The intelligence work that is supposed to support law enforcement is being shuttered by an administration that finds bliss in ignorance. The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to disband its group of domestic terrorism intelligence analysts effectively ends the agency’s role in providing assessments of white nationalist threats to law enforcement. The elimination of a… Continue reading “White Nationalist Body Count Swells, and Trump’s Department of Homeland Security Retreats”
Those of us living in Britain today, whether we originally hail from these shores or not, are only too aware that we are living through a major historical moment. Those of us involved in analysing the radical rights are also very conscious of the fact that, whatever deal is (or isn’t) reached between Britain and… Continue reading “Nazi Analogies Won’t Help Counter Radical Right Agendas in Post-Brexit Britain”
Recently, Dr. Louie Dean Valencia-Garcia addressed the ethical challenge researchers face when purchasing extremist materials. In buying books from publishers, subscribing to podcasts, or paying for membership in web forums, researchers are indeed helping to fund these extremist projects. While that support may be small, Valencia-Garcia points out, its ethical implications must be reckoned with.… Continue reading “Examining ethical practicalities raised by Valencia-Garcia’s “The Ethics of Consuming Fascism””
To date, the notion of gateway organizations has in the most part been used to help explain processes of radicalization in relation to Islamic extremist Islam. Since September 11, 2001, the radical right has been on the rise in terms of popularity and reach across Western states. The 9/11 attacks, the subsequent war on terror… Continue reading “Gateway Organizations: Understanding the Lure of the Radical Right”
In a fascinating CARR Insights Blog last year, Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Daisy Gebbia-Richards argued that ‘love drives extremism’ because the close communities provided by extremist organisations meet activists’ need ‘for human connection, togetherness, belonging and love’. This was certainly true for fascists in interwar Romania, which is my area of expertise. Despite some periods of… Continue reading “Love in a Romanian Fascist Movement”
Last month, the Home Office published new data about Prevent. One part of the UK Government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy known as CONTEST, Prevent aims to safeguard all individuals from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. As well as appearing to be a direct response to concerns expressed about Prevent’s effectiveness and transparency, the new data also… Continue reading “How might the state’s response to radical right extremism challenge criticisms attributed to the Prevent strategy?”
*This is an excerpt from an essay originally published by CNN Style on January 10, 2019. The full essay can be read here. The enduring image of the racist skinhead, with his signature shaved head, black combat boots and bomber jacket, has all but disappeared. In its place is a fragmented set of mainstream styles… Continue reading “Selling Extremism: Nationalist Streetwear and the Rise of the Far Right”
German neo-Nazi bands attempt to appeal more broadly to an audience that is opposed to the government’s position on asylum seekers. Plato once wrote, in an argument postulating the banning of music, that “any musical innovation is full of danger to the whole State.” While an extreme position to adopt in its own right, the… Continue reading “Tracking German Neo-Nazism Through Music”
At what rates and in what capacity do women participate in radical right communities? Gathering precise demographic details – such as gender, age or location – for members of clandestine or extremist groups can be difficult. However, in the wake of the deadly “Unite the Right” event in Charlottesville, Virginia, one expert claimed that 20%… Continue reading “Women of the radical right on Facebook”
The relatively new party known as the Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD) and its relationship to right-wing extremism have been the subject of a great deal of intensive discussion among political and social scientists. While one stream of research focuses primarily on the strategic aspects of the AfD, such as its populist rhetoric… Continue reading “The antisemitic turn of the “Alternative for Germany” party”