The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - Militias in America

Episode Date: November 29, 2020

The FBI foils a militia's plot targeting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Trevor examines how U.S. militias started, what they've turned into and why they're now a major threat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Join me for my new miniseries on the Art of Fairness. From New York to Tahiti will examine villains undone by their villainy, monstrous self-devaring egos and accounts of the extraordinary power of decency. Listen on the IHart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. They've been looming over protests and storming state houses since the early days of the pandemic. And I'm not going to lie.

This whole militia thing in America still blows my mind. I mean, when I first heard there was a group of young men who carry guns around and all dress alike, I thought, I mean, you can't fool me, that's a gang. It's a super white gang, but that's a gang. But my second thought was, usually you only hear about armed militias in countries like Afghanistan or Sudan, you know? So why is this something that is also going on in America? Well, let's find out why in another installment of, if you donto start hundreds of years ago. Although back then, militias were a lot different than the ones we're seeing today.

Well-regulated militias were actually quite important to the founders. They believe they were a bulwark against tyranny, and they were worried that the big, strong, new central government might crush these state military forces. So what they did is they said, we will have a militia. All able-bodied residents between certain ages are available to be called forth by the government in defense of the state. And once called forth, they answered to the government, they're trained by the government, they're directed and regulated by the government. The federal government was requiring everyone to be in the militia. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the th. thi. thi. thi. the the the th. the th. the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th. the, th. th. th. th. th. the, th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thr. And, thr. And, toooooooooooooooooooooooo. And, toea. And, their, their, their, their, their, the government. The federal government was requiring everyone to be in the militia, but the states started to try to get around it in the early 19th century because it was so unpopular.

So they created laws that said there is an organized militia and an unorganized militia. And anybody who wants to participate in the militia actively will be part of the organized militia. That later became the National Guard. This new arrangement titled the Militia Act will also be referred to as the Dick Law after its sponsor, U.S. Senator Charles Dick of Ohio. Yes, the Dick Law made a clear separation between organized and unorganized militias. And furthermore, none of you are even paying attention right now, are you?

You just thinking about Dick law. You're so immature. I'm trying to give you information, and the the the the to to the the to to the information, to the information, and now, to to the information, the information, and now, and now, to their their their their to their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their, thiololololololol, thiol- their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thinking about Dick Law? Huh? You're so immature. I'm trying to give you information and now you're probably imagining it as a new law-and-order spin-off. Go ahead then, then, then, take your time. Ha-ha, Dick Law. In fact, I'll show you a logo for the show if thiii. thiii. th th th th th th th th th thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. toe. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. toe. the. toe. thea. toe. tha. toe. thae. thae. thae. thaea. thaea. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae was trying to make is, like freedom of speech and trash-ass weaves, militias go back to the very beginning of America. Early America needed everyone to be ready to defend it at a moment's notice. It was a different world, with different needs. I mean, hell, Canada was a threat to America back then, which is wild. It's like finding out Mr. Rogers used to be a cage fighter. Hoo, things have changed. But in today's age, militias are a lot like wiping your ass with leaves.

They used to be all we had, but with all the progress society has made, if you're still doing that shit, you're probably a little crazy. And in fact, once militias were folded into the National Guard, unofficial militias sort of disappeared from America. Well at least for a while. But in recent years, they started to reemerge in a much different and disturbing form. Armed paramilitary groups first got traction in the early 90s with high-profile clashes in Ruby Ridge Idaho and Waco, Texas. Their numbers dropped after the Oklahoma City

bombing, but they've been on the rise since President Obama took office. It is in part a reaction to the election of America's first black president. These groups start to expand very rapidly, I think largely in response to the idea that the United States is becoming less white. Well, you don't like blacks. You're racedists and everything like that because he's a black president. No, I don't care what color he is. There's something not right about him. Militias grew nearly 800% during Obama's presidency, as conspiracy theories, exaggerations,

and rumors surfaced online and in the far-right media. They're gonna take your guns under the ruse of preventing war. There were fears that he'd try to stay in office indefinitely, that he was a socialist and a Muslim. Even one wild rumor that he was going to invade Texas. Wow, militias exploded once Obama became president? Well, well, well, we meet again, racism. I've been expecting you.

It's almost like Obama became president, and then the entire country locked its doors. And looking back on it, it's so funny that these guys thought Obama was going to try and try to try that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th, that th, th, th, th, that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that thoes thathing that that that that that that that that that that that thoes that that that thi, thi, thi, the entire country locked its doors. And looking back on it, it's so funny that these guys thought Obama was going to try and stay president forever and invade Texas? Because as soon as he could, Obama was out! Winning Oscars and kite surfing with Richard Branson. So long, bitches. And you know it's so weird how this stuff works.

Because these people openly admit to every single conspiracy theory that tho.. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. It, th. It's, th. It's, th. It's, th. It's, it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, th. It. It's, th. It's, th. It's, th. It's, th. It's, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th weird how this stuff works? Because these people openly admit to every single conspiracy theory that they believe, but as soon as you ask them, if it's because Obama is black, then all of a sudden they're like, what? Come on, man. No way. It's that other thing that we don't like about him. Oh, what's that? Well, he's, he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so he's so th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. the. th. th. th mean, what is he doing up there? So, modern militias are not real military organizations. But what sets them apart from other violent gangs is that they tend to act as if they are.

These people are incredibly dangerous. They're running around like a bunch of GI Joe's, armed to the teeth. Groups of civilians who are creating military structures in their organizations, collecting and storing arms, ammunition. This is the kill house. Move. Part of a training ground for a right-wing militia in the American South. This is for conducting military operations and urban terrain.

We want to practice and rehearse moving up to these structures. Move out! We want to practice and rehearse moving up to these structures. We're moving! You always want to be prepared for whatever could possibly come up. I'm training for a type of event that I will be wearing this 24-7. If getting off the couch and doing something is extreme, then yeah, I'm an extremist. Uh, I don't think it's the getting off the couch aspect that makes you an extremist. I mean, there's a a a the there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a there's a the, the, the, the, the, thi, you the, the, you thi, you thiole, you thioli, you th. You th. You th. You th. You thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you the, you the, you the, you the, you the, you the, you the, you thi. You thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the thate that that that that that that that that that that that that that that threate thate, thate, I don't think it's the getting off the couch aspect that makes you an extremist. I mean, there's a lot of middle ground between getting off the couch and decapitating mannequins in the woods. Because that dude was purposefully describing the most benign part of what he was doing. It's like Hannibal Lector saying, well if setting the table and listening to classical music makes me a cannibal, then I guess I'm a cannibal.

No, dude, it was the eating human liver part. You eat humans. Ah yes, that too. What I don't get about these militias is that if you want to dress in army fatis and train for war, you can do that in the military, and they'll pay you, and they'll pay you, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thathea, and thathea, and, and thathea, their, their, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, toe..a, toe.a, toea, toea, toea, toea, toea, toa, toea, toea, toea, toea, toe.a, to picking up strangers and then just driving them around a city for free. Oh man, join Uber. Get yourself some of those stars. And look, it's clear that these dudes have a warped ideology.

But a big part of this is just that these guys clearly need friends. They're lonely, they're scared of change, and this militia stuff gives them a sense of community. But because of toxic masculinity, the only way they can feel comfortable bonding is if it's based around violence. I just wish one day, one of them would just be like, hey guys, instead of spending all weekend canning beans and shitting in the woods, do you guys maybe just want to go out for brunch? Thank you. I thought I was the only one thinking that. I know a place that makes

a great ex-manadect. So, today's militias are less organized and more heavily armed than the original ones. But there's another big difference too. While the 18th century militias were formed to protect the country, the 21st century variety usually wants to rip the country apart. Most of the men charged with a criminal plot to kidnap Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, have ties to the Boogaloo movement. The Bougal is a term taken from the title of a 1984 comedy. It started as a meme among gun rights activists to refer to a popular uprising. Then in May, the Bougal to jump into the real world when armed men in Hawaiian shirts protested lockdown orders in Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina. Those Aloha shirts, they're not for a luout.

Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have labeled them as a violent extremist group. This group is a very serious potential threat. They've already been linked to two deaths in California, one including a federal officer. Their ideology is based on a notion of an impending second American civil war, which they call Civil War II electric boogaloo. So hold up.

If I understand this correctly, the first civil war was fought to end slavery, and then the second one will be because some assholes were bored. And people, did I miss the memo where tropical gear became a white supremacist thing? These guys have Hawaiian shirts, the Charleston white supremacists had tiki torches? What's next? Instead of burning crosses, is the KKKK going to start roasting pigs? What these people don't seem to understand is that a second civil war would be a disaster for America? Because not only would it kill millions

and destroy the country, also, we would all have to grow mutton chops again. And I don't think I can pull off mutton chops. Or could I? Actually, you know, maybe I could look good in mutton chops. Okay, you know what, I'm ready. Let's do a civil war. I think I'm, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. And that's the story of how militias started in America. What they've turned into, and why they've become one of the biggest threats to the United States of America. And if you don't know, now you know. The Daily Show with Covernoa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. Do nice guys really finish last? I'm Tim Harford, host of the Cautionary Tales podcast,

and I'm exploring that very question. Join me for my new miniseries on the Art of Fairness. From New York to Tahiti will examine villains undone by their villainy. Monstrous, self-devaring egos and accounts of the extraordinary power of decency. Listen on the IHart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

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