Patriot Movement

... a diverse coalition of persons whose ideology is marked by three elements: rebellion, racism, and religion

On the movement's moderate side are conservative Christians opposed to the liberal establishment. More radical participants include both Christians and non-Christians who deny their U.S. citizenship, drive without licenses, and refuse to pay income taxes in an effort to live outside "the system." Interspersed among these two groups are the most dangerous patriots: Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and Christian Identity believers (i.e. white supremacists who blend pseudo-Christian beliefs with racism and anti-semitism).

The glue binding this wide assortment of persons is a lethal compound of four ingredients: an obsessive suspicion of their government; a deep-seated hatred and fear of federal authorities; a belief in far-reaching conspiracy theories; and a feeling that for all intents and purposes Washington bureaucrats have discarded the U.S. Constitution. Most of the individuals in this antigovernment community also feel that a cold war of sorts is being waged between freedom-loving patriots and federal officials. Belief that this cold war will escalate into violent conflict is so great that many patriots have organized themselves into heavily armed militias, most of which function contrary to state laws prohibiting private armies.

To complicate matters, religion and/or racism are the impetus for large segments of the movement. These two powerful forces have created an unholy alliance between racists on the one hand and some conservative Christians on the other. Their common ground is apocalypticism, the belief that the present world will one day end through cataclysmic confrontation between God and Satan, out of which will emerge God's righteous kingdom.

A high level of paranoia gripping many participants in this movement makes the situation even more explosive. An ocean of pamphlets, newsletters, videotapes, and audiocassettes has flooded patriot minds with far-fetched plots the likes of which are usually associated with paperback spy novels. For instance, patriots believe the American government is now serving an insidious scheme hatched long ago by behind-the-scenes internationalists whose ultimate goal is world domination.