I think my definition of extremism was better.

~Zoo

It seems these days that anyone that actually cares about what is going on in our government, and refuses to be spoonfed mainstream media bs, is an extremist. 

Only those that live their lives in the delusion that our country is perfectly fine, our economy is in a temporary dip, and our government can be trusted, are the ones that aren't considered extremists.

It kind of reminds me of the society in "V for Vendetta," which is how, I feel, we are slowly becoming.   

Perhaps, I think we're going to need a revolution. Maybe the people will get their heads out of their behinds concerning the us/them mentality. It's *that* mentality that brought us to this point.

~KFC~

Anyone remember the adage: United we stand, divided we fall?  Guess what...

~A

Btw, as for the reports about the big bad terrorists...guess what, what goes around comes around, it seems everyone is getting their share of being called a terrorist.

http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/780410-SHVVvq/native/780410.PDF

Woohoo, lets get those extremists! 

Addendum:

Oh, and look! Oh my great cheesy pants, look at this snippet of that report. Which was done during the Bush administration mind you.

"Leftist extremists are very active for a decade or more, and as
they fade, right-wing extremists become active. During the late 1960s to the middle
1980s, leftist extremism was the greatest threat in the United States. From the mid-1980s
to the present, the major threat of domestic terrorism has been primarily from right-wing
extremists."

Now, where was the outrage then?

I'm also interested in something. Those who are outraged at that report, which is according to them, labeling right wingers as terrorists. Do you want the truth or PC rhetoric?

I think that right-wing extremists are viewed as such threats because they are usually very religious, and would rather depend on their god, or others of their religion, than on the government, whether the government at the time is liberal or conservative.  (Think of the FLDS church, and other such groups.)  This could be cause for concern if addressing national loyalty. 

I read the report, and while much of the wording is mild, the general idea seems to be that if you are concerned about immigration, weapon restrictions, abortion, the economy, then you may be labeled as a right wing extremist.

If you want to read the article, it is linked to this website.  http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/04/12/homeland-security-document-targets-most-conservatives-and-libertarians-in-the-country/

  (For some reason a direct link wont work for me.)

I'm not denying the validity of the report, nor denying how absurd it was. My point was: It has and will happen to both, wings, so to speak. It just seems stupid that people are in an uproar about this, when it happened before and no one was concerned. It's ridiculous really.

Ooooooh, look, you can be labeled a right-wing extremist too.  A revolution is "anti-government."  Naughty naughty Alderic. 

I think there are a few different things that factor into this; 

1- The economy.  The bailouts seem to have causes much mistrust in the government by those who previously would accept everything the government said, or did.  When you have no money, and hear the word "billions" in relation to the government rescuing monstrous companies, it is likely to awaken a sort of resentment for the government as a whole.

2- Media.  People are influenced by what they believe is going on around them, and the constant barrage of what they see and hear.  While the daily news capitalizing on negativity is nothing new, there seems to be a large increase in movies that express an apocalyptic/end of world type of feeling, for instance, the movie "Numbers," or "The Day the Earth Stood Still," etc.  Not only movies, but the whole belief that something may happen in 2012. 

 There are also increasing amounts of mainstream musicians that question our government through their music, Linkin Park, NIN, and the Flobots, and that can validate our doubts and fears of the government that the economy, and bailouts, have awoken.

When you mix a bad economy with media that revolves around the end of the world, and begin to look at our corrupted government, there is a perception change among people, and perception is reality.

A report like this validates people's fears about the state of our country, and even, our world.

I've had my eye on getting an H&K USC recently. Granted, I know that I don't have a license (I'm pretty sure it counts as a handgun under my state regulations, and handguns need a license here), and I'm not old enough yet, but it'd make a liberal cry.

Darn straight, heh.

Agreed

If this is the Oliver North who was heavily involved with the Contras in Nicaragua, he's not just an extremist, but he's helped to fund terrorism in the past too.

You may take some comfort in knowing, KFC, that by being a literalist you are by definition an extremist. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, but anyone who lives exactly according to the words of a book - whether that's the Bible, the Quran, or even the Little Red Book - is an extreme sort of person. As they believe the book contains all the answers to life, they have no need for anything else, and that can be stretched to include other people. It can - and I'm not saying this necessarily applies to you - but it can have a strong dehumanising aspect.

Religious extremism is familiar, but the lack of compromise can make it dangerous to the body politic if it gets too much control - eg when it happened in Iran, or the eventual fate of the Vatican states, or nearly any communist state.

Yes I can see that as well.  I take it as a compliment though not as a bad thing.  I'm hoping others see in me Christ as I follow him.  It's all about Him and not about me.  I used to be somewhat more about the do's and don'ts but have matured and gotten past that and can see it's not about that at all really.  It's all about giving back to God with a willing heart because of what he's done for me. 

well that's not supposed to be the case.....that indeed is extreme.  While the good book is and should be our manual for everyday living, people are important to us and to God.  God uses people to accomplish his will.  That's why the church was set up.  The whole reason for the meeting together is not only to worship God but to edify each other.  As more and more secular and less and less bible believers are taking over the churches, we are forgetting these things. 

Yes, agreed.  My biblical beliefs are not necessarily tied to any religion per se.  My biblical belief is that I've been set free from all of that and want to see others set free as well.  So I'm pretty far away from real extremism when it comes to forcing anyone to do anything.  Mostly because I know....it's not about me.

I've never gone to rallys or held a sign in my hand or paced in front of an abortion clinic.  I'm not into that nor would I see Christ (the one I follow) do such a thing.  I don't necessarily think God is all that pleased with these things.  But maybe it's because I'm just not led and others are? 

God  said, speak out, give out the truth and if they accept it, fine you've gained a brother.  If not, kick the dirt off your feet and move on.  That's my philosophy as well.  I believe in more the grass roots approach more than anything.  One soul at a time.  Show them the truth and if they accept they will also be set free.  "The truth will set you free." 

The government is doing just the opposite.  They are working on enslaving us more and more everyday. 

The thing about compromise is that as the world gets further and further away from God and his ideals the bigger the gap will be for Christians and the secular.  It's going to get harder and harder to compromise because there is just some things we can't compromise on without messing with the truth. 

Finally people are waking up.  Maybe, just maybe, the next mid term election will bear fruit and many of the bad fruit trees will be hewn down.  There's a whole of pruning that needs to be done. 

We just watched a new movie now out called "Knowing" with Nicolas Cage.  It was pretty good and along this same theme. 

I happen to believe we are entering into a last day scenerio.  Not just because I'm jumping on any bandwagon.  If you could, I'd tell you to question those around me.  I've been preaching alot of this since I was a kid and started reading the bible prophecies and commentators  way back in the 70's when we didn't have a hint or notion that these things could really happen.  It wasn't set up back then to be a reality even tho many still predicted the "end of the world" stuff.  The computers for one thing were just starting to be utilized at a very basic level.  It's like everything is rapidly moving in that direction now.  One world order.  One world government.  One world economy.  This is all predicted and never before our time could we even hint of this becoming a reality.  Revelation 17 & 18 is all about this with the whore of Babylon (false corrupted religion) riding the back of government (anti-Christ) until the AC shakes her off his back. 

Obama is using the bad ecomony to entirely turn this country in another direction.  He's making decisions and putting people in places that we would never have agreed to before.  But because of the situation he's getting away with it because people think there's no other way.  If they just let certain companies fail and let the economy take care of itself, things would have corrected all by itself  Now we're in a bigger mess with no end in sight. 

Yes it sure does. 

well tell that to Obama......who didn't even know anything (so he says) about the tea parties all over kingdom come.  Hundreds of thousands all making their voices heard through impassioned speeches and signs and the White House had no such knowledge? 

tell that to Obama who went to Europe and dissed America calling us arrogant and other such terms recently.  I wouldn't exactly say he was uniting Americans here. 

He's not in touch with the common people.  Planting a garden and having an easter egg hunt is not doing it in my book.