Fact check: Is there more violence associated with left wing ideology than right wing in the last 20 years?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided present a complex and nuanced view of the relationship between ideology and violence over the last 20 years. According to ^[1], radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent, which contradicts the claim that there is more violence associated with left-wing ideology ^[1]. As reported by ^[2], left-wing terrorists murdered 65 people, or about 2 percent of the total, in the United States since 1975, whereas right-wing terrorists accounted for 11 percent of the total, and Islamist terrorists accounted for 87 percent, suggesting that the claim may not be accurate ^[2]. Furthermore, ^[2] notes that right-wing terrorists have committed 11% of murders in terrorist attacks, while left-wing terrorists have committed 2% of murders, suggesting more violence associated with right-wing ideology than left-wing in the last 20 years ^[2]. However, ^[2] also reports that when excluding the 9/11 attacks, right-wing terrorists account for 63% of murders, and left-wing terrorists account for 10%, indicating a significant shift in the distribution of violence associated with different ideologies ^[2]. Additionally, ^[3] suggests that political violence in the United States comes overwhelmingly from the right, citing data from the Global Terrorism Database, FBI statistics, and other government or independent counts ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• The original statement lacks context about the specific time frame and geographic location, which is crucial in understanding the relationship between ideology and violence. As ^[4] notes, both left-wing and right-wing extremist groups pose a danger to the United States, but suggests that right-wing groups have greater potential for mounting a significant effort because they espouse traditional American values ^[4].
• Alternative viewpoints are also missing, such as the role of Islamist extremism, which ^[2] reports accounted for 87 percent of the total murders in the United States since 1975 ^[2]. P3_s2 also finds that globally, Islamist extremists are more likely to engage in violent acts than right-wing extremists ^[1].
• Public perception is also an important factor, as ^[5] notes, Americans are split on whether left-wing violence or right-wing violence is a bigger problem, with 31% saying left-wing and 33% saying right-wing, indicating a divide in public perception of the issue ^[5]. Furthermore, ^[5] reports that liberals are more likely to say right-wing violence is a bigger problem, while conservatives say left-wing violence is a bigger problem, highlighting the partisan nature of the debate ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading due to its lack of context and oversimplification of the complex relationship between ideology and violence. As ^[3] notes, political violence in the United States comes overwhelmingly from the right, which contradicts the claim that there is more violence associated with left-wing ideology ^[3]. Additionally, ^[1] and ^[1] suggest that radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent, which further challenges the original statement ^[1]. The statement may benefit those who seek to demonize left-wing ideology, while ignoring the complexity of the issue and the role of other ideologies, such as right-wing and Islamist extremism, in perpetuating violence ^{[2] [1]}. Overall, a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between ideology and violence is necessary to accurately assess the situation, taking into account the various factors and perspectives presented by the analyses ^{[1] [2] [3]}.