You can't begin to understand political " extremism " without knowing that the free speech and free thinking tradition of this country and of Western Civilization has been under attack for years now by militant groups on the Left and on the Right . Organizations that are described as " populist " or for " working class democracy " are the poorest examples of majority rule . Left or Right they are as a rule TOP DOWN organizations which recruit lost souls as drudges or insecure , second rate intellectuals as their public writers and thinkers.
What they can do well is create confusion , one dimensional enemies, and a sick hatred for ordinary humanity - on the Left for ALL religious people , on the Right for everyone too different and NOT privileged, not conspicuously prosperous.
I have heard one guy on the Right say that ONLY WAR CAN UNITE US .
ONLY the free speech and free thinking tradition can save us . Moral and intellectual progress demands a free exchange ideas - no matter how offensive.
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