I think it’s becoming more and more clear as the days roll on that Donald J. Trump will either be impeached or crushed in the 2020 general election. Now that is good news. However, what greatly concerns me is what will happen after Trump is finally gone.
As we all well know, the alt-right is a cancerous, insidious movement. They make Republicans from yesteryear—from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney—look like mere choirboys/girls.
I often worry about how these deluded militias will respond to a Trump ouster from the Oval Office. Already, there are people on social media openly promoting civil war and domestic terrorism. We are quickly reminded of the tragedy we have seen this week in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a deranged, far-right extremist plowed his Silver Dodge Charger into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing four, injuring nineteen.
There are all kinds of budding home-grown terrorists in this country, members of what has become colloquially known as “Y’all Qaeda.” They’re out there: Men and women, husbands and wives, who own enough assault rifles to overthrow a small island nation. They were a threat to us when it looked like Trump was going to lose in 2016; and they’ll be an even bigger threat when he is either voted out in 2020, or if congress kicks him to the curb before then.
When either scenario finally happens, these people are going to be trouble.
There is a way these people could effectively be stopped, for these weeds to be dramatically and drastically uprooted, for this country to become much safer once again.
While reading FBI Agent Joseph D. Pisone’s book “Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia,” I was astonished to learn just how much damage the book’s author, Joseph D. Pistone, had inflicted upon the Italian-American mob. With his deep-cover name, Donnie Brasco—as well as a “take no s___ from anybody attitude”—Pistone convincingly formed alliances with many members and associates of La Cosa Nostra. At the end of the operation, Pistone racked up 200 indictments against the Mafia, which resulted in over 100 convictions.
While reading this, I couldn’t help but wonder: What’s to stop FBI agents from forming deep cover operations into all these far-right militias?
Surely, these militias are a far, far greater threat to our lives and democracy than the Mafia ever was. I sincerely believe that by targeting and infiltrating these extremist groups the Federal Bureau of Investigation could deal a chrushing blow to these home-grown terrorists. The RICO statue alone would scare many people away from ever even associating themselves with these militant lunatics.
Generally speaking, I am against the RICO statute. I always felt its “guilt by association” implications were morally questionable. With RICO, someone can be tried and convicted of crimes they never actually committed themselves. They only have to be a part of a criminal organization.
Wisegeekcom describes G. Robert Blakey’s controversial but highly effective act:
In the United States, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a federal law that was enacted to give extended penalties in the prosecution of organized criminal acts. The RICO Act is codified as Chapter 96 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which deals with federal crimes and criminal procedure. Although it was intended to be used against the Mafia and others engaged in organized crime, the RICO Act has been used to prosecute all sorts of criminal activity.”
That last part screams at me: All sorts of criminal activity.
In conclusion, I believe a concerted effort by FBI agents to infiltrate these far-right militias and stomp them out before they radically transform America into something resembling Nazi Germany is of paramount importance.
To any FBI agents reading I offer one piece of invaluable advice:
Read “Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life In The Mafia.”