In early 2019, during ethnographic fieldwork on radical right movements in Australia, I attended a far-right rally against allegedly “African gang crimes” in Melbourne. I spoke to a young man in his 20s about his reasons for taking part in the protest. In response he alluded that the problem was much bigger than the criminal… Continue reading “Alternative epistemologies of the radical right: how grand narratives and the quest for truth offer recognition and a sense of belonging “
We must not overlook the non-violent strategies serving the hostile ideologies of the far right. In 2018, the far right Lads Society (formerly United Patriots Front group) infiltrated the New South Wales Young Nationals, the youth wing of the National Party in Australia. Together with neo-Nazis in Antipodean Resistance, the new members were successful in… Continue reading “Infiltrating democracy: non-violent strategies serving violent ideologies”
Unlike radical right-wing populism in Western Europe, Australia’s “Hansonism” is largely a one-woman show, almost completely dependent on Pauline Hanson’s personality and appeal. She has been called a “mischievous troublemaker, an “embarrassment” to the country, and just a plain racist. The referent of these diatribes is neither France’s Marine Le Pen nor Rocío Monasterio, the… Continue reading “Australia’s Own Brand of Radical Populism”
The Christchurch massacre and the Australian state of mind. A cocktail that has been years in the making. The Christchurch terrorist carnage serves as a stark reminder that Australia is not only the home of funny beer commercials (“Fosters is Australian for beer”) and strange ways to play football, it is also home to an… Continue reading “What’s wrong with Australia?”
From the Fringes The transnational radical right is growing beyond the fringes of society and politics where it once lingered and is now seeping into the mainstream. A key message to help in doing this is ant-Muslim hatred. According to many on the radical right, the global trend of Muslim migrants and Islamist terrorism… Continue reading “They’re Not All White, But All Alt-Patriots”
Over the last twenty-years, we have seen how damaging extreme rhetoric can be – from the rise of so called Islamist terrorist groups to the successful recruitment of individuals into these groups from across Western countries. When governmental leaders are seen to make decisions that are perceived as misjudged, or to not take charge of… Continue reading “Why They Thrive: Risk, Uncertainty and Radical Right Propaganda”
