremism on the internet, some fear we are at risk increasing strife or even a civil war. Many advocate that the government step in and regulate social media to prevent further polariza�on and radicaliza�on of our ci�zens (Davis, 2023).

Watch the conclusion of the documentary video series Extremism in America: Out of the Shadows

Extremism in America: Out of the Shadows | Retro Report Retro Report Cuts

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