Yahoo Movies How can far-right violence be stopped?
“The 360” shows you diverse perspectives on the day’s top stories and debates.
What’s happening
The deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month by a mob of Trump supporters has drawn renewed attention to the problem of far-right violence in the United States.
The attack on Congress will be remembered as a singular day in American history, but it fits into an ongoing trend of violence by right-wing extremists. Despite the attention paid to Islamic terrorism after 9/11, research shows that far-right ideology has been behind the majority of terror attacks in the U.S. since 1994, and right-wing attacks have increased significantly over the past six years. In October, the Department of Homeland Security called white supremacist extremists the “most persistent and lethal threat” to the country.
There has been significant blowback in response to the Capitol attack. President Trump was impeached a second time on a charge of inciting the riot and could be barred from seeking office again following an upcoming Senate trial. More than 100 people have been charged for their role in the Capitol assault so far. Big Tech companies made aggressive moves to root out extremism from their platforms. Facebook and Twitter banned Trump and removed accounts connected to far-right groups. Amazon, Google and Apple each stopped offering technical support to Parler, a social media platform popular with right-wing extremists.
Still, many experts believe far-right violence is set to escalate in the near future. The mob attack on Congress could serve as a powerful recruitment tool for far-right groups that could increasingly turn to violence now that Trump — whom many extremists viewed as their voice in Washington — is out of power, they say.
Why there’s debate
The simplest solution to right-wing extremism, many argue, is to finally take the threat seriously. Online researchers collected ample evidence in the days leading up to Jan. 6 that far-right groups were planning to assault the Capitol, but federal law enforcement was still caught off guard. Part of the reason for this, many say, is that white supremacist violence has never been treated with as much gravity as other forms of extremism despite its near-constant presence throughout American history.
Accountability is also seen as a powerful tool to stop right-wing violence. That includes criminal charges for individuals involved in the riot as well as consequences for those who helped incite the insurrection — whether they’re lawmakers, private companies or members of right-wing media. Some experts have called for a much more aggressive campaign from law enforcement to track, infiltrate and break up far-right groups. But others warn that the worthwhile effort to stop extremism could be used as a rationale for infringing on civil rights.
It’s also important, experts say, to disrupt the online forums that allow extremism to grow. The steps taken by social media companies to eliminate fringe elements from their platforms are a good start, but the effort will have to be much more robust to make a real difference, many argue. Delegitimizing the voices that spread extremist ideology wherever they exist can also keep far-right groups from recruiting new members, some say.
Perspectives
Stopping extremism starts with acknowledging its deep roots in American society
“America needs to turn a spotlight on the witches’ brew of white nationalism and neo-fascist extremism that boils among Trump’s hard-core base. There is a painful truth: Our country has an enemy within. … Post-war Germany has spent decades facing up to its embrace of Nazism. Italy had to confront its romance with Fascism. America must likewise face up to its dance with white nationalist, far right extremism — and, much more, rid itself of it.” — Jeff Robbins, Boston Herald
Military and law enforcement must confront extremism within their ranks
“The vast majority of America’s armed services personnel and law enforcement officials honorably go about their duty to protect, defend and serve the public. But the unfortunate truth behind the rise of extremists in the ranks is that their fellow officers often protect them behind a blue line or military code of silence. That must stop.” — Editorial, Las Vegas Sun
There needs to be a unified anti-extremism effort across the entire government
“All the tools of government [must be] brought to bear, from research and analysis, to mental health, social services, economic development, law enforcement and prosecution, and [even] federal Bureau of Prisons rehabilitation. There is a vast entity at the federal level that can and should be tapped to address the severity of the threat that we face today.” — Anti-Defamation League senior adviser George Selim to ABC News
Civil rights cannot be sacrificed in the name of fighting extremism
“As a response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. embraced a host of invasive policies that didn't work, didn't make us safer, and didn't respect our civil liberties. We should not make the same mistakes in our response to the attack on the Capitol.” — Scott Shackford, Reason
Social media companies should be pressured to do much more
“Just as the social media platforms have pressured those like Trump to play by the rules of society or to find somewhere else to spread hate, so we should pressure social platforms to uphold our safety while not overstepping their mark. The tightrope they have to walk is far more difficult now because they didn't act before. They got us into this mess: now we need to ensure they can get us out.” — Chris Stokel-Walker, Business Insider
Overaggressive online censorship might backfire
“That’s why the utility of zealously taking down fringe or extremist content should also be questioned. Public platforms out in the open make it easier for security and intelligence agencies to track and police threats. … It’s a bad idea to drive nefarious actors entirely underground to encrypted messaging apps or dark web platforms where they can organize effectively without being seen.” — Satya Marar, Washington Times
Trust in the pillars of American democracy must be restored
“As a nation, we need a nuanced strategy for addressing each violent ideology, hybrid derivative and group. Part of that effort will be shoring up trust in information sources, public leaders and our very democracy. People need to understand where opinion ends and extremist ideology begins, and right now that is a nebulous line for too many.” — Erroll G. Southers, USA Today
An example should be made of the Capitol rioters
“Law enforcement needs to be diligent about finding and prosecuting those who broke the law on Jan. 6. It’s vital to send the message that assaulting people and property in this way carries consequences.” — Editorial, Bloomberg
Domestic extremism should be treated in the same way as international terrorism
“Something structural needs to urgently change in the national security bureaucracy to deal with right-wing violence. Washington therefore needs to treat white supremacist violence as the transnational threat that it is. This means officially designating it as terrorism and restructuring the government’s counterterrorism agencies to comprehensively counter it as a transnational threat.” — Joel Rubin, Foreign Policy
Trump cannot be allowed to continue fueling extremism
“The way to unite this country is to isolate acts of violence — and a leader who incites it — from legitimate expression. Trump was a north star for a certain kind of radical. Americans will be safer the more that star loses its shine.” — Juliette Kayyem, Atlantic
Republican lawmakers can play a key role in preventing far-right violence
“It's going to depend on Republican leaders, what they decide to do. Because the Democrats, no matter how hard they’re going to try, these people won't listen. It's going to take Republican leadership for these people to listen and actually tone down.” — Former government extremism analyst Daryl Johnson to NBC News
Right-wing media must be held accountable for its role in fostering extremism
“Anyone who cherishes our democracy should be grateful to the management of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites for their newfound sense of social responsibility. We should expect at least the same level of responsibility from broadcast media — and in particular from Fox News, which has the largest reach on the right.” — Max Boot, Washington Post
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