I think what you’re falling victim to is the phenomenon of confounding. Just because many white supremacists come from military backgrounds does not necessarily mean that there is a climate of race hatred in the military, nor does it even make that claim likely. What we’d have to look at is what is common between white supremacists with military backgrounds and those without, to see if we can find commonalities.

Many of those recruited into military service do so out of a lack of other professional opportunity. Areas where there are poor job prospects also tend to be rural areas with poor racial integration and long histories of resentment. Poverty and lack of opportunity also tend to breed race hatred. Those biases are likely to be carried through military service.

I think it is far more likely that people with pre-existing racial prejudices are joining the military because that option is open to them, and then use that training to perpetrate acts of violence. I don’t know that I’d buy the explanation that military service makes people more racist.

PLEASE POST THIS VERSION INSTEAD!!!

Doesn’t anyone find it strange that so many Nazi/Racist/White supremacist/Militia folks come out of the military?I think it might be an outlet for being trained in violence and employing it against their “racial holy war enemies” (i.e., non-”whites”). Being exposed to crude racism might also play a role in it too (finding camaraderie in other fellow racists, or developing the idea that it’s acceptable).

While the prejudiced senator Peter King attempts to assert, with no evidence whatsoever, that American Muslims form some sort of “radicalized” fifth column, no one is questioning the role of abusive militarism as a vehicle for channeling hatred for minorities into violence against them. All of the senseless warfare that is being waged in the name of “stopping terrorism”, is instead murdering civilians for no reason. The high rate of atrocities inflicted by the US upon civilian populations in warzones like Afghanistan is suggestive of a tolerance if not an encouragement of such terror by the military. The military can provide an excuse for white supremacists to try fulfilling their fantasy of a race war and get away with murder. Also, the training gives them ideas and experience for terrorist acts like this, or the knowledge of how to inflict harm on minorities when they get back home. The dehumanizing conditions experienced in war don’t help discourage violence after returning home, either.