“Grab-bag” extremists, a new breed of self-made radical, are driving the deadliest wave of political violence in the United States in half a century.

Aldrich is an example of a new and troubling type of violent American extremist, according to law enforcement officials and political scientists: the grab-bag radical.

Past perpetrators tended to fall into two broad categories.

One includes militants recruited and trained by others to defend a cause, such as the anti-government beliefs of far-right militias. The other was a previous breed of “lone wolf” terrorist, obsessed and informed by a clear issue that motivated attacks, like the bombings by Ted Kaczynski, the “Unabomber,” because of his opposition to technology.

Aldrich, by contrast, embodies a novel extremism forged distinctly by today’s polarized politics, fragmented online discourse and prevalence of fictional narratives. Like other actors behind a wave of political violence analyzed by Reuters, Aldrich wove his own brand of fanaticism from disparate strands of conspiracy theories widely circulating on the internet.

  • Veraxus
    1•7 months ago

    New breed? No, same old fascists.

    Umberto Eco’s traits of Ur-fascism:

    1. Cult of “tradition” (such as pining for “good old days” that may or may not have ever existed).
    2. Irrational rejection of modernism: progress is depravity.
    3. Action must be taken without thought or consideration. Thought and consideration are symptoms of modernism and depravity.
    4. Nuance does not exist and should be disregarded. Questioning the cause is treason.
    5. Foster “fear of difference”, identify an out-group and craft a narrative that makes them an enemy. Racism, sexism, bigotry, etc are nurtured.
    6. Harness and redirect the frustrations of a large social class; particularly those suffering from an economic crisis or political humiliation. Feed those frustrations and keep them stoked.
      7a. For those that feel deprived of a “social identity”, create one by bolstering nationalism and xenophobia.
      7b. Obsession with a plot (conspiracy theories). The out-groups (see #5) are out to get you!
    7. The enemies are simultaneously too strong, but also too weak. Too strong, because that makes them a threat, too weak because it emboldens the followers by convincing them this overwhelming threat can be overcome.
    8. Life is a struggle and peace/tolerance is supporting the enemy (see #3 for the flip-side of this).
      10a. Members of the movement are always “good people” no matter their actions. Being a part of the group is all that is required.
      10b. Contempt for the weak. They deserve to be subjugated.
      10c. Power must be seized forcefully, not entrusted to democratic processes.
    9. Adherents must die “heroic” deaths, fighting for their cause.
      12a. Embrace toxic masculinity (conformity, sexism, bigotry).
      12b. Embrace the fetishization of weapons.
    10. “The People” is twisted to include only selective populism. In other words, only the opinions of a select in-group count as valid. You may have heard the term “silent majority” used in this context. This is how fascist leaders justify their actions.
    11. The utilization of Newspeak. E.G. dog whistles, branding (“wokism”), deflection (“just asking questions”), etc.

    Well, would you look at that. These terrorists check literally every box for the definitive definition of fascism. Call them what they are.