Dangers Of 'Far Right' Cited By West Point Center

A West Point think tank issued a paper today citing the dangers of "far right" groups such as the "anti-federalist" movement which supports "civil activism, individual freedoms, and self-government."

Titled "Challenges From The Sidelines: Understanding America's Violent Far-Right" a report from the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) has labeled members of the "far right" as dangers to society. The CTC, according to their website, is "an independent privately funded research and educational institution stationed at West Point that informs and shapes counterterrorism policy and strategy." The center is a part of the institution where men and women are molded into Army officers. 

It defines government activists with three movements which it identifies as: 

“a racist/white supremacy movement, an anti-federalist movement and a fundamentalist movement.”

Most other reports from the center focus on Al Qaeda but the report, released last week, focuses it's attention at home and on the extremists in the country.

It says anti-federalists 

“espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government. Extremists in the anti-federalist movement direct most their violence against the federal government and its proxies in law enforcement.”

The report also draws a link between today's mainstream conservatives and the violent "far right" and describes liberals as "future oriented" and conservatives as living in the past. 

The report goes on to say: 

Closer Inspection reveals that specific parts of the new waves of far-right groups, especially those occurring since the 1980s, do not always adhere to traditional values or tend to emphasize them. 

The Washington Times notes: "The report says there were 350 “attacks initiated by far-right groups/individuals” in 2011. Details about what makes an attack a “far right” action are not clear in the report, which was written by Arie Perliger, who directs the center’s terrorism studies and teaches social sciences at West Point."

The full report from the CTC can be found here.

ACN does not not comment on the merits of any report and this article should not be construed to mean that ACN is affirming it's findings.