Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and Boogaloo Bois

Student's Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
The New Era of American Extremism
Introduction
The current events in the U.S. indicate the dawning of a new era of American Extremism. This study assesses how various right-wing organizations have changed the mainstream or conservative political and social landscape in the U.S. Among the right-wing movements to be discussed are the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and Boogaloo Bois. First, the nature and scope of violence across the globe will be assessed to reveal the gradual change in violence and conflict. The study will majorly focus on extremism and hate groups in the U.S.
Background Information
Since the United Nations (U.N.) founding in 1945, the nature of violence and conflict has substantially transformed. Currently, conflicts are less deadly and often between domestic groups rather than between states. For instance, gender-based violence, homicides, and violence against children are the most common conflicts experienced by most nations across the globe. Consequently, technological advancements have expounded the conflict and violence arenas. Nations are more concerned about cyber-attacks, weaponized drones and bots, lethal autonomous weapons, and live streaming of extremist attacks. For instance, ransomware and data hacks are more widely recognized. Since 1946, the number of global deaths due to war has significantly decreased. Ironically, the rate of violence and conflict is rising, with most of them waged among non-state players like domestic criminal groups, political militia, international terrorist groups, and transnational and organized criminal groups.
The dominant drivers of conflict within a nation include a breakdown in the rule of law, unresolved tensions between regions, illicit economic gains, scarcity of economic and social resources due to climate change, and co-opted or absent national institutions. As conflict is becoming more fragmented, the United Nations Report explained that 2016 had seen most nations worldwide experiencing violent conflict in almost 30 years. Additionally, the regionalization of conflicts, which connects the social-economic, military, and political issues within and across (regional) borders, has led to more protracted and prolonged conflicts, which are unlikely to respond to the traditional forms of conflict resolution. Despite the rampant spread of armed violence and conflict across nations, organized crimes and domestic and urban violence have killed more people. For instance, the 2020 U.N. report highlighted that in 2017, 89,000 lives were lost in active armed conflict, contrary to half a million lives lost due to urban and domestic violence.
Regardless of the waning impacts of terrorism across the globe, its presence among nations is still widespread. The decline in terrorism is attributed to international coordination and local governments' regional counterterrorism programs. The primary driver of terrorism is conflict due to differing opinions and beliefs. From the above explanation, the extent and nature of conflict and violence have certainly shifted from international (state against the state) to domestic (within national or regional borders). For instance, discrimination is certain in countries such as the U.S., where cultural, social, and political diversity exists. This results in social alienation and unequal distribution of resources and opportunities, both of which are the core drivers of terrorism. The feeling of alienation and unfair treatment coupled with historical tensions (such as slavery, striving for abolition of slavery, Jim Crow laws and white supremacy, and the civil rights movement) in the U.S. has led to the emergence of hate groups and far-right extremist groups.
The CSIS report 2018 explains that far-right movements across the U.S. are not new. After the abolition of slavery, the white supremacists had nothing left to assert their dominance against the Afro-Americans and other racial minorities. To still feel powerful, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was created, and it used violence against racial minorities, especially the Negros. However, after the Civil War, President Grant performed a successful targeted campaign against the KKK and its sub-movements. He stationed federal officers to arrest the KKK members, enlisted attorneys to try their cases, appointed independent oversight committees to manage the trials, and supported congress legislation against the group (such as the Ku Klux Klan Act). The 20th Century saw the cooperation between the local law enforcement departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) effectively probing and disassembling far-right groups such as Arm of the Lord, Sword, and the Covenant.
The 1990s saw the shift of right-wing organizations to issues such as free trade, gun control, immigration, same-gender relationships and marriage, abortion, and perceived infringement of civil liberties by the state. The Oklahoma bombing of 1995 further energized the cooperation between the state agencies in combating the persisting far-right movements (Wright, 2007). The 1978 book, The Turner Diaries has been compelling to the far-right movements as it narrates multiple occasions that start with a 'white supremacists military revolution' and advance to global nuclear war, the extermination of non-whites, the LGBTQ community, and Jews, and racial wars. Most antigovernment right-wing groups advocate for a 'Leaderless Resistance' where each group, society, or organization operates independently and does not need to report to a central body. Currently, the spread of far-right ideologies is alarming as it has expounded to not only radical Islam, but also animal rights, racial, environmental, militia, and sovereign (citizen) extremism.
Far-right or right-wing describes political, religious, and social that 'exists outside of and are more radical than the mainstream conservatism' (Mulloy, 2004). These groups are often single-issue as they advocate for a specific right. Examples of far-right issues include anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, anti-public lands and anti-Muslimism extremists. Primarily, the extreme right consists of two overlapping categories in the U.S.- the white supremacists (such as the alt-right, neo-Nazis, and racists skinheads) and the antigovernment extremists (such as the sovereign citizens or patriot movement and militia groups). The plotted attacks against racial, governmental, political, and religious targets in the U.S. are of particular concern. An example is the Pittsburgh shooting by Bowers Robert and the arrest of Sayoc Cesar for sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats in 2018. The actions of far-right movements result in the threat of violence or the actual use of violence against their enemies.'
Lerma (2020) found substantial evidence that supports the rise of a new political era in the U.S. The report indicated that far-right movements and organizations are on the rise. These sentiments were previously echoed by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) brief report in 2018. Between 2007 and 2011, the annual number of far-right terrorism attacks was less than five. These attacks rose to 14 in 2012, and by 2016, the median of the attacks was 13. By 2017, the attacks had risen to 31, while the FBI arrests of far-right extremists have been increasing ever since. Lerma explains that the main difference between the left-wing and the right-wing extremist movements is that the latter are large, better organized, and well-armed. Most right-wing attacks in 2018 involved incendiary devices (such as burning their targets) and the use of firearms.
Among the factors that have led to the rapid rise of the right-wing movement are social media and internet use. The internet has enhanced how extremist movements spread their propaganda, coordinate (combat) training, raise funds, organize travels and protests, communicate, and recruit new members. For instance, the groups posted videos on platforms such as YouTube, created Facebook and Instagram accounts, and shared information via Discord. Moreover, other movements have sprayed graffiti on walls as advertisement channels. Nonetheless, members of right-wing extremist groups are increasingly traveling within regions and overseas, quickly recruiting new members and connecting with like-minded individuals and groups. The election of Barrack Obama (an African-American) into the presidency, increased immigration from Syria and Mexico, and the inspiration from Donald Trump on 'Making America Great' are other significant issues that have led to the rapid rise of right-wing movements across the U.S. (Berlet and Matthew, 2018).
The Proud Boys
The Proud Boys is a far-right organization founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes during the U.S. presidential elections. It is an exclusively male group of a range of ethnic backgrounds hence denying the allegations of racism. Vice Media has been criticized for its far-right contributions. McInnes came up with the name Proud Boys from Aladdin, a Disney Animation, as opposition and response to "politically correct culture." He explained that the Proud Boys is 'a pro-western fraternity'. Generally, he argued that it is a boy drinking club aimed at socializing, bonding, and celebrating all things that pertain to Western Culture (Stern, 2019). The group is argued to be a white nationalist and neo-fascist movement that engages in and promotes political violence in the U.S. and its international charters. However, despite its 'socializing and male bonding' claims, the Proud Boys has been identified as a gang as its affiliates have taken part in brutal intimidation and violence.
There are 119 Proud Boys active chapters across 46 states in the U.S., hence the name National Proud Boys Organization. Additionally, the organization has global chapters in Norway, Canada, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Sweden, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. However, New Zealand and Canadian chapters were dismantled after being declared terrorist groups. The members of the Proud Boys must adhere to a set of initiation 'rituals' and are answerable to the local chapter leadership. The group has a myriad of ideologies that it supports. These ideologies include anti-feminism, anti-communism, anti-immigration, antisemitism, anti-LGBTQ community and rights, chauvinism, authoritarianism, Islamophobia, Trumpism, misogynistic, and crypto-fascism. Some members have adopted white supremacist ideologies (Kitts, 2020). Among the notable traits of the Proud Boys are tactical vests and yellow, red baseball caps with the caption 'Make America Great Again', and black Fred Perry polo shirts adorned by their members during protests. The tactics used mainly by this organization are protests and public rallies (Anti-Defamation League, 2020).
McInnes describes the Proud Boys as "Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world and long for the days when girls were girls and men were men". To refute the gang title, the Proud Boys insists on displaying violence as self-defense. However, contrary to the claims (of self-defense), some of its members have been arrested and convicted for attempted assault, riot, and gang assault. Carter (2017) explained that the Proud Boys is a hate group that utilizes 'rhetorical devices' to cover up their true intentions. The group has been using social media and pages like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to spread its ideologies, recruit new members, connect with other members across their national and international charters, and organize rallies and protests. The group has been banned from utilizing various media platforms in its daily operations.
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) Publication indicates that the group members have been charged with a variety of crimes such as property destruction, assault, riots, conspiracy to destroy property, weapons possession, harassment, and intimidation, murder, and attempted murder, and other bias-motivated crimes (Jansen et al., 2022). It is unclear how the Proud Boys changed the American Political and Social arena. Since its inception, the motives of the Proud Boys have been clear- to Make America Great Again. Therefore, it has engaged in a series of protests and rallies, some of which have turned chaotic, leading to the arrest and conviction of its members. The movement glorifies political violence as they believe violence is an effective way of solving issues and differences. During one of its rallies in 2016, McInnes expressed his anger towards the Proud Boys (Trump supporters) for not punching too hard. He explained that he wanted violence (Coaston, 2018).
Socio-culturally, the group is vehemently opposed to feminism and advocates for gender stereotypes that place women as inferior to men. McInnes identifies women as a 'cancer' that needs to be stopped before it corrupts the fabric of society. They are misogynistic as they refer to women as less ambitious and lazy. Most of its non-white members, such as Enrique Tarrio (Cuban-American), were motivated by advocacy for men and embrace of violence in seeking solutions to social and political problems affecting them (ADL,2020). From 2017 to 2019, the Proud Boys participated in a series of violent protests that led to arrests, convictions, and death (due to the altercations with the counter-protesters) in various parts across the U.S., such as Oregon and Manhattan, among others. 2020 saw the solidification of the Proud Boys' status as a right-wing organization. The group was a constant sight due to the anti-vaccine, anti-mask, and anti-lockdown sentiments. They viewed the Coronavirus measures as a means to curtail the civil rights of citizens and that the virus was not actual.
Moreover, the Proud Boys took part in the George Floyd protests by asserting themselves as law and order advocates who wanted justice to be served. During the Trump and Biden election campaigns, the former's sentiments towards the Proud Boys, “stand back, and stand by,” further fueled Trump’...