Rage on the right : the American militia movement from Ruby Ridge to homeland security / Lane Crothers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Crothers, Lane.

Series:

People, passions, and power

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Militia movements--United States.

Militia movements.

United States.

Right-wing extremists--United States.

Right-wing extremists.

Physical Description:

viii, 205 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, [2003]

Summary:

The image of the militia as ordinary people coming together in times of crisis to help their fellow citizens is deeply embedded in American society and culture. Recent claimants to the militia title have adopted this image even as they have promoted a radically anti-government, populist conservative political agenda. Author Lane Crothers uses social movement theory to explore militia activity and ideology throughout the last decade, illuminating why militia members are enraged by U.S. governmental policies and why their rage is unlikely to coalesce into a large political movement. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Contents:

Introduction: Approaching the Militia Movement 1

Social Movements and the Militia 2

1 Fuel: The Cultural Foundations of the Militia Movement 11

Political Culture, Ideology, and Myth in Political Life 13

American Political Culture 20

2 Heat: The Myth of the Militia in the American Revolution 25

Creating the Myth of the Militia in the American Revolution 27

The "American" Militia Myth 35

3 Friction: Militia Ideology and the Rationalization of Rage 41

Dimensions of Ideology in Right-Wing Populist Movements 41

Right-Wing Populist Movements in American History 43

Militia Ideology and the Populist Justification of Rage 70

4 The Spark: Randy Weaver and the Standoff at Ruby Ridge 75

Coming to Ruby Ridge 76

Eleven Days in Idaho 82

The Aftermaths of Ruby Ridge 87

5 The Fire: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and the Fire at Waco 99

Coming to Waco 99

Fifty-one Days in Texas 104

The Aftermaths of Waco 110

6 The Inferno: Timothy McVeigh and the Bombing in Oklahoma City 123

Coming to Oklahoma City 123

An Inferno in Oklahoma 128

The Aftermaths of Oklahoma City 132

7 Embers: The Decline of the Militia Movement 145

Extremism and the Isolation of the Militia Movement 147

State Action and the Decline of the Militia Movement 150

The Success of the Movement: Gun Control 157

Co-optation and the Militia 164

Epilogue: The Movement and Homeland Security 173

Racism and a New Militia Movement? 173

Is the Militia Dead? 175

The Foundations of a Potential Militia Renaissance 176.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-198) and index.

ISBN:

0742525465

0742525473

OCLC:

50630498