Cato (a right leaning libertarian think tank) provides an extremely honest evaluation of political violence

[Safiel]

https://www.cato.org/blog/politically-motivated-violence-rare-united-states

Since 1975, 3,599 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in the United States, including Charlie Kirk. 83% of those were killed on 9/11 and Islamism was 87% of the total since 1975. Violence from the right wing accounted for 11% of deaths, violence from the left wing accounted for 2% of deaths. Other sources accounted for a virtual 0% of deaths, statistically insignificant.

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%, with Islamism accounting for 23% and other sources accounting for 3% of deaths.

Since 2020, the right wing accounts for 54% of deaths, the left wing for 22% of deaths, Islamism for 21% of deaths, with other sources account for 2 total (not percent) deaths, among a total of 81 murders committed by all sides.

I am glad for the brutal honesty of the Cato Institute. I am on the right economically, but libertarian socially. And I acknowledge the facts. There is a violent element among the right that exceeds the level of violence coming from the left.

I don't deny it. I combat it the best way I can by denouncing racism and nativism, the general philosophies that breed most of the violence from the right.

And I call on the left to combat their lesser share in the same manner.

We should also recognize that, thankfully, political terrorism is a a statistically insignificant component of violent deaths in the United States, with ordinary non-political murder and manslaughter comprising orders of magnitude greater numbers.

We need not overreact. We just need to all clean our own houses.

All such deaths are unacceptable, but to properly face violence, we must admit to ourselves the failings on our own side, if we are to be truly effective at reducing political violence.

The left must admit theirs, the right must admit theirs and Muslims must admit theirs.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Democrats condemn violence when it's done by "their side". While Republicans failed to do so after January six and instead elected Donald Trump as their president.

So that those who assaulted cops on January six were not only pardoned but also welcomed to the White House. While a rioter urging fellow rioters to kill cops is now considered a "valuable member" of the Justice department.

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5493197/doj-trump-jan-6-defendant-jared-wise-capitol-riot

Leading to that prosecutors, FBI agents and cops now fear for their and their families safety.

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5287708

 

[Lord of Planar]

Funny think is, and maybe I missed it. His link does dot have left and right citizen numbers. Note also this in one members blog and not an official CATO release.

 

[EnchantedMuggle]

Democrats condemn violence when it's done by "their side". While Republicans failed to do so after January six and instead elected Donald Trump as their president.

THIS.

And if nobody thinks this is a huge, huge problem, they're just putting their heads somewhere besides their shoulders.

So that those who assaulted cops on January six were not only pardoned but also welcomed to the White House. While a rioter urging fellow rioters to kill cops is now considered a "valuable member" of the Justice department.

Yup. When the right commits violence, it's either pardonable if the right likes what they tried to do, or if it's a private citizen committing the violence then it's "he wasn't right wing, he was just crazy" even when he literally came right out and espoused every ultra-right principle that's ever existed to friends, family and on social media.

The left?

We say LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY when it's "ours..." the right's...nobody's. It doesn't matter.

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5493197/doj-trump-jan-6-defendant-jared-wise-capitol-riot

Leading to that prosecutors, FBI agents and cops now fear for their and their families safety.

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5287708

 

[EnchantedMuggle]

Funny think is, and maybe I missed it. His link does dot have left and right citizen numbers. Note also this in one members blog and not an official CATO release.

^ ....aaaaaaand the excuses roll right in.

 

[EnchantedMuggle]

Funny think is, and maybe I missed it. His link does dot have left and right citizen numbers. Note also this in one members blog and not an official CATO release.

New research co-led by University of Maryland CCJS Professor Gary LaFree finds that some political extremist groups are more likely to commit violent acts than others—a belief that’s been increasingly questioned with the rise of left-wing extremist groups like Antifa, and right-wing extremist groups like the Proud Boys.

“There has been a strong presumption among many that while left-wing and right-wing ideologies vary a great deal in content, they resemble each other in terms of their willingness to use violence to further their political agenda. However, our analysis shows that right-wing actors are significantly more violent than left-wing actors,” said LaFree, a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) and the founding director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).

UMD-Led Study Shows Disparities in Violence Among Extremist Groups | CCJS l Criminology and Criminal Justice Department l University of Maryland

First-of-its-kind Look at Left, Right, and Islamist Extremists Explores Similarities, Differences New research co-led by University of Maryland CCJS Professor Gary LaFree finds that some political extremist groups are more likely to commit violent acts than others—a belief that’s been...

ccjs.umd.edu

Our primary predictor was a mutually exclusive categorical variable and included individuals who were identified as committed to Islamist, right-wing, or left-wing causes. Examples of groups supporting Islamist ideology included al-Qaeda and Hezbollah; examples of groups supporting right-wing ideology included the Ku Klux Klan and the National Alliance; and examples of groups supporting left-wing ideology included the Animal Liberation Front and the Weather Underground. Right-wing supporters represented 59%, left-wing 23%, and Islamist 18% of the sample.

A comparison of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists in the United States and the world - PMC

Following the 9/11 attacks, there were large increases in Islamist terrorism driven especially by al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates. More recently, we have seen an upsurge in right-wing political extremism in countries around the world. Despite ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Since 1990, far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists, including 227 events that took more than 520 lives.[1] In this same period, far-left extremists committed 42 ideologically motivated attacks that took 78 lives.[2]

What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism

Militant, nationalistic, white supremacist violent extremism has increased in the United States. In fact, the number of far-right attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism.

nij.ojp.gov

But terrorism carried out by right-wing actors eclipsed that of leftist movements in the 1990s, and then, the country’s focus shifted to foreign terrorist organizations for more than a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Now, government agencies and scholars across the political spectrum agree that far-right movements have caused most of the political violence in the U.S. over the past few years – and present the most dangerous threat today.

A ‘lethal threat’: why the far right sees more scrutiny than the left

Security officials and scholars across the political spectrum agree that far-right movements vice left have caused most recent domestic political violence.

www.militarytimes.com

...and stuff like that.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%, with Islamism accounting for 23% and other sources accounting for 3% of deaths.

BUT................. radical leftists shot Charlie Kirk!!! Proves them leftists is all the violent ones.

Hmmmm, we need a juicy whataboutism, how about this one: Whatabout them BLM riots 2020?

 

[Craig234]

The left must admit theirs, the right must admit theirs and Muslims must admit theirs.

I admit we are committing terrorist genocide that dwarfs all those combined.

 

[Lord of Planar]

^ ....aaaaaaand the excuses roll right in.

Read the links. Not the improper narrative given.

 

[phoenix2020]

https://www.cato.org/blog/politically-motivated-violence-rare-united-states

Since 1975, 3,599 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in the United States, including Charlie Kirk. 83% of those were killed on 9/11 and Islamism was 87% of the total since 1975. Violence from the right wing accounted for 11% of deaths, violence from the left wing accounted for 2% of deaths. Other sources accounted for a virtual 0% of deaths, statistically insignificant.

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%, with Islamism accounting for 23% and other sources accounting for 3% of deaths.

Since 2020, the right wing accounts for 54% of deaths, the left wing for 22% of deaths, Islamism for 21% of deaths, with other sources account for 2 total (not percent) deaths, among a total of 81 murders committed by all sides.

I am glad for the brutal honesty of the Cato Institute. I am on the right economically, but libertarian socially. And I acknowledge the facts. There is a violent element among the right that exceeds the level of violence coming from the left.

I don't deny it. I combat it the best way I can by denouncing racism and nativism, the general philosophies that breed most of the violence from the right.

And I call on the left to combat their lesser share in the same manner.

We should also recognize that, thankfully, political terrorism is a a statistically insignificant component of violent deaths in the United States, with ordinary non-political murder and manslaughter comprising orders of magnitude greater numbers.

We need not overreact. We just need to all clean our own houses.

All such deaths are unacceptable, but to properly face violence, we must admit to ourselves the failings on our own side, if we are to be truly effective at reducing political violence.

The left must admit theirs, the right must admit theirs and Muslims must admit theirs.

Good post and metrics but irrelevant to MAGA. They operate in a different, alternate reality where what Donald tells them is Truth and anything contrary to His Truth are lies and deceptions. If Donald tells them that left-wing violence is predominant, that is what they are going to believe, and no amount of statistics, metrics or studies will ever convince them otherwise. So, while I agree with the general premise of your last statement, MAGA by its very nature will be unable to admit theirs.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Democrats condemn violence when it's done by "their side". While Republicans failed to do so after January six and instead elected Donald Trump as their president.

The two are completely different. Yes, many on the right were outright criminal and should still be in jail. If the left did not make it a political decision to go beyond actual justice, those who were the worse offenders I think would be in jail. Too many were prosecuted for just being in ghe capitol after the doors were already open.

As for the left condeming violrnce by the left... Bullshit. All these riots during BLM protests were rationalized as proper and many politicians said the left wasn't getting angry enough1.

So that those who assaulted cops on January six were not only pardoned but also welcomed to the White House. While a rioter urging fellow rioters to kill cops is now considered a "valuable member" of the Justice department.

Again. If it was not a political hammer stomping on all involved for just tresspass, the actual criminals probably would still be in jail. Too many were convictrd for political reasons. Too many to individually review cases on. Hence the blanket pardon.

Worse of all, people like you were happy that people were in jail for simple tresspass.

 

[Lord of Planar]

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%, with Islamism accounting for 23% and other sources accounting for 3% of deaths.

BUT................. radical leftists shot Charlie Kirk!!! Proves them leftists is all the violent ones.

Hmmmm, we need a juicy whataboutism, how about this one: Whatabout them BLM riots 2020?

Too bad the links do not support it as written by the author.

 

[Fletch]

The left must admit theirs, the right must admit theirs and Muslims must admit theirs.

Ok, you are on the left, so admit yours. All I got from your post is how the right is worse, no admission from you about your tribe.

 

[lynnwinslow]

https://www.cato.org/blog/politically-motivated-violence-rare-united-states

Since 1975, 3,599 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in the United States, including Charlie Kirk. 83% of those were killed on 9/11 and Islamism was 87% of the total since 1975. Violence from the right wing accounted for 11% of deaths, violence from the left wing accounted for 2% of deaths. Other sources accounted for a virtual 0% of deaths, statistically insignificant.

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%, with Islamism accounting for 23% and other sources accounting for 3% of deaths.

Since 2020, the right wing accounts for 54% of deaths, the left wing for 22% of deaths, Islamism for 21% of deaths, with other sources account for 2 total (not percent) deaths, among a total of 81 murders committed by all sides.

I am glad for the brutal honesty of the Cato Institute. I am on the right economically, but libertarian socially. And I acknowledge the facts. There is a violent element among the right that exceeds the level of violence coming from the left.

I don't deny it. I combat it the best way I can by denouncing racism and nativism, the general philosophies that breed most of the violence from the right.

And I call on the left to combat their lesser share in the same manner.

We should also recognize that, thankfully, political terrorism is a a statistically insignificant component of violent deaths in the United States, with ordinary non-political murder and manslaughter comprising orders of magnitude greater numbers.

We need not overreact. We just need to all clean our own houses.

All such deaths are unacceptable, but to properly face violence, we must admit to ourselves the failings on our own side, if we are to be truly effective at reducing political violence.

The left must admit theirs, the right must admit theirs and Muslims must admit theirs.

Did CATO wring their hands after 1/6?

 

[Plasmaball]

Read the links. Not the improper narrative given.

Safiel is a straight shooter planar...like lol I'd trust him with facts over 90% of people.

More so when its legal issues.

I wouldnt trust you to pick up my newspaper

 

[CaughtInThe]

When you exclude 9/11 from the total (keeping other Islamist attacks) the picture becomes clearer. Right wing violence accounts for 63% of deaths and left wing violence accounts for 10%

 

[Slartibartfast]

Safiel is a straight shooter planar...like lol I'd trust him with facts over 90% of people.

More so when its legal issues.

I wouldnt trust you to pick up my newspaper

I am pretty sure Planar would carefully edit any articles before giving you the paper anyway.

 

[Plasmaball]

I am pretty sure Planar would carefully edit any articles before giving you the paper anyway.

True.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

The two are completely different. Yes, many on the right were outright criminal and should still be in jail. If the left did not make it a political decision to go beyond actual justice, those who were the worse offenders I think would be in jail. Too many were prosecuted for just being in ghe capitol after the doors were already open.

As for the left condeming violrnce by the left... Bullshit. All these riots during BLM protests were rationalized as proper and many politicians said the left wasn't getting angry enough1.

Again. If it was not a political hammer stomping on all involved for just tresspass, the actual criminals probably would still be in jail. Too many were convictrd for political reasons. Too many to individually review cases on. Hence the blanket pardon.

Worse of all, people like you were happy that people were in jail for simple tresspass.

People wouldn't have stormed the capitol if Trump and many others haven't lied about the election being stolen.

Also those "non violent" rioters entered the Capitol a long side very violent and dangerous people. That it would have been much easier for the police to reduce the violence and destruction of property if there hadn't been so many rioters.

Also 93 percent of BLM protests there peaceful. There Democrat politicians and other condemned the violence and / or property damage that some individuals did during the rest.

93% of Black Lives Matter Protests Have Been Peaceful, New Report Finds

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project analyzed more than 7,750 BLM demonstrations in all 50 states and D.C.

time.com

 

[CaughtInThe]

Read the links. Not the improper narrative given.

You're the king of excuses. I bet if you were a parent you wouldn't let your kids do that.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Safiel is a straight shooter planar...like lol I'd trust him with facts over 90% of people.

More so when its legal issues.

I wouldnt trust you to pick up my newspaper

Fine, except he only quoted what the blogger said without seeing the blogger is spinning it.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Democrats condemn violence when it's done by "their side". While Republicans failed to do so after January six and instead elected Donald Trump as their president.

So that those who assaulted cops on January six were not only pardoned but also welcomed to the White House. While a rioter urging fellow rioters to kill cops is now considered a "valuable member" of the Justice department.

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5493197/doj-trump-jan-6-defendant-jared-wise-capitol-riot

Leading to that prosecutors, FBI agents and cops now fear for their and their families safety.

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5287708

Exactly.

On the left, the wing nuts are outliers.

On the right, the entire party has partaken of the Kool Aid and embraced mental trumptardism.

Its going to get uglier would be my guess. WAYYY uglier.

Lots of folks won't stick their ass in the air for Government Tyranny is what I'd wager.

 

[Lord of Planar]

People wouldn't have stormed the capitol if Trump and many others haven't lied about the election being stolen.

Also those "non violent" rioters entered the Capitol a long side very violent and dangerous people. That it would have been much easier for the police to reduce the violence and destruction of property if there hadn't been so many rioters.

Stupid argument. Mass arrest with many unjustly sentenced. Hence mass pardon.

Also 93 percent of BLM protests there peaceful. There Democrat politicians and other condemned the violence and / or property damage that some individuals did during the rest.

93% of Black Lives Matter Protests Have Been Peaceful, New Report Finds

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project analyzed more than 7,750 BLM demonstrations in all 50 states and D.C.

time.com

There was violence. Tons of violence and tons of property damage. Far more than you find among the right. If their is any truth to the right killing more people than the left, I will assume until shown otherwuse is was self defense against a whacho leftist.

The blogger gives numbers but does not give any verifiable source links that show the proper breakdown.

 

[Lord of Planar]

You're the king of excuses. I bet if you were a parent you wouldn't let your kids do that.

Lol...

You are believing your dog ate your childs homework without proof.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Lol...

You are believing your dog ate your childs homework without proof.

And all you do is make excuses for the Republican party. And political violence coming from the right. And the shitty economy. And Trump being in the Epstein files.

If you ever become a parent you will learn to teach your children not to use constant excuses.