This is one of those rare instances where almost no law enforcement measures can go too far. This is far more worrisome than the threat of international terrorism.
48
"an expanding threat, particularly from adherents who cluster in small cells organized under the auspices of a larger group that spreads violent ideology."
That's the definition of ISIS. Isolated mass killings by individual North Americans influenced by white supremacy's "violent ideology" are already a fact of life in the U.S. (and to a lesser extent in Canada).
The America envisioned by organizations like The Base and the caliphate envisioned by ISIS and its Syrian twin, Hayʼat Taḥrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), have much in common in their fanatical obsession with some kind of imagined purity and their willingness to wage war in its name.
State oppression will not stamp them out; they are a symptom of the time and circumstances. The state can contain them, but only public revulsion over their actions and views can keep them from spreading.
14
As we get closer to the stark reality of a Majority-Minority nation AND the inevitable increased liberal political domination caused by the aging republican base...stories like this will be very commonplace and these groups will have an even greater following.
America’s most existential threat will always remain from within and will always be tied to its original sin.
22
So far most of the white supremacist terrorist attacks in the US and other countries such as Norway and New Zealand have been carried out by single individuals who interacted on the internet with other white power types. The Base seems to be working toward using small groups of white supremacist terrorists who could potentially carry out much larger attacks. It appears the FBI is doing its job to contain this growing threat from neo-Nazis to establish a country for only white people. That some neo-Nazis seem to be trying to go from extreme rhetoric to violent action should be taken very seriously.
13
How sad, and awful, can this be, belonging to a group whose aim is to hate 'the other' and deny the evidence of mass killings in the past, just because a certain group belongs to a given ethnicity, or religion, one may not like? Have we lost our minds? If this relates to a 'white supremacy, and conspiracy' intent in creating chaos, it stands to reason to stop this violence wherever it occurs, Could it be that our educational system is so defficient, with no sense of history, that our kids are exposed to such nonsense? That we all may harbor subconscious prejudices, likely from ignorance, true; but from there to try to harm others is absolutely 'bananas'. And an affront to our interdependence as social beings, where solidarity ought to be the law of the land.
12
Extreamly shocking news from a most Democratic country. It seems the whole world is shifting towards another human made political catastrophe !
9
Another reason to vote out republicans.
19
You can’t tell me that just because they wear camo the FBI can’t find them.
Considering their IQs, where’s the supremacy angle?
13
Charlottesville 2017.
The Base 2018.
Your President is truly the gift that just keeps on giving.
On behalf of the rest of the world:
Get him out!!!
22
“They describe the Base as an ‘accelerationist’ organization, seeking to speed the collapse of the country and give rise to a state of its own…”
Own what??? A state of angry old white guys?
We’ve tried that. Look how it is working out…
17
Oh come on. Fearmongering is something I expected of other news sources. It's a fine line between fearmongering and biased reporting, but this does actually cross that line. Associating the arrests of the white supremacists with the gun rights rally in Virginia is disingenuous, and is like saying MLK was violent because Malcom X was. Just because disparate groups are advocating for the same thing does not mean that those disparate groups are at all related.
6
I sure hope Trump doesn’t try to overturn their case(s).
4
Concerted efforts to tear apart the very fabric of the United States have been underway for sometime—by both foreign and domestic players. It is essential that everyone of us remember
the importance of unity. Otherwise we are doomed. We cannot split ourselves apart. We should rely upon reason to maintain our unity. Our founders based this democratic republic on this principle. Think and please consider the other.
6
I'm a die-hard never-Trumper, but I'm frustrated that so many commentators here think Trump is a kind of root cause for the reemergence of white supremacists. They have indeed found a nurturing voice in Trump, but groups like this have been around a long, long time. Check out the work of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has been documenting such activities for decades. If anything galvanized them, it was the election of Obama, which made supremacist hordess come goose-stepping out of their caves. And they were joined by a whole lot of regular folk in the Tea Party movement, which I believe normalized white power and white supremacist movements like the Base.
I'm also worried that we repeatedly fail to discuss the role of misogyny and masculinity in the formation and success of these nutcase white-power ideologies. I think they are central to the dynamic, as they are with Islamist extremists after whom the Base model themselves.
32
@MP
The folks that seem to believe that Trump is the root of this are more frightening to me than are the white supremacist themselves.
The degree to which the majority of white Americans are ignorant to the American history of ethnic and racial bigotry and racism, and the injustices these have engendered is astounding, to me. And, this ignorance only contributes to the repetition of the history of ineffective responses thereto.
People, the Tuskegee Experiments were conducted AFTER the Nuremberg Trials, AFTER all that self-righteous moralizing about the inhuman behaviors of OTHER white people!
I would exclaim “wake-up”, but I know that ain’t happ’nin’!
12
With all the fearful stories about Facebook, White Supremacists and Russians in the NYT, I find it absolutely amazing the writers at the NYT ever get out of their bunkers. You are so brave and courageous.
6
How ironic. Al-Qaeda is Arabic for "the Base"
8
So are these some of the guys Trump stated were "very fine people?" Wonder who they are going to vote for in November.
4
“Experts estimate that the Base, which was formed around July 2018, has dozens of hard-core members and tries to recruit many more online, although its approach is evolving.”
Dozens? In a country of 325 million? It’s a miracle there are so few. On any given night, more people attend a single WNBA game, the nations least popular sport, than there are white supremecists nation wide! Don’t let NYT wind you up.
7
I hate to use Trump's words when referring to any group, but these guys are losers. Clearly they lack the intellectual or emotional skills to make it in this world. As a result, they lash out against people that don't look like them. To make themselves feel superior they buy guns, rather than educate themselves and become productive members of society. I find it sad and funny that they feel they can't compete against all these "inferior" people of different ethnicities and religions. If these others are so inferior then why do these thugs feel that the only way they can prevail is by knocking off everyone else that doesn't look like them.
16
As we release prisoners convicted of victimless drug crimes, there should be plenty of prison space for these pro-violence anti-social rightwingers.
10
Good work F B I
13
What's inane about these horrifying guys & gals, is that none of them are white. There is no "white race" on this earth.
5
Kudos to the FBI for getting onto these groups so quickly, and well before the Richmond gun fest.
It takes great courage to infiltrate a group as vile and violent as the Base. The FBI member who volunteered is lucky he wasn't targeted like the other group did Matthews, as it appears even with common goals, these cells aren't afraid of killing members of affinity groups.
It can't come as a surprise that the rise of the Base is happening now, after more than 3 years of violent racist rhetoric from Trump supporters (as well as the president) and his "both sides" comments after Charlottestown.
Trump built his base by tapping their fears of the "other", as can be seen in the rise of hate crimes and white terrorism in general since his inauguration.
8
These are the people the GOP politicians really fear. They are the constituents who demand absolute support for the most toxic positions; they are the ones who would view assassinating a renegade Republican as watering the tree of liberty. This is why Republican officials duck out of their town meetings or don't hold them at all.
The Republican Party can't take responsibility for them, can't cast them out, can't elevate them, can't admit they're there, but these people speak as authentically for the GOP today as does Mitch McConnell or Rush Limbaugh or any other voice they have.
The GOP won't repudiate them because it needs them. It also needs the Trump voters who wouldn't pull the trigger themselves, but who would see the point of the act if one of their extremists did it. They'd be exonerated in the court of Fox TV while their gun still smoked.
Trump needs all those people. He has to kowtow to their rage and call them "very fine" and bait them and fuel them without actually getting his fingerprints on them, and they know it. That's all the validation they need. They're waiting for permission to act, even a hint of it. Trump is exactly the man to give it to them.
16
trump's wreched active deplorable base.
10
Helmet dude is so last decade. He should hire some fashion advice.
I hate to use Trump's words when referring to any group, but these guys are losers. Clearly they lack the intellectual or emotional skills to make it in this world. As a result, they lash out against people that don't look like them. To make themselves feel superior they buy guns, rather than educate themselves and become productive members of society. I find it sad and funny that they feel they can't compete against all these "inferior" people of different ethnicities and religions. If these others are so inferior then why do these thugs feel that the only way they can prevail is by knocking of everyone else that doesn't look like them.
2
How ironic that the gun-toting "gucci gear" wearing wack job in the photo was a target of the Base. They want to kill him and steal his gear. Classic. Guns save Lives? Really?
3
This is what happens when media agencies and political groups spend twenty years demonizing white males.... and you're surprised their is a rise in white identitarians... give me a break. Two things can be wrong at once.
10
From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson to Andrew Jackson to Jefferson Davis to John Wilkes Booth to Nathan Bedford Forest to Woodrow Wilson to Lee Harvey Oswald to James Earl Ray to Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan to Jim Jones to David Koresh to David Duke to Tim McVeigh to Dylann Roof to Donald Trump to this group you have the worst demons of our American history and nature.
9
Like many Trump voters, this group consistently acts against their own interests.
By acting so radically, by dressing up in these outrageous outfits, and by being so obnoxiously vocal, they frighten, disgust, and alienate the general public, who would actually tolerate them if they would tone down the rhetoric and the nonsense.
I have been a gun owner for many years and support the right possess firearms, in fact I used to belong to the NRA, but when I see this kind of behavior, I not only distance myself from these pathetic clowns, I have totally gone to the other side and now completely support enacting strict gun laws.
Nice going, guys. You think you're "protecting" American rights, but all you're doing is enraging the public through your idiotic behavior.
I live in the epicenter of this in North Idaho, and I will tell you, these people are crazed, driven by insane hatred, ignorance, and conspiracy theories.
27
The contemporary re-surgence of the american White Supremacist impulse -though never truly far from the surface- reminds me of a literary analysis I read years ago (unfortunately I don't remember by whom or where). It was author's interpretation that "Moby Dick" was Melville issuing a warning to america. That, just as Captain Ahab brought his ship, his crew, and himself to ruin through his irrational pursuit of the White Whale, that America's "Captains" would bring their country, their society, and themselves to ruin in pursuit of White Supremacy.
In its present iteration, White Supremacy, long a staple of "True-American" thought, has taken on a more internationalist facade. Long a staple of "True American" identity and a force for its cohesion, White Supremacy is now an orientation that is "shared" amongst Caucasian populations in several European nations.
All this might seem to make for a brighter and whiter future for all White Supremacists, save for one critical fact. This being that the White Supremacist movement in Russia -currently the most dynamic- which has been developed and fostered by american White Supremacists since the 80's, at least, is, in fact, not fundamnetally a White Supremacist movement, but an anti-american movement, the purpose of which is to use white america's own, never examined, racist impulses as a means of infiltrating american society with the intention of sowing dissent, division, and chaos!
Chickens, y'all can come home to roost, now!
10
Not all whites are Nazis, but all non-european whites are their targets. This is why it's important for us to stay visible and PICK A SIDE.
4
What a bunch of losers. They need a better hobby.
9
“ Fine People on both sides “.
Right, GOP ???
NOVEMBER.
18
Such "macho" men have to wear masks. I love it.
12
“Mr. Mathews, 27, a former combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve, was expelled from the service last year after an undercover investigation in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed him as a recruiter for the Base and he fled across the border into the United States.”
When is his deportation date? Oh, that’s right — under this administration, the bum’s rush is reserved for poor people. Igniting a race war is one thing, but work? That’s the last straw.
27
@Corinne Colbert
Is Trump President of Canada?
I am perplexed that more Americans are not making the connection between Donald Trump saying, "fine people" were walking with white supremests and neo nazis in Charlottesville and the rise of these extremist groups. I know that facts like gravity have a liberal bias, but hate crimes increased 226% in places Trump held a campaign rally in 2016. So either the much of American public has lost the ability to reason and see connections between Donald Trump and these hate groups or much of the American public supports white white supremacy and neo nazis. Which is it?
21
Why is violent, white extremism growing exponentially now? That's easy. Trump voters. Some 40-45% of Americans are in lockstep with a president who is an avowed white nationalist. Why wouldn't the more extreme of them believe that this is their "time" to make America white again? This is all their president ever preaches to them. And they're taking him up on his call to them to take "their country" back.
Republicans saw their party dissolve in 2016 and morph into a hideous, racist, one-man rule party. And they've seen that Trump supporters are still in lockstep with him some three years after the worst presidency in my lifetime - and I'm in my 60's.
Two days after one of the most horrific hate crimes in this country (El Paso), no national Republican challenged Trump about the obvious role he has played in inciting violence. Why would they? He's already told them that the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people.
The majority of white voters in 2016 voted for Trump. Get your head around this one fact for just a second. And these voters still stand by Trump. The fact is, white America as a group is much more racist than many of us thought in 2016. And for the past three years, many on the Left tried to believe that Trump voters were "conned" or that they felt "left behind."
But I'm an American of color, and I know racism when I see it. I knew these were just excuses. And these white nationalists know that this "president" has their back.
37
I commend the FBI in arresting these "Base" members before they commit crimes of violence against innocent members of the public.
I do believe they are actively recruiting online and what is disturbing is they are organized and smart enough to have a strategic plan of operation which appears to be the common thread of these extremists far right groups which are nothing more than hate groups cloaked in deceptive conservative groups which are far more dangerous than the groups in the past ie KKK and neo Nazi groups of the past but are really the same creature only cleverly disguised.
No these new incarnations (which still have the baseline hatred of people who do not look like them and of course people of the Jewish faith or anyone else that are not Christian) have developed into a new look in order to appear less threatening, don't be fooled they are as deadly as any 1938 Nazi or KLAN member, thankfully they are now being treated as the threat they most certainly are to any freedom seeking American.
8
This is mental illness masquerading as politics -- not the only form out there but perhaps the most virulent. We are entering an era that will entail, at its most hopeful, major transitions creating stress and uncertainty on multiple levels. Much of the stress manifests as an effort to scapegoat perceived sources of social and economic change, the idea being that if the change agent can be destroyed the process will come to a halt. And a cherished (and largely fictitious) old order will be restored.
The bonds holding a "melting pot" society together are weak. Many celebrate diversity but some are terrified by it. There is likely no programmatic solution that can be imposed from on high. In our daily lives we must work together in a friendly way to find practical solutions to our problems and have faith that the experience of cooperation will build trust. Outbursts of violent behavior surely must be firmly curtailed, but responding to them with a similar degree of anger and judgmentalism will prove counterproductive.
4
From the piece: "“If the Base can seem larger or more dangerous than it actually is, this is a boon for the group and one of its primary goals.”
The Base must be celebrating this substantial news piece.
2
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does often rhyme." I dont know if M. Twain actually said this, but someone did, and the point is pretty clear. We don't have leader who actually platforms on bald racism. Like the KKK, he hides it, obscures it, uses ambivalence and "dog whistles" to send his message and encourage this growing neo-nazi revolution. The American Nazi Party is following the history, but making changes to the protocol. So if this tune does sound familiar to you, you're not mistaken. I think problem is going to continue getting worse, and worse - clearly it is.
4
This is nothing new. Under Bush Junior, the administration stopped any studies on these kinds of groups, and when warned thatt this was a rising problem, denied it and stopped the government reporting it. So now here we are.
16
The article talks of a “domestic terrorism investigation” but it never actually labels these people as terrorists. Is it because they are white? Is that why they are described as “criminals” and “extremists” but not terrorists? I’m ok if the NYT refrains from using the word terrorism altogether, but to use it exclusively for non-white and non-Christian people would be bigotry.
16
@bpmhs This is just a fear mongering piece designed to create a fantasy racist boogey man than leftist can be afraid of.
2
@Nana this piece got your attention.
7
The Base is nothing more than pathetic losers whose white skin gives them a gargantuan sense of entitlement. They can't accept that America is a meritocracy: brains and hard work, not race or ethnicity, determine our destinies. These criminals think the world owes them a living. They should self-deport.
18
@Little Doom
I'd tread lightly when claiming America is a meritocracy.
As inequality swells, so do the resentments of those ͟n͟o͟t surfing the wave of wealth washing over the 1%. Among which I suspect a fair proportion of active White supremacists can be counted.
What also swells? The adventurism of those who want the violent change that might put them "on top" — as they tap into the generalized anger and rising gullibility of ever more people, and
believe
their time has come.
Bad combination.
IMO, they won't succeed, but will sow localized chaos. Hey, what's a few hundred dead in the wake of a right-wing putsch?
"There's no way to delay
that trouble coming every day."
— — Frank Zappa
7
@Oded Haber Points well taken. Thank you.
1
As you can see from my moniker, I live in the Pacific Northwest, what we call the Inland Northwest, in NE Washington just south of the Canadian border and a few minutes west of Idaho, home of the mostly defunct Aryan Nations. The last thing I want around here is these idiots, their guns, and their racism in particular.
40
Someone needs to do research on how many of these tin soldiers have actually been in the military..IN A COMBAT CAPACITY! I'm not talking about support troops, but guys who actually faced hostel fire from an enemy that was trying to kill them.
I am 74 and never had to do that. I opposed my generation's "war" in Vietnam.
These militia clowns seem to have played too much HALO, like to fondle weapons, and think that the U.S. government (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) will not be able to wipe them out. They're Nazis in search of a Furher. Here's a tip for them...it ain't the donald.
14
If blame Trump, then aren't we giving these groups a pass?
They aren't children--they have agency; they can make decisions.
I keep coming back to one thought every time I read about people like this:
Don't they have anything better to do?
5
Trump wants to add more countries to his list of people who are not allowed to come into the United States, but the majority of potential terrorists are home-grown men.
30
In the course of history, have extremist, hate-filled, delusional, heavily armed men ever not used their weapons as intended?
Sadly, it's probably a matter of when, not if. Al-Queda bombed NYC years before 9/11 and most did not heed the warning signs.The country woke up once it was too late. The government and most people are asleep again.
7
We do not want them here in the Northwest, nor do we want them in Alaska, Hawaii, the Southwest, Rockies, Plains, Midwest, South, Great Lakes, East, Northeast, or Texas!
17
Obviously no one wants this. ! Poor kids of today living in this climate of extremes I. So many areas of life in our country. Certainly no one thing to blame but leadership needs to speak out against but I will hold my breathe.
1
The FBI did a fine job of warding off the violence which could have erupted during this demonstration----
13
This is like a plot out of HBO's recent critically acclaimed TV series, Watchmen. Despite it being set in an alternative timeline, the show mirrors our reality in that it explores the theme of generational trauma stemming from historical racial injustice. Despite the show's positive reception, the depiction of white supremacists as the show's villains didn't sit well with certain fans of the original graphic novels on which it was based. These fans claimed it was just another example of "woke" Hollywood tainting a beloved comic book series in the service of some "liberal agenda".
People will twist themselves into knots to deny that racism is still a problem in our country. Yet a Feb., 2019 study by the Southern Poverty Law Center found that the number of hate groups, the majority of which adhere to some form of white supremacist ideology, saw record high annual increases for 4 years straight, up by 30% overall. FBI statistics show that the number of hate crimes was up by 30% in a 3 year period ending in 2017. Anti-black crimes rose by 16%, anti-Hispanic by 24%, and anti-Jewish by 34%. And in a poll conducted after the violence in Charlottesville, 9% of respondents said it was acceptable to hold neo-nazi or white supremacist beliefs - that translates to 22 million Americans.
Racism is still a reality in this country, no matter how much people try to deny it. To dismiss it as part of some "woke" or liberal agenda only serves to undermine the gravity of the problem.
138
@Roberta And, let's not forget to through in a "Handmaid's Tale" reference.
It's not a coincidence that these are primarily white MEN. No doubt, if and when they feel like they've made significant progress on the race, religion, and ethnicity fronts, they will intensely focus, in particular, on women, as well as gender, and sexual minorities (of any and all races/ethnicities/religions/etc.).
18
@Roberta
Art reflects reality. The creators of Watchmen and The Handmaid’s Tale are holding a mirror up to today’s society just as Gene Roddenberry did to yesterday’s with the original Star Trek. The trouble is too few manage to recognize themselves, they see these shows as strictly entertainment. Even fewer are capable of the deep soul searching that could bring the change within humanity that Roddenberry sought. Then there are those you describe.
They manage to survive and multiple while cloaking themselves among us. They are the people we thought we knew well. They are within our own families and friends. Just a couple of days ago my husband remarked about a former coworker that always seemed a moderate yet now his FB posts are so Trumpian my husband finally blocked him.
Today the Doomsday Clock was moved ahead. What role does Trump play in this? Humanity seems as doomed now as when I was a kid doing futile bomb drills during the Cold War.
20
@BMUS and @JK - great comments re: references to Handmaid's Tale and Gene Roddenberry are on point. I've been tempted to watch Hulu's Handmaid's Tale, as it's received great reviews. But I'm apprehensive... I'm told it's eerily reminiscent of the direction our society is heading in.
11
So the FBI and the Justice Department actually ARE doing something to keep Americans safe. They should be congratulated and encouraged.
20
These "boys" have been around in the U.S. for quite some time, they just change their organization's title. I'm glad the FBI is still doing their jobs even with the current DOJ head. What we do need to do is reduce their recruitment pool. Educating the masses especially in the South and Midwest where their educational boards have stripped the evidence base historical events and interjected their own bias view of the world. These extremists have been led to believe by the Pretend King Trump's hate speech that they are now on the front line of a fake battlefield and are the warriors in some delusional War. This is why hate speech needs to be condemned whenever it pops up so people can understand that humans cannot afford to be harmful to one another.
27
What are these supposed “men” in “the base” so afraid of? They act like nothing but angry, scared little boys. (With guns.- A scary combination) Afraid of change, undereducated and afraid of anyone that doesn’t look, act or worship like them. I imagine most of them have never stepped foot out of their hometown. I always have to wonder what kind of family they came from.
161
@C. Pierson
"Maybe from families afraid of change, undereducated and afraid of anyone that doesn’t look, act or worship like them. I imagine most of them have never stepped foot out of their hometown."
14
@C. Pierson
“I imagine most of them have never stepped foot out of their own hometown.”
That is truer than you think.
28
So how about we get an assault weapons ban. ? Is that too much to ask. ??
30
Incredible. I never heard of this group until this article. Dreams of creating an "ethno-state" in the Pacific Northwest is an insane fantasy. I hope the FBI beefs up its staff to aggressively round up this band of killers.
161
@styleman
Many right wing extremist hate group originated in the Pacific Northwest, primarily, the Posse Comitatus. Its been around for years, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-disturbing-history-of-the-ideology-behind-the-oregon-militia-standoff/
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/17/books/chapters/the-terrorist-next-door.html
29
@styleman Dreams of creating a white ethnic-state in the PNW are hardly an insane fantasy. Look at the establishment of Oregon and its history to see how rooted in reality that fantasy is.
11
Fascism. Given the encouragement of Trump and the malleability of his base this should come as no surprise and should be taken very, very seriously.
20
Interesting it is suggested a major instigator of this terrorism, operating under various noms de guerre, is supposedly living in Russia, since the whole thing sounds like a part of Russia’s efforts to undermine our country and get us to fall apart from the inside, like Putin’s old employer, the USSR.
37
@Pottree It can't be just coincidental that Russia funnels a lot of money through the NRA.
11
A big thank you to the FBI!
18
What these white racists seem not to understand is just how many white people will fight on the side of the people of color.
60
@EDC
As a "person of color", I'm disinclined to believe that your supposed number will be quite that many! And, I ain't sayin' that from a place of bigotry, grievance, or victimhood, but from a place of recognition that many, if not most, folks "not of color" just don't see racism, racial politics, or racial conflict, as being "their" problem. They can afford to sit out the fight and acommodate whichever outcome obtains.
7
Many white people, and many conservatives, see themselves as being in an existential battle and some are going to stop short of nothing to defend themselves from changes that are certainly to come. The conservatives will abandon democracy and the extremists will abandon humanity and sometimes those strategies will intersect. In fact, we've been seeing the beginning of this already.
220
Being from the “reddest of the red” states (Wyoming) I can vouch for that becoming reality! Sad, but true.
61
Looking at conservative senators tolerating foreign interference in our elections, violation of our campaign finance laws and abandoning their oath to the constitution - one could say that conservatives have already abandoned democracy.
167
Conservatives have never embraced democracy. They cannot abandon something they never believed
66
'Al Qaeda' also means 'the Base' in Arabic.
I wonder if they realized that when they named themselves.
245
@A New Yorker: a remark on NPR was that they did know.
43
@A New Yorker
Makes sense. Al Qaeda is a right wing, religious fanatic group.
56
@A New Yorker: it’s most likely they knew of the link. Many white nationalist groups believe in a misogynistic fundamentalist order very similar to sharia.
17
Does The Base have ties to Trump? Where do they get their money? Who are their leaders? Is the name of this group just a coincident?
13
@Hiphop If you read Kathleen Belew's book - they "fund raise" by armed robbery - bank robberies, armored car heists and such. And they have been doing this for decades.
Trump is the result, not the cause. They support him because they believe he will destabilize the world enough to ignite a race war and bring on the expected Armageddon that will leave them as the only survivors.
14
@Hiphop
Trump is their de facto leader. His degrading language and actions taken against non whites fuels their movement.
A recent Pew poll of republicans demonstrated a majority believe Trump committed illegal crimes during his presidential run and while in office yet they want him to remain in office. Our future is in peril.
16
How can anyone be surprised by this?
It's already a well-known fact that white supremacists see Donald Trump as "their" president, and with his comments after Charlottesville, Va. and the fact that as a candidate he was publicly endorsed, it's hard to argue otherwise.
That's also why it's no mere coincidence that this white nationalist group should call themselves "the Base", and several of its members could be found at the recent gun rights rally in Richmond.
Strange days indeed.
27
@N. Smith Who said they were surprised?
1
@Flip Wilson
First. It's a rhetorical question.
But then again, you'd be amazed at how many people still can't put two and two together.
2
So the worst offense attributed to a member of this group is vandalism?
1
@JDK That is an interesting conclusion to draw from this article.
16
@JDK Um no. Conspiracy to commit heinous acts is a crime. Are you trying to minimize their actions? Who rushes to aid racists?
23
@JDK The fact that this is the only thing you took away from the article says a lot more about you than what the article actually reported.
11
P. S. Al Qaida means base. These people are truly “base”.
11
Is it a coincidence that this group has chosen to name itself after an English translation of "Al Qaeda"?
7
What is the difference between a Neo Nazi and Nazi? Answer: Nazis spoke German.
What is the difference between a White Nationalist Trumpers and Nazis? Nazis spoke German.
What is the difference between the fascist GOP who have contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law and the truth and have become a cult and the Nazis? The Nazis spoke German.
What ar, ane the common threads? Racism, contempt for the truth, hatred of everyone but themselves, authoritarianism and kleptocracy; but the foundation is violence and threats of violence, and Trump has been doing both.
55
@Sheldon Bunin Read this in an op-ed about the behavior of Republican House representatives (i.e.Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan, etc) during the impeachment inquiry and it stuck with me..
"The Truly Trumpian Man – guided by bigotry, seized by conspiracy theories, dismissive of facts and truth, indifferent to ethics, contemptuous of institutional norms & ruthlessly dedicated to the success of a demagogue.”
Perfect description.
18
@Sheldon Bunin
The largest single act of right-wing violence, which was Timothy McVeigh's Oklahoma City bombing, took place a bit more than three decades before Donald Trump took office. This movement predates Trump by decades and, sadly, well may outlast him by decades
6
It just might not be too early to get a sense of where the General’s sympathies lie...
4
"It takes all kinds..."
But why this kind? Unkind, disgusting - and, we hope, rare. "Base", indeed. Debased, is more like it.
More important: What drives this sick mentality? How can we combat that?
Thanks to the FBI for turning over this rock so we can see what crawled out from underneath it.
37
so it turns out the biggest thing these white boys have to fear is themselves... who'd have guessed?
18
The Base may be a relatively new group, but white supremacist groups have been organizing into leaderless cells via the internet since the 80's. They plan to use violence to incite race wars and ultimately set up a white anglo-saxon state in the Pacific Northwest. They have been arming themselves with military weapons since Viet Nam. The book "Religion and the Racist Right" by Michael Barkun was written in the mid 90's and gives a history of the "identity Christian" movement. Kathleen Belew's recent book - "Bring the War Home" gives a good history of white supremacy as a movement.
In Tara Westover's "Educated" we see an example of the Identity Christian mind-set. In her case the parents were Mormons, but Identity Christianity is not denominational. It can exist in any of the Protestant denominations. Tara's parents as is typical, believed in the "End of Days" and the Armageddon that will bring a second coming.
Now the movement considers Trump as a type of "Anti-Christ" who will bring about the end of days through warfare, climate change, etc. They believe that they as the "Chosen People" will inherit the earth.
This Times article indicates that this movement is relatively new, but it is not. Coincidentally, my home delivery of the Times missed us today. Why?
18
All the elements are coming together just as they did in the 1930's; Huge income inequality that leaves the middle class in fear for their jobs and slipping down the economic ladder. This leads to rising nationalism, racism and the fear mongering politicians willing to cater to and exploit them. The calls for racial purity and a racially based state. Plots to undermine the existing government and foment riots and further ethnic tensions. Sadly this time the playbook that worked in the 30's has been well documented which makes it easier to follow.
The writing is on the wall. Will we be willing and able to see it and stop it before we spiral into their violent clutches?? I'm frightened by what i'm seeing so far isn't meeting the challenge. The FBI is fighting courageously to stem the tide but is in danger of being undermined from within our own government, accused of being part of this mythic "deep state". What would have happened in Virginia had the FBI been told to step away from this investigation by their leaders or overseers in Washington? There would be blood in the streets of Richmond and more on the way.
84
@ML In October of 2018 in Florence, South Carolina, 9 FBI agents were ambushed while serving a legal search warrant for sexual assault of a person under 12 years old. The warrant was for the shooter's step-son. One agent died at the scene and 6 others were critically injured. Of the 6 wounded at least one other died in the hospital. At the time I was puzzled because this shooting of police officers seemed to get so little publicity. Was it because the shooter was white? Hopefully it is because they are working on leads and connections
White Supremacist Survivalists also intentionally kill police officers simply because they are government employees. These people don't believe anything about our government to be legitimate.
23
@ML We also organized a lot of workers in the 30s. While some people choose to dig in their heels and scapegoat others, some decide to uplift fellow humans, and join together to fight them.
It's sad to see that we never really got away from the racism of 100 years ago, or 200 years ago, in this country. But, like you said, we're familiar with the playbook, which will allow us to fight back.
13
I’m sure that President Trump believes there are some good people in the Base. We just don’t recognize that fact.
37
This is going to get worse over the coming decades.
26
"Good People on Both Sides." Thank you, Mr. President.
23
I am very encouraged to read that the FBI, despite the current political climate, is taking right wing domestic terrorism seriously. I find people like the terrorists who were arrested FAR more dangerous and frightening than whatever boogeyman du jour cooked up by the NRA and the Republican party.
40
One name comes to mind - Timothy McVeigh- and the horrors inflicted on Oklahoma City when he and Nichols (still alive), blew up the Federal Building in 1995. He planted a seed in a lot of mentally unstable young men that he was a hero. He was a loser of the first degree but his heinous act reverberates today. Not a single resident of OKC and surrounding area was left unaffected to this day. At this time we do not have the resources in our country to combat these cowards with all the weapons they can possess. They are dangerous and we need new laws to inflict maximum damage on them and their organization. They are aided and abetted by the right wing exremists from birth to death in secret cadres of warriors. Some of them are members of Congress, preachers, rich Wall Street types, etc. They have the person they need in the WH to do anything they want and they intend to harm as many as possible. Folks we are headed to Naziville.
29
@Betsy Herring If you read Kathleen Belew's "Bring the War Home" you will find that Timothy McVeigh was already part of the movement. At the time he appeared to be a lone wolf, but that is doubtful.
Per Ms. Belew the Ku Klux Klan was reinvigorated by returning Viet Nam veterans who were disgruntled because of our pull-out.
Recruitment to white supremacy was done both in the military and in jails. The military is a significant source of much of their weaponry which they purchased using funds obtained by armed robberies.
Donald Trump in a way has done us a favor because he is enabling these people to crawl out from under their rocks. They've been there but we just didn't see them.
13
What a shock! After four years of racist rhetoric from Trump encouraging his base to hate, a group is moving to make his dream of America true. That this group is active and recruiting is not shockng, that the FBI is investigating their activity. I thought the AG has no time to do true work since Trump considers him his personal lawyer.
122
@Wil Hey, isn't that what Trump is all about after all:
Make America HATE Again
21
@Wil Have you listened to some of Barr's recent speeches? There's less daylight than you might imagine between his worldview and these clowns.
14
As a minority, this is very concerning, but it's also extremely sad to see that after all the generations we lost in WWII just to fight this kind of things, now, we have to fight them at home too, 69 years later.
To me, it's more concerning that even though we now face this threat, both minorities and as it seems, other Americans of Caucasian decent that don't agree with these extremists views are in danger and yet, there are people out there hell-bent on disarming the populace like if this would make things any better. Removing the teeth from the sheep, doesn't make the wolf any less lethal.
We don't gain anything by ousting gun owners from rural areas and label them as racist simply because they are white and own guns, or treating the white population like this is their fault, because that just makes them vulnerable to these extremist, just like a few years back we were telling people that treating middle easterners and people that believe in Islam like they are terrorist just makes them feel like outsiders and more susceptible to join extremist groups like ISIS.
If these groups are using military tactics, they will likely attack places with the least resistant in order to do the most damage and attack the center of gravity, that's what we are taught in the military, there for my peers and i will hold on to our rifles, in case we need to fight a squad size element of supremacists threating against us while the cops take a good 10 to 15 mins to respond.
8
Guns and mental illness a big problem.
Gunas and right-wing fanatics, huge problem. I am afraid what happened in Las Vegas is nothing compared to what will come. That is why Trump s comments are so dangerous. It is very important that Bernie wins.
30
@Joaquin Don't get me wrong... I like Bernie Sanders. He might even be my first choice though I've not quite decided yet.
But truthfully, any of the Democratic candidates would be far more preferable than another 4 years of trump. I'm normally not a "single issue" voter, but this year I will be.That issue will be to get trump out of office. Same goes for trump's Republican lackeys in Congress, who protect and enable him at all costs to the country.
It is very important that a Democrat wins in 2020, and that we vote blue up and down the ticket, in numbers too large to manipulate.
9
They’re base all right.
59
Thank you FBI.
119
Without taking away from the gravity of this...What a bunch of absolute losers.
139
@Matt C, Yes. Weak, frightened, possibly traumatized little boys in the bodies of grown men. Still terrifying!
6
I understand that the danger is very real. But talking about violence is not violence. I am ill at ease with law enforcement tactics using hate crime laws to infiltrate the populace and make arrests based on of accusation of inciting future violence. I understand the desire to prevent violence - but we should invest in other tools than law enforcement. I am very ill at ease with the growing power of the police state. My prediction is that 20 years hence we will work hard to unravel the monster we created. A monster bigger than Base, I suspect - because it is institutionalized and rationalized. Proof is in the pudding: Just count the the innocent people killed and incarcerated by the justice system.
7
@Anonimous
I disagree with you. We need to stop these groups before they can commit violence and harm or kill people.
What tools would recommend? Please tell us.
32
@Anonimous so “other tool than law enforcement” ... what is that? We have law enforcement & we have a justice system. They are not perfect systems ... far from it ... but if we give up, if we stop trusting ourselves, if we don’t fight for justice ... what replaces that? Injustice ... what comes after that?
18
@Anonimous
Exactly my point in an as yet unapproved post.
1