Must see TV? In the wake of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, Rachel Maddow interviews Frank Schaeffer, a former member of what I guess you'd call the "extreme pro-life anti-choice* movement." Schaeffer calls out those like Bill O'Reilly who demonized Tiller relentlessly and now claim that their extreme rhetoric had nothing to do with actual events.
Schaeffer confesses that when he and other leaders of the movement in the seventies and eighties were moving to ever more radical rhetoric and tactics, they knew perfectly well what they were doing in the process: egging on those who would do exactly what Tiller's murderer did.
H/t to matttbastard on Twitter.
*Edited 'cos JJ has a point.
Just to be argumentative ...
It is worth looking at Sarah Jane Olsen and her involvement in the SLA.
Truthout, in an excellent article on her in Jaunary 2002 says:
"Vexed by the absence of genuine political movements, the SLA adopted Prince Peter Kropotkin's "politics of the deed." As Communique No. 1, the death warrant against Marcus Foster, announced, "TO THOSE WHO WOULD BEAR THE HOPES AND FUTURE OF OUR PEOPLE, LET THE VOICE OF THEIR GUNS EXPRESS THE WORDS OF FREEDOM." Many thousands of white, college-educated, guilt-ridden, middle-class American kids, circa 1973, might not have picked up the guns, but the slogan had its combustible appeal. Kathleen Ann Soliah, whether or not Sara Jane Olson can admit it today, fell in love with the anger, the vengeance and the thrill of insanity."
http://www.alternet.org/story/12254?page=1
"THE SLOGAN HAD COMBUSTIBLE APPEAL."
Not a bad sociological text - it takes the public and general down to the singular and personal. Yet I do not recall Noam Chomsky advocating violence - maybe justifying it, maybe explaining it - but encouraging it, NO. They tried to foist something upon the Chicago 7 - but that turned out to be a complete joke and brought more disrespect upon 'the system' them it promoted.
Ms. Olsen seems rather ditzy from the article . but that is no excuse either as, the article points out, the kids did not pick up guns. Nor do I recall any of the 'new left' thinkers or promoters ever being charged with conspiracy.