▁ident ifies ▁ 2 1 ▁alleg ed ▁tra its ▁of ▁a ▁" polit ical ▁extrem ist ", ▁r anging ▁from ▁" a ▁t endency ▁to ▁character ▁assass ination " ▁and ▁h ateful ▁behaviour ▁like ▁" name ▁calling ▁and ▁lab elling ", ▁to ▁general ▁character ▁tra its ▁like ▁" a ▁t endency ▁to ▁view ▁oppon ents ▁and ▁critics ▁as ▁essentially ▁evil ", ▁" a ▁t endency ▁to ▁substitute ▁int im id ation ▁for ▁argument " ▁or ▁" group th ink ". ▁ ▁" Ext rem ism " ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁characteristic . ▁The ▁attitude ▁or ▁behavior ▁of ▁an ▁" ext rem ist " ▁may ▁be ▁represented ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁spectrum , ▁which ▁ranges ▁from ▁m ild ▁interest ▁through ▁" ob session " ▁to ▁" fan atic ism " ▁and ▁" ext rem ism ". ▁The ▁alleg ed ▁similarity ▁between ▁the ▁" ext reme ▁left " ▁and ▁" ext reme ▁right ", ▁or ▁perhaps ▁between ▁oppos ing ▁religious ▁ze al ots , ▁may ▁mean ▁only ▁that ▁all ▁these ▁are ▁" un accept able " ▁from ▁the ▁stand point ▁of ▁a ▁supposed ▁main stream ▁or ▁majority . ▁ ▁Econom ist ▁Ron ald ▁W intro be ▁arg ues ▁that ▁many ▁extrem ist ▁movements , ▁even ▁though ▁having ▁completely ▁different ▁ide ologies , ▁share ▁a ▁common ▁set ▁of ▁characteristics . ▁As ▁an ▁example , ▁he ▁lists ▁the ▁following ▁common ▁characteristics ▁between ▁" J ew ish ▁fundamental ists " ▁and ▁" the ▁extrem ists ▁of ▁Ham as ": ▁ ▁Psych ological ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁explan