Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Did you know that Fascism started in Italy as a decentralized militia movement?

[Dennis Donovan]

Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Did you know that Fascism started in Italy as a decentralized militia movement?

Stars and Stripes
11h
The National Guard’s report of "armed militia" out "hunting FEMA" prompts the relocation of North Carolina hurricane recovery officials. https://stripes.com/theaters/us/2024-10-13/armed-militia-hurricane-helene-15497437.html (archived: https://archive.ph/KHToY )

9:42 PM · Oct 13, 2024

WaPo / Stars & Stripes (archived) - National Guard’s report of ‘armed militia,’ prompts the relocation of North Carolina hurricane recovery officials

By BRIANNA SACKS
THE WASHINGTON POST • October 13, 2024

LAKE LURE, N.C. — Federal emergency response personnel on Saturday had employees operating in hard-hit Rutherford County, N.C., stop working and move to a different area because of concerns over “armed militia” threatening government workers in the region, according to an email sent to federal agencies helping with response in the state.

Around 1 p.m. Saturday, an official with the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sent an urgent message to numerous federal agencies warning that “FEMA has advised all federal responders Rutherford County, NC, to stand down and evacuate the county immediately. The message stated that National Guard troops ‘had come across x2 trucks of armed militia saying there were out hunting FEMA.’”

“The IMTs [incident management teams] have been notified and are coordinating the evacuation of all assigned personnel in that county,” the email added.

Two federal officials confirmed the authenticity of the email, though it was unclear whether the quoted threat was seen as credible. The National Guard referred questions to FEMA when asked about the incident. One Forest Service official coordinating the Helene recovery said responders moved to a “safe area” and at least some work in that area - which included clearing trees off dozens of damaged and blocked roads to help search-and-rescue crews, as well as groups delivering supplies - was paused.

/snip

The difference between Tim McVeigh's militia and today's militia is they have a leader now.

Link to tweet

[Lonestarblue]

1. We have National Guard and a military. These militias should be illegal.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. The Varangian Guard

Militias go back a long way.

[ms liberty]

3. Sounds like we need law enforcement to interview those Natl Guard

And then find those self-described FEMA hunters. Hopefully the SBI or someone is on it.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Yep

My husband grew up in the shadow of former Fascists.

He also ALWAYS wants me to note that they were 'in' long before the Great Depression. They will use the economy and the perception of being left out of prosperity - as an excuse to inflict terror on others.

The others being every perceived 'outsider' who did not fit into the unification and resurgence of the Roman empire.

[intheflow]

5. Writing is a dead art.

…it was unclear whether the quoted threat was seen as credible.

Um, we’ re moving FEMA and other federal responders out of the area? I think it was seen as credible, WaPo. 🙄