Fact check: Which have been more violent, Left or Right extremists?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided suggest that right-wing extremists are more violent than left-wing extremists ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. According to the sources, right-wing actors have a higher probability of committing violent acts, with a probability of 0.61 for right-wing violent attacks and 0.33 for left-wing violent attacks ^[1]. Additionally, left-wing radicals are less likely to use violence than right-wing and Islamist radicals, with results showing that left-wing radicals had 68% lower odds of engaging in violent behavior ^[2]. The sources also highlight the growing threat of far-right violence, with top U.S. law enforcement officials stating that extremist movements, particularly white supremacist and far-right groups, pose the biggest domestic terrorism threat facing the country ^[4]. Furthermore, the global nature of far-right extremism is emphasized, with examples from the UK, Australia, the US, and other countries ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some key context that is missing from the original statement is the role of Islamist extremists in violent attacks ^[6]. The source suggests that Islamist extremists are more likely to engage in deadly attacks, with a 131% higher odds of resulting in fatalities compared to right-wing perpetrators ^[6]. Another missing context is the use of digital platforms for radicalization and the exploitation of social media for spreading hate speech ^[5]. The sources also note the need for political leaders to condemn violence unequivocally and for communities to take action against hate speech and extremism ^[7]. Alternative viewpoints that are not fully explored in the original statement include the comparison of violence between different types of extremist groups, such as Islamist and far-right groups ^{[6] [4]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be biased towards downplaying the threat of right-wing extremism, as the majority of the sources suggest that right-wing extremists are more violent than left-wing extremists ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. The statement may also be misleading in its simplification of the issue, as the sources highlight the complexity of the problem and the need for a nuanced understanding of the different types of extremist groups and their respective levels of violence ^{[6] [5] [7]}. The sources that benefit from this framing are those that seek to emphasize the threat of right-wing extremism, such as law enforcement officials and researchers who study domestic terrorism ^{[4] [5]}. On the other hand, sources that may be disadvantaged by this framing are those that seek to downplay the threat of right-wing extremism or shift the focus to other types of extremist groups ^[6].