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So the ADL's Center of Extremism is tracking a dramatic (double, in most cases) rise in white supremacists propaganda being promulgated in the US.
The 2019 data shows an increase of incidents both on and off campus, with a total of 2,713 cases reported (averaging more than seven incidents per day), compared to 1,214 in 2018 – a doubling in activity year over year. This is the highest number of propaganda incidents ADL has ever recorded.
It seems they are deliberately targetting US campuses.
Approximately one-fourth (630) of the total (2,711) white supremacist propaganda incidents in 2019 took place on campus – nearly double the 320 campus incidents counted in 2018. The 2019 propaganda efforts targeted 433 different campuses in 43 states and the District of Columbia. An overwhelming majority of the campuses (90 percent) were targeted only once or twice, which suggests that despite their increased efforts, white supremacists seem to have failed to gain a sustained foothold on campus.
Klan events are down.
America’s Klan movement continued its decline in 2019. The combined efforts of seven different Klan groups resulted in only 53 propaganda distributions – a significant drop from the 102 incidents in 2018 and well off the Klan’s five-year average of 82.
Public opposition is possibly a deterrence.
ADL documented 20 percent fewer white supremacist events in 2019 than 2018, down from 95 to 76 events.
White supremacists continued to rely heavily on so-called flash demonstrations, preferring not to risk the exposure of pre-publicized events.
2019 saw very few pre-announced white supremacist events, rallies or protests, and those that did occur suffered from dismal attendance and were met with heavy opposition.
The messaging and tactics have become less overtly racists yet more insidious because it delivers the message using seemingly innocuous themes like patriotism or nationalism.
Opinion | How white supremacist propaganda is spreading, and working
The purveyors largely favor veiled hate over explicitly racist language because it helps lure young people who could be turned off by clear neo-Nazi rhetoric.
www.google.comThese and other white-supremacist groups largely favor veiled hate over explicitly racist language, and some, such as the Patriot Front, lean heavily on “patriotic” imagery, incorporating American flags or red, white and blue color schemes. They all tend to use toned-down language about how “diversity destroys nations” and the need to take pride in “Western” culture.
This is purposeful; it gives white supremacists an opening to a population of curious young people who would most likely be turned off by explicit neo-Nazi rhetoric or overtly racist language.
US white supremacist propaganda incidents 'rose by 120% in 2019' - BBC News
Hate posters and banners have doubled for the second year in a row, the Anti-Defamation League says.
www.google.com"The barrage of propaganda, which overwhelmingly features veiled white supremacist language with a patriotic slant, is an effort to normalise white supremacists' message and bolster recruitment efforts while targeting minority groups including Jews, Blacks, Muslims, non-white immigrants and the LGBTQ community," the statement added.
Center on Extremism Director Oren Segal told the Associated Press that the groups are making an effort to emphasise "patriotism" in an attempt "to make their hate more palatable for a 2020 audience".
Community takes notice; on alert.
White supremacist extremists receive higher threat level rating than ISIS in New Jersey
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness increased the threat level of white supremacist extremists from moderate to high, according to a report released by the state agency…
www.google.com
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) increased the threat level of white supremacist extremists from moderate to high, according to a report released by the state agency Friday.
The change comes amid increased rates of crimes linked to white supremacist groups, such as a New Jersey man who allegedly conspired with members of a neo-Nazi network to vandalize synagogues in the Midwest.
"The threat from white supremacist extremists is also high due to the number of threats, plots, and attacks in 2019," the report read. "In 2020, white supremacist extremists are likely to cite accelerationism as a motivation for future violent acts, and recruitment efforts promoting extremist ideology continue throughout the State."
My take: Obviously, this is troubling, especially for members of such targeted groups. Not included or linked to, in this post, is the alarming rate at which white supremacists have infiltrated law enforcement and its evidenced by their public assertions on social media and the like. Their messages are finding homes and we need to vigilant in discovering why so we can properly combat. Now, with the "why", President Trump is the obvious low-hanging fruit. And, while I think there is legitimate conversation to be had about any atmospheric influence his Administration has had in this issue ( https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...ller-white-nationalist-trump-immigration-guru) I also believe focusing on him, or even solely blaming him, is missing the forest for the tree. This is a centuries old issue that seems to be undying in our culture. I think this is more of a reflection of us then Trump.
Thoughts?
