There Is No 'Surge' in Right-Wing Violence

David Harsanyi | Nov 30, 2018

A Washington Post "analysis" of domestic terrorism argues that attacks from white supremacists and other "far-right attackers" have been on the rise since Barack Obama's presidency and "surged since President Trump took office." It's a familiar storyline meant to assure liberals that yes, Trump-motivated right-wing terrorists are running wild. There are, however, a few problems with this proposition.

For one thing, even if we accept the numbers the Post offers, the use of the word "surge" -- meaning a sudden, powerful forward or upward movement -- strains credibility. There's no evidence of a "surge," either in historical context or as a matter of ideological preference.

That is to say, we have good reason not to accept the numbers. According to The Washington Post, which relies on Global Terrorism Database data, there were zero acts of right-wing terrorism in the entire nation in 2002. Since then, we have seen a "surge," to 36 in a nation of 325-plus million people in 2017. Among those acts, there were 11 fatalities...........Of the 32 incidents I was able to find, 12 featured perpetrators who were merely "suspected" of being right-wing terrorists. ...............

Then there is the matter of inconsistently defining terrorism. If throwing a rock through the window of an Islamic center is an act of right-wing terrorism, why isn't it an act of left-wing terrorism for anti-capitalists to throw rocks through the window of a business in Oregon?...........To Read More.....