Repression and Ideology:
How Police Justify Labelling Dissidents as "Terrorists"

by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons

Introduction

Litigators representing defendants accused of politically-motivated crimes need to be aware of a growing body of social science literature that challenges the two main analytical models used by the government to routinely argue that militant dissidents are marginal and maladjusted persons with a natural proclivity for criminal behavior.

This goes beyond mere intellectual curiosity since government attempts to introduce broad evidence regarding intent and motive can be challenged with greater authority when a defendant's litigator is aware of the flawed nature of these analytical models. Both of the models used by the government, which we are calling "countersubversion theory" and "centrist/extremist theory," wrongly assume there is criminal intent and activity behind all mass movements that are critical of the government. ¹

That government officials still rely on the flawed analytical models is evidenced by the attempt by federal prosecutors to claim that anti-government views expressed by Terry Nichols showed his intent to bomb the federal building in Oklahoma City.

In the first part of this article, we will look at the history and themes of Countersubversion theory and Centrist/extremist theory, and then review criticisms of these theories. In part two of this article, appearing in the next issue, we will review how the flawed analytical models used by the government help justify abuses of civil rights and civil liberties.