The Fight to Expose Left-Wing Violence

We hear a lot about how most domestic political violence is attributable to the radical American right. Indeed, we often hear that within minutes of the latest verifiable incident of left-wing political violence.

It’s a claim supported only by a selective reading of the historical record and suspect statistics, and it increasingly conflicts with the evidence of your own eyes. National Review is committed to busting the myths and shattering the shibboleths that allow the left to wallow in its own ignorance about the true nature of political violence in America.

We could not persist in that endeavor without your support. We hope you will consider contributing to our spring fundraiser so that work can continue.

It would take a book-length argument to rebut the many fallacies that contribute to progressives’ misconceptions about the left’s capacity for violence. My forthcoming book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America, does precisely that.

To express our gratitude to National Review’s donors, every donor who contributes $250 or more to our spring webathon will receive a free, signed copy of Blood and Progress (to receive your copy, be sure to enter your address in the address field when making your donation). But this is more than a giveaway. It’s also an expression of our commitment to advancing the conservative cause, and an acknowledgment of the important role you play in that fight.

“There is an extremely disturbing trend where people are resorting to violence to communicate political messages or economic messages,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said after a self-described Luigi Mangione fan torched a warehouse with 20 employees inside. That attack was preceded by outbreaks of anti-government mob violence targeting federal law enforcement. These disruptions are rendered more unnerving in light of last year’s small-cell terrorist and lone-wolf attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officials, to say nothing of the targeted assassinations of the left’s perceived political enemies.

And yet, in the face of all this, the New York Times insisted this month that there is “little evidence” to support the notion that violent left-wing groups like Antifa “present a dire threat to U.S. citizens.” After all, the paper of record contended, “the violence carried out by established terrorist organizations” is far more terrible than the sort meted out by the left’s thugs and vandals.

The fight against this sort of misinformation will not be won without your help. We hope you will enlist in the struggle to contain the violent left by exposing its practitioners and deconstructing its toxic ideas. Your contribution to National Review is vital to that effort. Any amount helps, and it’s never too late to donate to the cause. Thank you.