The Capitol riot's roots in the New Left
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's right, the assorted fanatics, thrill-seekers, and nutjobs who stormed the Capitol one year ago today have surprising precursors.
The respectable backgrounds of many of the rioters didn't look much like the " peasant army " that populist commentator Patrick Buchanan threatened to lead against the political establishment in the 1990s. Nor were their anarchic tactics reminiscent of the highly organized " suburban warriors " who flocked to Reagan. More than the public faces of the postwar American right, the theatrical flair, indifference to law and constituted authority, and threat of serious violence on display last Jan. 6 resemble the New Left of the 1960s and 1970s. The defiant, moralistic, revolutionary spirit that animated the Yippies, Weathermen, and Black Panthers hasn't disappeared — but it now lives on the right, too.
Such a migration would have seemed improbable half a century ago. In the popular imagination, the period pitted long-haired radicals against a staid majority. Conservatives wore neckties and followed the rules. The younger activists who emerged from the civil rights and antiwar movements practiced free love, fought the police, and occasionally set off bombs. Unlike the union-allied "old Left," moreover, the newer generation had little interest in promoting the material prosperity of industrial workers, whom they saw as complicit in capitalism, or in winning elections. "We shall not defeat Amerika [sic] by organizing a political party," Abbie Hoffman proclaimed in a blend of menace and humor that was once distinctive, but now has become disturbingly familiar. "We shall do it by building a new nation — a nation as rugged as the marijuana leaf."
Conservatives preserve a better memory of how extreme these figures were. That's why names like Bill Ayers, who founded the terrorist group Weather Underground, and Herbert Marcuse, who taught Davis philosophy, and Saul Alinsky, who tried (unsuccessfully) to reconcile the old and new lefts, acquired prominent positions in the demonology of the right. According to writers like Newt Gingrich, Norman Podhoretz , and Mark Levin — as well as less famous talk shows, bloggers, and social media influencers — the modern Democratic Party is little more than a vehicle for the New Left aspiration to fundamentally transform America.
Especially in more lurid versions, such assertions are easy to dismiss as conspiracy theories or guilt by association. What critics tend to miss, though, is that they're inspired by envy as well as revulsion. Conservative writers and activists are almost unanimous in rejecting the New Left's goals. But many see them as authors of a how-to guide for imposing an unpopular and disruptive agenda on an initially recalcitrant majority. The flamboyance, militance, and violence of the 1960s left might not have worked right away, after all. In the long run, though, ideas about social justice, national guilt, and sexual freedom that seemed bizarre and dangerous at the time are now thoroughly mainstream features of American life.
This isn't just a historical argument. Even as they denounced the violence and destruction, conservative activists could see the rioting that swept the country after the death of George Floyd in spring of 2020 as offering both permission and a model for the outbursts that culminated at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. When it came to criminal justice, violence inspired by factually dubious assertions promulgated by ideologically radical groups was not just excused, but celebrated by the media, cultural, and to some extent political establishment. If the ends justified the means for those seeking to transform America, why couldn't they do the same for those seeking to preserve it?
Probably few of the actual rioters consciously associated their conduct with the leftism of another time. Many, and perhaps most, genuinely believed that Trump was the victim of massive, outcome-changing electoral fraud. But some of those responsible for propagating that fantasy knew exactly what they were doing. The writer and organizer David Horowitz, who has made a career out of his transition from the New Left to MAGA, helped launch Steve Bannon and used his own platform to promote conspiracy theories about the election. As his contemporaries and former allies Ron Radosh and Sol Stern noted in The New Republic , Horowitz's conception of domestic politics' war against an implacable foe "may sound daring and original to Trump's followers, but it's really a reprise of his earlier support for the revolutionary left's strategy of 'bringing the war home' to America's streets and campuses.
Such dreams are almost always disappointed, though. For all their success in changing how Americans thought about race and sex, the New Left never managed to shake the capitalist economy that was its real foe. That's why major corporations are among the most lavish promoters of the social progressivism conservatives abhor.
In a remarkable irony, socialist journalist Christian Parenti recently tracked down the author of the first written account of a "privilege walk" — an ostensibly anti-oppression training exercise developed by Herbet Marcuse's graduate student and third wife that's become a staple of the corporate diversity industry. She's now a Mark Levin fan and a Republican voter who believes Trump is the only thing that stands between us and totalitarian control. Fifty years ago, a toxic brew of paranoia, Manicheanism, and rejection of legal and constitutional restraint left a trail of bodies, ruined lives, and corrupted institutions that discredited the left for a generation or more. A year after Jan. 6, it's still too early to know what disasters it threatens for the right — and the country as a whole.
Tags
Who is online
116 visitors
The Capitol Riot didn't occur in a vacuum, and the celebration and permissive attitude towards domestic terrorists on the left certainly helped create an environment where rioting and violence could be perceived as an acceptable form of political expression.
Sean - you probably don't agree, but this topic/subject is/has gotten really, really old. Six years to be exact. Time to move on.
I agree 1st. The problem is the left is keeping it alive so they get what they get. They drop it and it goes away. Completely.
But that ain’t happening, so it is what it is.
opic/subject is/has gotten really, really old. Six years to be exact
Since the Capitol riot occurred a year ago, I'm not sure what your point is.
What do you think the subject of the article is?
I agree.
We don't have any domestic terrorists on the left - they're all on the 'right'
We don't have any domestic terrorists on the left
why do you bother spreading such transparent disinformation?
Here's one from this week:
I'm not the one spreading such transparent disinformation.
From your tabloid source:
"Suspected Antifa activist busted with pipe bomb, ‘direct action’ plan near Jan. 6 rally, cops say"
That's all you got?
You said any. He proved your premise as the bullshit that it was.
Could you be any more pickaune or pedantic?
Yes I can. Doesn't matter. Any is any.................is there something else I can help you with??
Sean hasn't proven dick.
Plus Sean hasn't proven anything with his alleged anti-fa member nonsense.
OK....that story is hilarious.
Ol' boy was arrested with notes on what clothes to wear and to remind himself to "keep gear concealed".
I guess his Mom refused to dress him that morning?
It's like an episode from a sitcom.
And then.... just when you think it can't get any better.... but wait....there's more!!
Supporters??? Ohhh... This is too much..
well, yeah, if the point was to prove you wrong that's all I need. I posted it because it made me laugh.
You don't expect me to take the nonsensical claim "we don't have any domestic terrorists on the left" seriously, do you?
Do you really want to bother with calling all of the left wing terrorists "rightwing agitators" from "out of town"
A day later and only one alleged anti-fa member allegedly involved in 1/6/21 has been put forth.
Again, that's all you got?
My premise is not bullshit.
That's all ya had 'cause that's all ya got! If you had any other instances, you would supply them, regardless of the non-validity of your source like the NY Post.
LOL!
Again, no domestic terrorists on the left, they all are on the right - overwhelmingly so.
From your linked article.
Smith was arrested on charges of making and possessing a destructive device and loitering. He remains in jail on a bond of $300,000. It’s unclear if he had retained an attorney who could comment on the charges.
Is this what you mean by "the celebration and permissive attitude towards domestic terrorists on the left"?
The Capitol riot, and Trumpism, is more related to the "replacement theory" than anything else. We are at a turning point in American history as whites realize they dont own America anymore. Many of them are increasingly perturbed about what to do next. This IS what is going on although many dont realize it yet.
THIS is what some harebrained idiots on the left have dreamt up, and now you have swallowed the bullshit.
CBS Face The Nation Jan2 2022
Robert Anthony Pape Jr. (born April 24, 1960) is an American political scientist who studies national and international security affairs, with a focus on air power , American and international political violence , social media propaganda , and terrorism . He is currently a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and founder and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST). [1]
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden has said that he believes racism was a key part of the attack on the Capitol on Jan 6. Have you seen anything that bears that out to be true?
PAPE: Race is an element and race is a driver. So when we look at the counties that the 700 who broke into the Capitol came from, where they live, what we see is over half live in counties that Joe Biden won. They don't mainly come from the reddest parts of America. They're coming from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Houston and Dallas.
Further, when we look at the key characteristic of why some counties and not others, what we see is the counties that sent the insurrectionists are the counties losing the most white population. Well, that dovetails with this right wing conspiracy theory that used to be part of the fringe called the great replacement. The idea that whites are being replaced. This idea is also that the Democratic Party is doing this deliberately. Well, that idea now is voiced by mainstream political leaders, by mainstream media figures, embraced full throttle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So what are the triggers that you are watching, because I know you have said in the past this isn't just about violence in Washington, you could see sparks of violence in Atlanta, Georgia, in other major cities. What is the trigger?
PAPE: That's exactly right. So what we're seeing in our surveys are national surveys. Of the 21 million in the insurrectionists movement is a massive combustible material, think of it as like dry wood that can be set off from a lightning strike or a spark, as in wildfires. Well, we're moving into a highly volatile 2022 election season, where there could be many sparks at the local levels and a lot of our election laws, say Georgia or Texas, the counting of the vote has been more politicized than ever before. What that does is it creates a very dangerous season which means as we go through the 2022 election season, it's crucial to have dialogue with our political leaders, our community leaders, especially the White House, over this new empirical reality.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Professor, important work, thank you for sharing it with us.
Oh, so we've solved the whole wealth inequality thing. Excellent. That was easier than we thought.
What nonsense, and I find it so hard to believe that any thinking adult would take that shit seriously.
I suppose there is a bright side to it!
Of course y'all project everything that happened on 1/6/21 by the domestic terrorist mobs led on and incited by whatshisname (since he lost in November) is of course all the fault of the left.
Typical projection, deflection, and denial.
Nah. Putin's oligarchs own the American right wing and the 'new GOP' in general.
Oh my God, yet more Russia nonsense?
Whoo boy!
Believe what you will. When American democracy fails who benefits the most on the World stage?
How melodramatic.
No wonder you you are so receptive of kooky conspiracy theories.
[deleted]
Notice that it’s always Putin and never Xi that those on the left use in their unfounded attacks on America first conservative Patriots.
Putin's oligarchs
Thanks for the plug and play response. Putin Putin Putin.
Of the over six hundred charged with crimes related to Trump's January 6th Insurrection ZERO were associated with BLM, ANTIFA or any left groups...
100% of them were Trump supporters in the gop!
Did you read the article? Because you really, really missed the point. It's almost like some people have canned responses they post anytime they see certain words without any regard to the actual topic.
But sure, this guy is certainly wasn't associated with left groups
It's amazing how every single damn thing is simply fodder for their agenda. There is no empathy, they see nothing other than themselves. Everyone else exists as patsies for their mission.
It is the ultimate and inevitable end road for the cancer of leftism.
It’s been an unhealthy mania with some folks for quite awhile. The TDS variant of the mania has just made it worse ......
Exactly! Their TDS only stiffens our resolve to bring him back for four more years
Not so much. There are FAR better options.
For sure.
Not on the democrat party side…
I will support the GOP nominee whether it be DeSantis, Scott, Haley, Noem, Trump in 2024. Between now and the midterm election we have to assume Trump will run and will be the nominee. We need his efforts and king making to complete the remaking of the party in nationalist populist America first mold of a multiracial working and middle class coalition and ridding the old establishment of power within the party. Early next year we will know what Trump will do. My bet is that he will concentrate on his social media efforts and retire from politics. Between now and then Trump front and center.
The GOP shouldn't touch Trump with a 10-foot pole right now.
Joe Manchin is an infinitely better option.
Over 700
Ghandi said, if the only way someone will communicate with you is violence, then COMMUNICATE with him in the manner he CHOSE...
Violence begets violence.... The left with their burn the town down methods of communication are more responsible for the forming violent responses than anyone on the right...
And as long as they choose to communicate violently, violence will accelerate... Eventually to the point it can't be stopped... What the Capitol riots represent is the right side of the political spectrum is realizing this slowly but surely... It's only taken seven years.... We on the right have tried to be patient with them taken a lot of abuse in suffering the fools, but the attitude of suffering in silence is changing...
The liberal side had better take notice....
They think that they can use censorship to try to contain our opposition viewpoints on the issues they want to dominate us and rule over us on. Not going to happen.
Trust right wing conservatives to even blame their own criminality and violence on anyone but themselves...
"Look what you made us do! It's all your fault! We've been stockpiling weapons and ammo in our bunkers and hollars, formed thousands of white nationalist militia groups, marched with tiki torches while shouting "Jews will not replace us!", rammed our cars into peaceful protests killing and maiming, right wing groups like the Boogaloo boys have shot officers, police stations and civilians in an attempt to start a civil war, attacked capital police officers, broke through barriers, doors and windows of the capital, vandalizing and looting while chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" because he wouldn't comply with the right wing mobs demands, but that is all the left's fault for not just laying down and dying when we shoot them in the street or kneel on their necks or when we inform them that only right wing white conservative Christians can be considered 'real Americans'...".
Just like with their Mango Mussolini, it's never their fault.
tell us again how dozens of deaths, hundreds of injured police officers and the billion in property damage from the George Floyd riots are all the fault of out of town right wing agitators?
Of all people to make this claim...
Besides, I know for a fact that hundreds of thousands of former Clinton and Obama voters bought Trump Merchandise and flooded The Capitol with the express purpose of trying to make Trump look bad.
s/