#BLM and #ISIS are dangerous extremist movements.
Both groups claim a slogan that rings virtuous to their target audiences, but which neither group believes in practice.
Both groups oppose Western Civilization.
Both groups threaten and use violence and intimidation to advance their goals.
Both groups have attempted to seize territory by force.
Both groups demonize disagreement.
Both groups promote a distorted version of history to justify their radical programs.
Both groups manipulate valid grievances to indoctrinate young people, sow division and incite destructive behavior.
If you really believe that there is a significant difference between these two groups, you are just as deceived as the Muslims who allowed themselves to be enthralled by #ISIS six or seven years ago.
The words on the BLM flag do not resonate with average people more than the words on the ISIS flag resonate with Muslims. No one could understand why Muslims might put the ISIS logo as their profile picture on Facebook in 2014, but the BLM logo today is almost mandatory for any business to display, and for any individual who wants to be regarded as decent and virtuous to adopt.
It is true, BLM has not committed violence on a level remotely close to the atrocities of ISIS — yet. The mentality, however, is not substantially different. If you thought that shows of Muslim support for ISIS revealed our innate savagery, be informed that such support was always minuscule, and often the result of online pressure from extremist trolls, or else sheer self-delusion about the true nature of that group because of their masterful manipulation of grievances and righteous rhetoric; just like BLM. A number of Muslims were misled, and the most fortunate among them have lived to deeply regret it. #BlackLivesMatter, however, has achieved mainstream endorsement, corporate backing, and almost unanimous media support; despite the fact that they — like ISIS — do not genuinely reflect the views of most of the people they claim to represent.
Americans have succumbed to radicalization with far greater speed and in far greater numbers than Muslims ever did with our extremist ideologies. No, this does not indicate intrinsic barbarity, but the zealotry of good intentions and a mania for rigid interpretations of righteousness born largely out of an exaggerated sense of shame and powerlessness.
