rob; That order seems to give the State Dept the ability to designate organization as being terrorist organizations so that we can be at war with them.  The State Dept generally deals with international matters and I believe that the JDL is homegrown.  Does that exec order say that the FBI cannot designate an organization to be a terrorist organization? 

Who said that the Jewish Law Institute is a terrorist org?

rob adams wrote:
The “Jewish Law Institute” is *not* a terrorist org.  Please get your facts correct before falsely smearing reputations.

Ok, maybe you should re-read what I said about the Jewish Law Institute:

Anyway, I think I was somehow confusing them with the Jewish Law Institute for some odd reason.

In relation to what I previously said about the JDL:

Not sure about the Jewish Defense League though.  Maybe I’ve got them confused with a more benign organization.

I appreciate you trying to off-handedly call me an asshole and an idiot, but if you read all my comments in context, maybe you’d see that I was not smearing the Jewish Law Institute, just stating that I was a little confused about why the JDL was on the list of hate groups, and then reiterating that I had confused them with the completely benign Jewish Law Institute. ok, I didn’t state the JLI was completely benign, maybe that was too subtle?

Ha!  Alabama has fewer hate groups than Pennsylvania!  While I’d rather not compare my home state with PA on infant mortality, TB base rate, or illiteracy - at least there’s something that we can be proud of.

Roll Tide!

Wow, seems hate is everywhere in the USA...In Holland the fear and hatemongering are gaining popularity lately. Hate might be universal....

Greebo{ Wow, seems hate is everywhere in the USA...In Holland the fear and hatemongering are gaining popularity lately. Hate might be universal.

I think that most of the hate groups in the US consider themselves to be doing something that is ordained by their god.

Alabama has fewer hate groups than Pennsylvania

Of course you could look at it from the point of view Nazi Germany only had one hate group (ok probably not true, but you see where I’m going with this). Perhaps Alabama is just better organised.

Greebo: In Holland the fear and hatemongering are gaining popularity lately. Hate might be universal....

It’s easier (lazier) than understanding and compromise.
I’m a Netherlands (ND) born Australian.
Talking with my little Jewish godmother at lunch today and she was recalling when we all arrived in Oz in the 50s integration and acceptance of, and being accepted into, the Oz culture was of primary importance.
The economic migrants these days don’t seem to consider fitting into the new country - they want to transport their old culture and be accepted, unchanged, rather than accepting change.
I have a problem with that attitude.

Yesterday my father mentioned that for the first time in quite a few decades ND may have a right wing dominated government coalition and they may ban the burkas and similar garments in public places - we both agreed that wouldn’t be a bad thing but, I added, the Christian Democrats may push their xian ideals and ND may become not as tolerant as it is been known to be.
That would be a shame; historically the Dutch have been a leading light of tolerance – they even took The Pilgrims in before they went off to Columbia.

LH: Perhaps Alabama is just better organised.

Yeah, it’s the numbers in the groups, not the numbers of the groups.
A false sense of security is dangerous. 

Here the bias isnot inspired by peoples religion but by fear of te islam. Some people want to kick every muslim out of the country, thinking that all muslims are terrorists. Some politicians used this fear last election. One in particular. He won 9 of the 150 seats in our parliament with one single point: kick muslims out. 2 months ago the polls redicted a more liberal coalition. The right wing parties started at tat time with more warnings about the future filled with muslim terror. People believed it obviously. The reason why they did is still beyond me.

It’s easy enough to hate another group when that group expouses the destruction of all you hold as important.  The muslim religion professes to make you free by controlling your every thought and action.  No wonder a liberal democratic state like denmark is a bit afraid.

I believe that the religious teachings of the muslim fundamentalists are incompatible with democracy.  The teachings of the christian fundamentalists are also incompatible with democracy.  The only differences between fundamentalist muslims and christians are the methods that each group uses to gain control and which prophet they profess to follow.

So Cal here! You know, the ones that scare me the most are the groups with the innocuous names like the group near me American Patrol/Voice of Citizens Together. Then there’s my favorite of all the California group names White Devil Industries about 40 minutes away in my old stomping grounds, Ventura.

Sounds like you & I are very close neighbors, Brooks!  And I agree about the scariest groups being the ones with innocuous-sounding names. The Minutemen come to mind right off… I think the large number of groups here is probably related to the anti-immigrant (especially Mexican) sentiment.

Stupid fucking people.  I wouldn’t want to live in a California without Mexicans (and other Latin Americans); because it just wouldn’t BE California without them! The haters can spew their filth all they like but the fact is, Mexicans have made, and continue to make, this state this great state what it is.

Very good point Les about hate groups being defined by advocacy for violence.  I have seen definitions that include practically any negative statement about a group as hate - that way lies the end of free speech.  It would be worth nailing down a solid generally accepted definition of “hate group”.

Here in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois there is a building that is currently the corporate headquarters of a vaccuum cleaner company.  Every year one or more guys in Nazi uniform stands vigil in front of the building for one day.  See, that building used to be a hospital - a Mennonite hospital in fact - and the founder of the American Nazi Party was born there.  Local people just ignore them.

Not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.

DOF, I believe that was KPG that made that distinction, though I do agree with it.

Hate is indeed universal and it’s not an entirely useless emotion, though it is often the most misplaced and misused.

I probably opened a big can o’worms with that statement.

I vote for the Time-Haters!

“We are the Time-Haters. We’ve traveled back in time… to call ya a cracker.”

Illinois ... the founder of the American Nazi Party was born there.

I’m with Jake and Elwood on this one.

Les: I believe that was KPG that made that distinction

Oops - right.  Apparently my morning sacrament of caffeine has not brought enlightnment yet today.  sorry KPG.

Wiki defines a ‘hate group’

“A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates hate, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, or other sector of society, or that supports and publishes assertions and argumentation characteristic of hate groups without necessarily explicitly advocating such hate or violence that otherwise characterize hate groups. The term “hate group” is not used by these groups themselves, but rather by those who oppose them, and sometimes by sociologists or historians who study them. Many groups described this way disagree with the term as misconstruing their motives or goals.”

By this definition you could be a ‘hate group’ by calling another group a ‘hate group’.  Can anyone improve on it?

Where are you OB? I’m in Chatsworth.

OB said:
Stupid fucking people.  I wouldn’t want to live in a California without Mexicans (and other Latin Americans); because it just wouldn’t BE California without them! The haters can spew their filth all they like but the fact is, Mexicans have made, and continue to make, this state this great state what it is.

Ha! This reminds me of the great quote repeated in the trailer for the new movie Bobby.

“We didn’t cross the border. The border crossed us!”

http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/bobby/trailer1/

I always knew that socialists were hard hearted bastards.  Know the evidence is in: redistributionists are more likely to be racist tightwads.  See study.

Interesting, since I live in South Carolina, you would think I would see more activity from these so called hate groups.  Wonder why the PTA isn’t among these groups? Talk about hate. Another pure BS list made up by someone with their own hate agenda.

Where are you OB? I’m in Chatsworth.

Porn City USA! I know lots of people who work and live there; and even worked there myself for a few months earlier this year. Heh.

I’m in North Hollywood; not far from you at all!  We should meet up and raise a few glasses to Les and SEB one day soon.

I have a hard time believing that New Mexico, being a border state has zero racist organizations.  I’m happy to see though that the Midwest has a lot less racist organizations than any of the other regions of the country.  It’s interesting and encouraging how racism has been a topic on this site a few times recently.