The MAGA Movement’s a Bigger Threat to America Than the Taliban
Category: News & Politics
Via: tessylo • 3 years ago • 68 commentsBy: David Rothkopf, The Daily Beast
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The MAGA Movement’s a Bigger Threat to America Than the Taliban
David Rothkopf Thu, August 26, 2021, 4:55 AM 
Fox News has runan articleabout the “news” that last weekI tweeted: “The Taliban, all of them together, plus every Al Qaeda fighter in the world, do not pose the threat to the United States that Trump or Trumpist extremists do.”
That was not the first time I have said that nor will be it the last time. Because it is true. They did ask me if I wanted to comment on what I’d already said publicly, and I emailed the following:
The Taliban and Al Qaeda are among the most vile, dangerous violent extremist organizations in the world. They pose a threat that must be taken very seriously and actively combatted. They do not, however, pose an existential threat to the United States or our way of life. Trump and his supporters have, with support of one of America ’ s most dangerous enemies, actively sought to undermine democracy in America. The coup attempt on January 6th and the propagation of the Big Lie are an example of this. Their efforts to suppress the vote are an example of this. Trump ’ s active obstruction of justice is an example of this. Should they succeed, democracy in America will be gutted, our way of life ended, our values undermined and our standing in the world destroyed. They may yet succeed. As a consequence, the threat they pose is far greater to the United States as a whole.
Further, Trump through his own ignorance and self-serving spread of lies is responsible according to credible estimates for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans due to his mishandling of COVID. No terror group could ever hope to achieve such a level of damage.
Finally, Trump and Pompeo helped orchestrate the release of 5000 Taliban fighters and accelerated the hand-over of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Consequently, they have also aided and abetted that terror organization with their misguided, short-sighted policies.
I should add that by perpetuating lies that have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and by promoting lies that have undermined democracy, Fox is actively complicit in this.
Their article did quote the first portion of my response but—due no doubt to space requirements online—it omitted what I said about howFox News is culpableforthe damage Trump and his supporters have done, as well as my reference to Trump’s role in shoring up the Taliban and thereby accelerating the fall of Afghanistan to the extremist group.
Something you don’t hear much about on Fox News is how U.S. law enforcement sees the domestic violent extremists who have supported and been encouraged by Trump. I could have pointed out domestic extremistspose a greater threat to the U.S. than do foreign violent extremists like the Taliban and al Qaeda, according to the Department of Homeland Security—a view they also held when Trump’s team was in place there. Trump-appointed FBI director Christopher Wray agrees, and haspointed to the special threat posed by white supremacists.
And that while the threat posed by foreign terrorists is real, it has been vastly overstated in the wake of 9/11. We should not have treated those terrorists as being analogous to prior international enemies of the modern era like the Nazis or the Soviets. They instead pose a more limited kind of risk than was presented, a risk that despite their rhetoric was not to our society or institutions broadly but was instead sporadic and opportunist. We are better off responding to them with specialized counter-terror measures, expanded intelligence capabilities, hardened assets and greater public-private coordination in the identification of, preparation for and reaction to threats.
Although I was tempted to, I did not mention those points in my email because I doubted that the Fox article would have space in its article to cover all the evidence and sound analysis by experts that makes it absolutely clear that while the Taliban and al Qaeda are utterly repugnant and a threat that should not be minimized, the damage already done by Trump and many of his supporters and the imminent threat of further damage they pose is greater than foreign terror groups currently pose or seem likely to in the immediate future.
Speaking of imminent threats, the rising daily COVID tolls driven by a Trumpist, partisan rejection of science is certainly one. The fact that Trump and his supporters, including many high GOP officials, are defending the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, continuing to perpetuate their lies about the fairness of the last election, and actively working to try to rig future elections all drive home the point that the threat from the former president has not receded.
For these reasons, it is irrefutable that Trump and many of the people seeking to advance his agenda or claim it for themselves are poised to have a far greater negative impact on Americans and the country as a whole than foreign extremist groups.
However, I hasten to add that I was not and am not suggesting that all Trump supporters are as bad as members of the Taliban or al Qaeda.
Case in point: While many Trumpists still want to disenfranchise people of color, overturn elections, obstruct justice, egg on violent domestic extremists, canoodle with foreign enemies and abuse power and our Constitution, some of them have moved on from the errors of the past. Few of them, for example, believe any longer we should inject Clorox into our veins. Now many on the Trumpy right are instead promoting the benefits of ingesting a livestock de-wormer.
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Fox News has run an article about the “news” that last week I tweeted : “The Taliban, all of them together, plus every Al Qaeda fighter in the world, do not pose the threat to the United States that Trump or Trumpist extremists do.”
That was not the first time I have said that nor will be it the last time. Because it is true. They did ask me if I wanted to comment on what I’d already said publicly, and I emailed the following:
The Taliban and Al Qaeda are among the most vile, dangerous violent extremist organizations in the world. They pose a threat that must be taken very seriously and actively combatted. They do not, however, pose an existential threat to the United States or our way of life. Trump and his supporters have, with support of one of America ’ s most dangerous enemies, actively sought to undermine democracy in America. The coup attempt on January 6th and the propagation of the Big Lie are an example of this. Their efforts to suppress the vote are an example of this. Trump ’ s active obstruction of justice is an example of this. Should they succeed, democracy in America will be gutted, our way of life ended, our values undermined and our standing in the world destroyed. They may yet succeed. As a consequence, the threat they pose is far greater to the United States as a whole.
Further, Trump through his own ignorance and self-serving spread of lies is responsible according to credible estimates for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans due to his mishandling of COVID. No terror group could ever hope to achieve such a level of damage.
I should add that by perpetuating lies that have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and by promoting lies that have undermined democracy, Fox is actively complicit in this.
FBI and Homeland security have been telling us that for years.
Based on a CSIS data set of terrorist incidents, the most significant threat likely comes from white supremacists, though anarchists and religious extremists inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda could present a potential threat as well.
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that's no shit. magaturd christo-fascists are the american version of the taliban.
How timely this article is. That the secular progressive left sees people just like me as a bigger threat to America than the bloodthirsty animals running Afghanistan now, particularly in light of at least 12 dead marines and a medic trying to help get our people out of that place. This seeded article will not be forgotten on our side.
Sounds like a threat XX.
When it comes to the Taliban all Americans are pretty much united. They can attack us but they can't destroy us. When it comes to right wing extremism there's no such unity as you've pointed out here with your not so veiled threat against our first amendment.
Trump attempts to block House investigation into Capitol riot by claiming he and his allies are protected by executive privilege
That big fat pile of shit is now facing a civil suit by the Capitol police also.
That big steaming pile of shit should be dodging subpoenas and suits for the rest of his miserable worthless life.
And in the November 2022 midterm election you shall see how we remember this.
So shall you . . . .
keep making election predictions, it could be the start a streak ...
bfd.
Good! You should remember it well. It is the complete and absolute truth.
None of the vile, disgusting, fraudulent seeds you post will be forgotten by anyone.
I remember you saying quite clearly, and often, that trump would absolutely win in 2020. I think perhaps you should work on your predictions.
There have been numerous attacks by Islamic extremists on Americans in the U.S . since 9/11. (Of course all of them were much, much smaller than 9/11). But IIRC-- not one of them was committed by The Taliban nor by Taliban supporters!!
Terror attacks on U.S. soil by Right-wing extremists have, of course, been numerous.. ..
Think about that a moment-- not even a single Taliban attack here in all those years-- not one!!!
So if anyone tells you that a Taliban attack on the U.S. is immanent-- they are totally uninformed-- if not more than a bit nutty
Impeach Biden now!
There is no way Biden and democrats will recover from their unbelievably asinine and imbecile ideas and policies
Other people dont have to live by your illogical beliefs, despite what you want. We all have our won equal rights, so keep your religious beliefs where they belong before we decide to force you to obey ours, in the same manner that you want to force your religious beliefs on everyone else.
I will not obey the violent religious beliefs of the Taliban in the US and likewise I will not obey your equally abuse religious beliefs in the US either, despite what you want or claimed to have prayed for.
We have a strict separation of church and state in the US (the Establishment Clause in the 1st Amendment) and it would be quite refreshing if you obeyed it. Catholics are the largest religious denomination and I doubt that you want them closing down your church and forcing to convert via the power of the state.
"Unbelievably asinine" perfectly describes Comment 2.1.14. "Imbecilic" is also an excellent description.
Sounds like a typical Elephant!
Based on what specific crime or impeachable offense?
Well, perhaps this may be nit-picking--but to the best of my knowledge-- there is no Taliban presence in the U.S.!
Bouncy Floppy Doggie???
A Trump administration advisor warned late last year that President Donald Trump's decision to leave just 2,500 troops in Afghanistan - and his telegraphed desire to get out whether or not the Taliban chose to abide by its agreement with the US - would leave American forces vulnerable to an attack.
"Perhaps by design, perhaps by incompetence, perhaps out of sheer spite or arrogance, Trump has created the circumstances for another Bay of Pigs, Black Hawk Down, or Benghazi," James Golby, who served as a special advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, wrote in a November article for The Atlantic. Those were all situations, he wrote, "where the United States inserted itself into overseas conflicts enough to draw lethal opposition but without sufficient strength to protect its people."
Impeach Biden now!
He's not protected by Executive Privilege any more
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But his communications of all kinds and writings while he was President are forever covered by executive privilege after he leaves office.
No they're not.
His writings aren't worthy of wiping my ass after taking a trump
One of the very few times I have ever been in complete agreement with one of your comments. I better go take a heart pill!
There is a famous Mark Twain quote
“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
Even though there are thousands of pieces of evidence that clearly indicate Trump is not fit for office , including two impeachments, 45,000 people (according to the Secret Service) attended his "campaign" rally in Alabama last Saturday.
Trump is running for president again, right now. (Whether he will make it to 2024 in a position to accept the nomination is an open question I suppose, but he is running. ) Yet if we mention Trump in a forum like this, we get some ignoramus telling us we display "TDS".
I wonder what the 45,000 people who go to worship a pathological liar, crook, bigot, moron and crook display?
MAGA is a plague on our society and culture. And one of the main reasons America is currently a degraded nation.
Biden is not fit for office. GOP members of congress now openly say out loud that Biden has blood on his hands and Sen. Graham has called for his impeachment. I fully agree with and endorse both
You have repeatedly said Trump is a great man. [removed]
Whatshisname is nothing but a great big steaming pile of shit.
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1) Impeachment for what exactly? What is the specific reason? I'm sorry, "he won the election" simply isn't a valid reason.
2) Blood on his hands? 600,000 dead from Covid and I don't hear you saying TFG should be held accountable at all.
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Biden is not fit for office. GOP members of congress now openly say out loud
Well.. if those brilliant "GOP Members of Congress" are now saying it...and saying it openly no less...then obviously it must be true!
/sarc
If you don't vastly upgraded your repartee, you will end up in the Asphodel Meadows.
Communist China and chairman Zi is who has the blood of over 600k Americans on its hands
Jefferson.does.Palin
Have you ever considered donating your brain to medical science for research purposes [Deleted]
Sen Graham says a lot fo weird things.
And then, to make matters worse-- he often quickly reverses his position 180 degrees!!!
To cite but one of many examples:
Sen. Lindsey Graham blames Trump for Capitol riots and says the president needs to 'understand that his actions were the problem'
I think we should start calling him "He Who Must Not be Named"
Is that a nursing home?
An excellent saying!
I have also heard another one:
Never try to teach a pig to sing. You'll only end up frustrated...and it annoys the pig!
Democrats would make Joseph Goebbels very proud.
How about all Democrats that think the right are a bigger threat to the US than the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and ISIS/ISIL buy a one way ticket to Afghanistan and find out personally what the differences are? You won't make the same mistake twice.
All of the lies, deflections, and complete and utter BS being spouted from the left will not take away from the fact that you elected the biggest fuck up ever to hold the office of PoTUS.
The Dylann Roofs, the January 6th insurrectionists, the Congressional coup plotters and the other Trumpist-Fascists and right wingers of their ilk are here in America now. They represent the biggest direct threat to Americans today.
... was named Donald Trump. What a complete disaster.
Trump emulates Joseph Goebbels. Everyone knows it, and you know it, too.
We know that all they have is their projection, deflection, and denial.
If we were in Afghanistan , the Taliban would be a bigger threat . But we're not in Afghanistan are we.
The Taliban would never allow international terror organizations shelter in Afghanistan from which they could attack America and kill thousands. That would never happen.
The taliban would never allow it because that's exactly what they are in the first place.
That can't be, America doesn't negotiate with terrorist.
America may not, but trump sure did.
Hmm... Seems like someone doesn't remember their history.
Some MAGA-cultists apparently aren't aware of that.....
That certainly is the case.
Then who is ISIS? Just a bunch of boy scouts?
This is not in reference to your comment only the part you replied to
Unlikely. Goebbels was a right wing socialist fascist. Pretty much the exact opposite of Democrats.
Um, wow. Funny how we can live in the same country during the same time and have complete opposite views of the Democratic party.
That is interesting. Knowledgeable students of politics and history consider the Trumpist Republican Party to be a fascist political entity. Trump is clearly a fascist demagogue. Even his niece, who knows him very well, said so.
On the other hand, knowledgeable observers consider the Democratic Party to be a diverse, generally mainstream, political entity representative of the majority of the American people.
Your view is of the projection, deflection, and denial camp. That is today's gqp.
Biden is not fit for office. GOP members of congress now openly say out loud
Well.. if those brilliant "GOP Members of Congress" are now saying it...and saying it openly no less...then obviously it must be true!
/sarc