ExtremistMassMovementPattern describes a pattern of SelfReplicatingMemeSystems that describe extremist mass movements. Some historical examples follow.

The pattern is:

	P:
	P1: The [villain] is/are [wronging] the [victim].
	P2: It is your duty to protect the [victim] (usually implicit).

Some historical villains and a corresponding extremist mass movement are:

	Capitalists: MarxismMovement
	Communists: McCartheyismMovement
	Imperialists: SovietSocialismMovement
	Jews: NazismMovement
	Freemasons: FreemasonConspiracyMovement
	Aristocrats: FrenchRevolutionMovement
	Men: WomensMovement
	Women: MensMovement
	Foreigners: IsolationistMovement

Tom Stambaugh
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... survival is a fundamental biological trait
and instinct, which, in humans, surfaces to the
level of survival of societies and abstract ideals.
Biology depends not on rationalizations, but on
complex forces such as emotions, territorial
conflict and polarization, fueled by primitive
animosity, balanced by a drive to protect one's
possessions and family.  Ideals aren't subject
to the obvious forces of animal territorialism:
food, shelter, and access to water.  In fact,
"idealistic territorialism" isn't subject to
any real forces beyond idealogies, so it needs
other mechanisms to survive.

'''Therefore:''' Create dissatisfaction in a proletariat,
based on structures that are difficult to fulfill
(universal wealth or ubiquitous peace or justice).
Blame the status quo on an anti-hero or devil, and
focus the proletariat's energies on that devil.
The proletariat will become motivated to move toward
the ideal, while blaming the devil;  since the ideal
is rarely attainable, the movement propels itself
forward in perpetuity.  This is MassMovementPsychology.

-- JimCoplien
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''minor nitpick - an anti-hero is not the opponent, he is the protagonist who is not heroic'' -- Pete Hardie

See BrunoTheBandit.

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See http://www.politizen.com/wiki.asp?ExtremistMassMovementPattern

The above link is broken

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You know, nothing on this page has any explanatory, prescriptive, or even descriptive value whatsoever. How is ExtremistMassMovement different from MainstreamMassMovement or from ExtremistSmallMovement or even MainstreamSmallMovement? For that matter, how is UsingAllOfTheseBloodyFuckingCaps HelpfulTowardsUnderstandingAnything?

Far more helpful would have been pointing out that all groups have a tendency towards irrationality marked by paranoia, idealization and personalization. Further, that larger groups are more irrational because the rationality of the individual is less accessible. And finally, that large scale conflict is often mediated by child-parent images and words (such as the Communists being father-destroyers). But then, any one of these points would have required foregoing the distinctly unhelpful "memes" schtick.

''No it wouldn't.''