What Is The Patriot Movement?

The so-called patriot movement is a segment of the political right in America. It is characterised by an often intense religiosity, a love of firearms and a general paranoia about government's interference in the personal freedoms of its citizens. Members of the movement often exhibit a bizarre dislike of the United Nations, typically accompanied by belief that U.N forces are going to invade and attempt to subjugate America some day.

A general sense of impending apocalypse pervades the patriot scene. Many "patriots" prepare for the collapse of civilisation by storing large quantities of canned food, and purchasing water filters which will allow them to create drinkable water even if conventional water supplies sometimes fail. They also tend to purchase gold in the belief that it will retain its value even if established currencies collapse. Although on its fringes, some members of the movement exhibit racist tendencies, the majority eschew these extremes.

The patriot movement is a political subculture with almost no representation in mainstream politics at the national level. Only a few Republican members of the U.S congress might be said to flirt with some of its ideas.