“We’re not really set up to cover the extreme Left”
He felt the need to keep explaining, so I let him. We only ever cover left-wing groups when they have a right-wing component, he told me. For example, “when anarchist groups are infiltrated by those on the right; Neo-Nazis, that sort of thing.”
I asked whether this was a little like the way the French do masculine and feminine plurals; that if there are a thousand women and one man, it becomes masculine. In other words, that the SPLC covers a group if there is even a minute “right-wing” component. “Yes, I suppose so,” he said.
I left it there, but I couldn’t help feeling that there was a little bit of a syllogism going on; that being that “Left” equals “good,” and “Right” equals “bad,” and therefore anything “Left” couldn’t be “bad” unless it were infiltrated by the “Right.”









Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Physician, f*ck thyself.
GagdadBob on May 5, 2012 at 1:30 PM
A few years ago, there was a grass roots group formed to specifically fight passing a law to give illegal aliens Calif driver’s licences which was smeared as racist by SPLC.
Blake on May 5, 2012 at 1:33 PM
The Southern Poverty Law Center is the #1 reason I try not to spend any money whenever I am in Tucson.
I doubt they care but it makes me feel better.
Difficultas_Est_Imperium on May 5, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Nazism, and fascism in general, is an ideology of the left.
Rebar on May 5, 2012 at 1:37 PM
So don’t cover the extreme Left… cover the mainstream Left, such as Occupy.
malclave on May 5, 2012 at 1:41 PM
If you have 30 minutes to spare, watch this.
BigGator5 on May 5, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Pretty much. The SPLC doesn’t even understand (or rejects) that in the American political system (the only system relevant to the SPLC) Neo-Nazis are a Left-wing organization.
Just think about it. A “right-wing” extremist would be something like an extreme Libertarian (extremely limited government with total economic, civil, & religious freedom).
visions on May 5, 2012 at 1:42 PM
$PLC isn’t very fond of Men’s Rights Activists either.
Go RBNY on May 5, 2012 at 1:45 PM
unstinkingbelievable
cmsinaz on May 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM
What planet are you living on? The right has very little in common with libertarianism except in name only.
MelonCollie on May 5, 2012 at 1:50 PM
I don’t understand. They’re based in Montgomery Alabama. They don’t seem to have anything to do with Tucson.
Tomolena1 on May 5, 2012 at 1:53 PM
“Not set up to cover the extreme left” probably means “we are staffed by the extreme left” and so therefore can’t get an objective result.
crosspatch on May 5, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Here’s an idea. Cover this, the new “Forward” 2012 Obama logo
Schadenfreude on May 5, 2012 at 1:58 PM
I have to say that I am enjoying the increased episodes of slipped masks. Now we just have to make sure we capitalize on the opportunities.
Cindy Munford on May 5, 2012 at 2:00 PM
I thought they meant they weren’t set up defensively for the violence and rapes.
They mean something else? Weird.
rogerb on May 5, 2012 at 2:02 PM
The Great Leap Forward won’t work as well here as it did in China.
/
Kenosha Kid on May 5, 2012 at 2:05 PM
That’s a startlingly honest admission.
PerceptorII on May 5, 2012 at 2:37 PM
National Socialist Party (Nazi) is right wing now?
faraway on May 5, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Yeah, that sounds downright awful.
WeekendAtBernankes on May 5, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Basically the rule of statists (democrats in this case):
If it helps your party’s power, support it.
If it hurts your party’s power, fight it.
GardenGnome on May 5, 2012 at 3:38 PM
You’re slowly catching on.
Saltysam on May 5, 2012 at 3:41 PM
Good video, Thanks.
RJL on May 5, 2012 at 4:20 PM