Back in the heyday of IS, I predicted the group would burn itself out fairly quickly as long as the forces of order reacted with intelligence and restraint. This was based on previous terrorist flurries at the beginning of the twentieth century and during the 1970s. I was right. Islamic terrorism hasn’t been completely extinguished, but it is no longer the overriding concern that it was five years ago.
So why don’t I have the same level of confidence regarding right-wing extremism? For the following reasons:
- They have far more public support;
- They have infiltrated law enforcement and the military;
- They are armed; and, above all
- They are convinced the left is on a path of sending them to concentration camps. The Islamic groups thought they had already seen the worst of times, but the right-wing extremists think, not only do they have a divine right to rule, they are fighting for their own physical and cultural survival. If you genuinely believe that, you are capable of almost anything.