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Title: Rural Radicals: From Bacon's Rebellion to the Oklahoma City Bombing by Catherine McNicol Stock ISBN: 0-14-026847-2 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting contrast of producer radicalism and vigilantism
Comment: The author contends that the media discovery in the 1990s of rural militia and even the Oklahoma City bombing should not be too surprising because they follow in a long line of rural radicalism. She considers rural radicalism as a distinct phenomenon because of the nature of rural life itself. Rural residents, especially the common folk, often endure difficult and even harsh lives. Urbanization, modernization, consumerism, and the rise of huge business interests and bureaucratic government have impacted or have been felt to unduly impact rural residents. Rural people have generally turned inward toward their local communities for support in the face of difficulties. But at different periods in our history these small communities have erupted, often extra-legally, to contend with these various hated forces.
The author distinguishes between producer radicalism and vigilantism. The former category is much concerned with economic issues from unfair land laws and practices, distant and unresponsive legislatures, burdensome taxation, judicial favoring of creditors, and monopolistic businesses, especially railroads. The Populists of the late 1800s are the prime example of producer radicals. Vigilantism shares some of these same concerns, but is slanted towards external forces or people who are seen to be a threat to a closed way of life. In some cases, as in pre-revolutionary North Carolina, vigilantes have operated against criminal elements in the absence of effective law enforcement but have been far more likely to identify and inflict harm on scapegoats along racial, ethnic, religious, and political lines. The KKK is perhaps the foremost example of a vigilante group.
The author trys to convince that producer radicalism and vigilantism are two sides of the same coin. This reviewer does not find that the case is made. The Populists had legitimate complaints and found responsible ways of expressing them. They did not hate the federal government, even advocating for the nationalization of some industries. Some of their platform was adopted during the Progressive Era. Vigilantes in lieu of operating from any careful analysis of their situation seem to cling to wild conspiracy theories usually involving the federal government and then proceed to select vulnerable victims to assuage their frustrations. These are not the virtuous citizens of producer radicalism.
The book is a very good survey of the various rural radical groups through our nation's history. While I do not agree with a central tenet of the book, maybe others would. In any event the book is quite worthwhile.
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Title: Religion and the Racist Right: The Origins of the Christian Identity Movement by Michael Barkun ISBN: 0807846384 Publisher: University of North Carolina Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 1996 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing by Lou Michel, Dan Herbeck ISBN: 0060394072 Publisher: ReganBooks Pub. Date: 03 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us by Steven Emerson ISBN: 0743234359 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Racist Mind: Portraits of American Neo-Nazis and Klansmen by Raphael S. Ezekiel ISBN: 0140234497 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 1996 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists & Others by John George, Laird Wilcox, Laird M. Wilcox ISBN: 1573920584 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1996 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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