Patriots, Politics, and the Oklahoma City Bombing (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

This book explores social movements by analyzing an escalating spiral of tension between the Patriot movement and the state centered on the mutual framing of conflict as 'warfare'. By examining the social construction of 'warfare' as a principal script or frame defining the movement-state dynamic, Stuart A. Wright explains how this highly charged confluence of a war narrative engendered a kind of symbiosis leading to the escalation of a mutual threat that culminated in the Oklahoma City bombing. Wright offers a unique perspective on the events leading up to the bombing because he served as a consultant to Timothy McVeigh's defense team for eighteen months and draws on primary data based on face-to-face interviews with McVeigh. The book contends that McVeigh was firmly entrenched in the Patriot movement and was part of a network of 'warrior cells' that planned and implemented the bombing. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 List of Figures and Tables......Page 12 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 13 1 Codicil to a Patriot Profile......Page 19 Plan of the Book......Page 37 2 Patriots, Political Process, and Social Movements......Page 41 Political Process......Page 43 Opportunity/Threat......Page 44 Threat/Opportunity Spiral......Page 52 Social Appropriation/Mobilizing Structures......Page 56 Framing and Social Construction......Page 58 A Broader Research Program for Social Movements......Page 60 3 The Historical Context of Patriot Insurgency......Page 62 Cold War Threat, Political Opportunity, and Race Politics......Page 63 Black Insurgency and White Supremacist Construction of Threat, 1955–1960......Page 69 The John Birch Society: A Patriotic Organization......Page 72 Robert DePugh and the Minutemen: Patriots and Paramilitarism......Page 76 William Potter Gale and Posse Comitatus: Movement Origins......Page 80 4 The Farm Crisis, Threat Attribution, and Patriot Mobilization......Page 88 Third-Party Challengers and Mobilization......Page 95 Innovative Collective Action in the American Agricultural Movement......Page 96 Social Appropriation of AAM......Page 98 Gordon Kahl: The First Patriot Martyr......Page 102 The “War in ’84”......Page 104 Patriot Plan to Bomb the Murrah Federal Building......Page 108 A Second Wave of Patriot Violence......Page 111 5 State Mobilization: BUILDING A TRAJECTORY OF CONTENTION......Page 115 The Military and the War on Drugs......Page 119 Militarization of American Police......Page 123 Post–Cold War Militarization and Intensification......Page 126 From Drug Control to Gun Control......Page 131 6 The Gun Rights Network and Nascent Patriots: RISE OF A THREAT SPIRAL......Page 132 The Politics of Gun Control......Page 133 Third-Party Attribution of Threat: Handgun Control, Inc.......Page 137 Polarization and Radicalization of Gun Rights Groups......Page 140 Larry Pratt, Gun Owners of America, and the Call for Militias......Page 142 Constructing State Disarmament and Gun Raids......Page 144 Framing Gun Raids and the McVeigh List......Page 147 Ruby Ridge......Page 157 Construction of an Intrinsic Narrative: Weaver as “Another Bob Mathews”......Page 160 Operation Northern Exposure......Page 162 The Standoff......Page 163 Estes Park: Patriot Frame Alignment and Innovation......Page 167 Waco......Page 170 Construction of an Intrinsic Narrative: Davidians a “Dangerous, Extremist Organization”......Page 173 Operation Trojan Horse......Page 178 The Standoff and FBI/HRT Assault......Page 180 8 Patriot Insurgency and the Oklahoma City Bombing......Page 184 Mobilization of Citizen Militias......Page 186 Gun Show Subculture and McVeigh’s Insurgent Consciousness......Page 193 Configuring the Insurgent Network in the Oklahoma City Bombing......Page 199 A Final Comment about the Insurgency in Oklahoma......Page 209 9 After Oklahoma City: PATRIOT DEMOBILIZATION AND DECLINE......Page 212 State Mobilization......Page 213 Third-Party Interest Groups and the State......Page 217 Movement Demobilization and Splintering......Page 220 Social Movement Scholarship and Right-Wing Movements......Page 232 References......Page 237 Index......Page 251 This Book Explores New Ground In Social Movements By Analyzing An Escalating Spiral Of Tension Between The Patriot Movement And The State Centered On The Mutual Framing Of Conflict As Warfare. By Examining The Social Construction Of Warfare As A Principal Script Or Frame Defining The Movement-state Dynamic, Stuart A. Wright Explains How This Highly Charged Confluence Of A War Narrative Engendered A Kind Of Symbiosis Leading To The Escalation Of A Mutual Threat That Culminated In The Oklahoma City Bombing. Wright Offers A Unique Perspective On The Events Leading Up To The Bombing Because He Served As A Consultant To Timothy Mcveigh's Defense Team And Draws On Primary Data Based On Face-to-face Interviews With Mcveigh. The Book Contends That Mcveigh Was Firmly Entrenched In The Patriot Movement And Was Part Of A Network Of Warrior Cells That Planned And Implemented The Bombing. As Such, The Bombing Must Be Viewed Through The Lens Of A Social Movement Framework In Order To Fully Understand The Incident And The Role Played By Mcveigh.--jacket. Codicil To A Patriot Profile -- Patriots, Political Process, And Social Movements -- The Historical Context Of Patriot Insurgency -- The Farm Crisis, Threat Attribution, And Patriot Mobilization -- State Mobilization : Building A Trajectory Of Contention -- The Gun Rights Network And Nascent Patriots : Rise Of A Threat Spiral -- Movement-state Attributions Of War : Ruby Ridge And Waco -- Patriot Insurgency And The Oklahoma City Bombing -- After Oklahoma City : Patriot Demobilization And Decline. Stuart A. Wright. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 219-232) And Index. This book explores an escalating spiral of tension between the Patriot movement and the state leading up to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. The author served as a consultant to Timothy McVeigh's defense team and draws on information based on face-to-face interviews with McVeigh. Wright contends that McVeigh was firmly entrenched in the Patriot movement and was part of a network of 'warrior cells' that planned and carried out the bombing. By examining the Patriot movement's history and subsequent reconfiguration of conflicts with the state, McVeigh's role in the bombing can be more fully understood. Codicil to a patriot profile Patriots, political process, and social movements Historical context of patriot insurgency The farm crisis, threat attribution, and patriot mobilization State mobilization : building the trajectory of contention The gun rights network and nascent patriots : rise of a threat spiral Movement-state attributions of war : Ruby Ridge and Waco Patriot insurgency and the Oklahoma City bombing Patriot movement demobilization and decline.