Are You a Domestic Terrorist?
The ominous government memo you may not have heard about that brands you an enemy of the state.
Back in September, the Trump White House issued a memo that now has been largely forgotten, but that may very well define the future of protest in America. In the president’s memorandum on “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” Trump lays out a definition of domestic terrorism, and of the domestic terrorist, intended to encompass just about every left-of-center person in America. This memo is not new, but it has new salience given the events of the past month, as armed, anonymous agents of the state have taken over and terrorized an American city. They’ve killed Americans and seen no consequences or even investigations. Instead, the administration has investigated the murder victims, their families, their friends, and their political fellow travelers. It has called all of them the same thing: Domestic terrorists.
Here is how this administration defines domestic terrorists:
There are common recurrent motivations and indicia uniting this pattern of violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described “anti-fascism.” These movements portray foundational American principles (e.g., support for law enforcement and border control) as “fascist” to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution. This “anti-fascist” lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental American liberties. Common threads animating this violent conduct include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.
Here’s who that pulls in:
