Political violence - left wing vs. right wing violence which occurs more?
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1. Summary of the results
The majority of the analyses suggest that right-wing violence occurs more frequently and is more deadly than left-wing violence [1] [2]. According to [2], right-wing ideology is responsible for the majority of politically motivated murders in the US, with 391 out of 618 non-9/11 related murders attributed to right-wing ideology, compared to 65 attributed to left-wing ideology [2]. Additionally, [1] indicates that right-wing attacks account for approximately 75-80% of US domestic terrorism deaths since 2001 [1]. Left-wing radical acts are less likely to be violent, as suggested by [3] and [3], but the data does not provide a direct comparison of the frequency of left-wing and right-wing violence [3].
- Key findings from the analyses include:
Right-wing extremist violence is a growing concern and transnational threat, with a 320% rise in attacks between 2014 and 2018 [4].
Right-wing ideologies have fueled more than 70% of all extremist attacks and domestic terrorism plots in the United States since 2002 [5].
Left-wing terrorists account for 22% of murders, while Islamists account for 21% [6].
**2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints**
Some analyses highlight the **similarities and differences between violent left- and right-wing extremist groups** in the United States, but do not provide conclusive evidence on which type of violence occurs more frequently [7] [8]. The history and trends of anarchist/left-wing violent extremism in America are discussed in [8], but a direct comparison of the frequency of left-wing and right-wing violence is not provided [8]. **Alternative viewpoints** may include the investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the threat to target left-wing organizations, which mentions that right-wing ideologies have fueled more than 70% of all extremist attacks and domestic terrorism plots in the United States [5].
Additional context that may be relevant includes:
The definition and classification of left-wing and right-wing violence, as well as the criteria used to determine the frequency and deadliness of such violence [3] [2].
The role of external factors, such as social and economic conditions, in contributing to the prevalence of left-wing and right-wing violence [1] [4].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement may be misleading or biased towards the idea that left-wing violence occurs more frequently, which is contradicted by the majority of the analyses [1] [2]. The sources that suggest right-wing violence is more frequent and deadly may be more reliable, as they are based on data and research [2] [1]. Right-wing groups and individuals may benefit from the original statement, as it downplays the severity of right-wing violence and shifts the focus to left-wing violence [5]. On the other hand, left-wing groups and individuals may be negatively impacted by the original statement, as it perpetuates a misleading narrative about the prevalence of left-wing violence [3].