This article is part of a debate on Countering the Radical Right inviting people to answer the question: “should we be worried about white men?” “How wonderful it is to be an amoral individual.” These words, scrawled amidst plans for violence, were found in the journal of a British neo-Nazi convicted of plotting a terror attack. They were… Continue reading “Boys to men: the violent teenagers of the radical right”
The Scandal In June 2020, German newspapers first reported a disturbing – but perhaps unsurprising – scandal involving special forces of the German Federal Army (Bundeswehr), the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK). A young officer of the KSK had written a letter to the German Minister of Defence, Annegret Kramp Karrenbauer (CDU), outlining what he chastised as… Continue reading “‘Press the Reset Button:’ Right-Wing Extremism in Germany’s Military”
Military institutions and police forces are failing to contain right-wing extremism within their ranks, and the problem goes beyond just “a few bad apples.” After news coming from Germany that an elite military unit has had to disband and a local police chief has resigned due to right-wing extremism concerns, there seems to be legitimate questions about the scale… Continue reading “Militaries Around The World Have A Neo-Nazi Problem”
In the many instances where far-right activity attempts to exhibit solemnity, gravity, or strength, a well-aimed joke is a powerful act of resistance. Counter-mobilisation against far-right activism takes many forms, adopts many practices—but humour is one of the most persistent tactics. Time and again far-right movement organisations carry out actions laden with pretensions of gravity… Continue reading “How to laugh away the far-right: lessons from Germany”
With access to online resources and communities, “lone wolf” terrorist incidents are increasingly prevalent among radical right extremists. What is unhelpfully called “lone wolf terrorism” is rising by every metric, no matter how it is defined. Unfortunately, for those determined to carry out premeditated acts of political violence, logistically alone, there are unprecedented resources available.… Continue reading “Radical Right Terrorists Are Usually Self-Radicalized”
A young man, Philip Manshaus, who carried out the terror attack in Norway on 10 August 2019 has now been sentenced to 21 years ‘preventative detention’. He was charged with killing his step sister, Johanne Ihle- Hansen, and an act of terrorism for attacking the Al Noor mosque in Bærum, Norway. At the trial, he… Continue reading “Does Norway have a neo-Nazi terrorist problem?”
Operation Paperclip has fueled neo-Nazi conspiracy theories regarding the CIA, espionage, and government smokescreens for decades. Operation Paperclip is the historical inspiration behind Hunters, a television series on Amazon Prime, depicting a ragtag band of Nazi hunters operating in New York in 1977, who discover that hundreds of Nazi war criminals are conspiring to establish… Continue reading “False flags, paperclips, and super spies: the secret Nazi origins of the CIA”
The tale concocted about Tommie Lindh’s death has become an excuse to target minorities, particularly Muslims, with violence. In early May 2020, a 19-year-old was murdered in a small, relatively obscure city in northern Sweden. But search for the young man’s name online – Tommie Lindh – and you’ll get hit after hit from far-right… Continue reading “The radical right is exploiting a Swedish teen’s murder”
The murder of George Floyd has sparked increasingly violent protests across the United States in an outpouring of fury and frustration, and an eruption of long simmering racial tensions. An analysis of the social media platforms Gab and Telegram, in the week following his death, has demonstrated how white supremacists are capitalising on this civil… Continue reading “I Predict a Riot: An Analysis of White Supremacist Propaganda in the Wake of the George Floyd Murder”
Canada has often been an under-studied case when it comes to right-wing extremism. Previous analyses have highlighted the rise of the extreme right in Canada since the Second World War (Barrett, 1989); the challenges these hate groups have presented (Kinsella 2001; Perry and Scrivens 2016); and the activity and ideology of the Canadian Alliance and… Continue reading “Book Review: Barbara Perry and Ryan Scrivens, Right wing Extremism in Canada (London: Palgrave, 2019, pp. 277)”
