Challenging the Right, Advancing Social Justice

CTRL-ALT-DELETE The origins and ideology of

the Alternative Right 2017 JANUARY

BY MATTHEW N. LYONS

THE RIGHT’S MARRIAGEWWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG MESSAGE <<< PAGE 1 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG This report is excerpted from Matthew N. Lyons’s forthcoming book, Insurgent Suprema- cists: The U.S. Far Right’s Challenge to State and Empire, to be published by PM Press and Kersplebedeb Publishing.

MAYBE YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT THEM in used internet memes effectively to gain visibili- the summer of 2015, when they promoted the ty, rally supporters, and target opponents. Most insult “cuckservative” to attack Trump’s op- Alt Rightists have rallied behind Trump’s presi- ponents in the Republican primaries.1 Maybe dential bid, yet as a rule Alt Rightists regard the it was in August 2016, when Hillary Clinton existing political system as hopeless and call for denounced them as “a fringe element” that had replacing the United States with one or more “effectively taken over the Republican party.”2 racially defined homelands. Or maybe it was a couple of weeks after Trump’s This report offers an overview of the Alt surprise defeat of Clinton, when a group of them Right’s history, beliefs, and relationship with were caught on camera giving the fascist salute other political forces. Part 1 traces the move- in response to a speaker shouting “Hail Trump, ment’s ideological origins in paleoconservatism hail our people, hail victory!”3 and the European New Right, and its devel- The Alt Right helped Donald Trump get elect- opment since Richard Spencer launched the ed president, and Trump’s campaign put the Alt original AlternativeRight.com website in 2010. Right in the news. But the movement was active Part 2 surveys the major political currents that well before Trump announced his candidacy, comprise or overlap with the Alt Right, which and its relationship with Trump has been more include in their ranks White nationalists, mem- complex and more qualified than many crit- bers of the antifeminist “manosphere,” male ics realize. The Alt Right is just one of multiple tribalists, right-wing anarchists, and neoreac- dangerous forces associated with Trump, but it’s tionaries. Part 3 focuses on the Alt Right’s rela- the one that has attracted the greatest notoriety. tionship with the Trump presidential campaign, However, it’s not accurate to argue, as many including movement debates about political critics have, that “Alt Right” is just a deceptive strategy, online political tactics, and its rela- code-phrase meant to hide the movement’s tionship to a network of conservative supporters White supremacist or neonazi politics. This is a and popularizers known as the “Alt Lite.” A con- movement with its own story, and for those con- cluding section offers preliminary thoughts on cerned about the seemingly sudden resurgence the Alt Right’s prospects and the potential chal- of far-right politics in the United States, it is a lenges it will face under the incoming Trump story worth exploring. administration. The Alt Right, short for “alternative right,” is a loosely organized far-right movement that PART 1 - ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT shares a contempt for both liberal multicultural- ism and mainstream conservatism; a belief that Ideological roots some people are inherently superior to others; a Two intellectual currents played key roles in strong internet presence and embrace of specific shaping the early Alternative Right: paleocon- elements of online culture; and a self-presenta- servatism and the European New Right. tion as being new, hip, and irreverent.4 Based Paleoconservatives can trace their lineage primarily in the United States, Alt Right ideol- back to the “Old Right” of the 1930s, which op- ogy combines White nationalism, misogyny, posed New Deal liberalism, and to the America antisemitism, and authoritarianism in various First movement of the early 1940s, which forms and in political styles ranging from intel- opposed U.S. entry into World War II. To vary- lectual argument to violent invective. White na- ing degrees, many of the America Firsters were tionalism constitutes the movement’s center of sympathetic to fascism and fascist claims of a gravity, but some Alt Rightists are more focused sinister Jewish-British conspiracy. In the early on reasserting male dominance or other forms 1950s, this current supported Senator Joe Mc- of elitism rather than race. The Alt Right has Carthy’s witch-hunting crusade, which extended little in the way of formal organization, but has red-baiting to target representatives of the cen-

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 2 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG trist Eastern Establishment. After McCarthy, the on culture and foreign policy.7 After the Sep- America First/anti-New Deal Right was largely tember 11th attacks in 2001, the resurgence of submerged in a broader “fusionist” conservative military interventionism and neoconservatives’ movement, in which Cold War anticommunism prominent roles in the George W. Bush admin- served as the glue holding different rightist istration solidified the paleocons’ position as currents together. But when the Soviet bloc political outsiders.8 collapsed between 1989 and 1991, this anti- The Alt Right’s other significant forerunner, communist alliance unraveled, and old debates the European New Right (ENR), developed along reemerged.5 different lines. The ENR began in France in the In the 1980s, devotees of the Old Right began late 1960s and then spread to other European calling themselves paleoconservatives as a re- countries as an initiative among far-right intel- action against neoconservatives, those often for- lectuals to rework fascist ideology, largely by merly liberal and leftist intellectuals who were appropriating elements from other political then gaining influential positions in right-wing traditions—including the Left—to mask their think-tanks and the Reagan administration. The fundamental rejection of the principle of human first neocons were predominantly Jewish and equality.9 European New Rightists championed Catholic, which put them outside the ranks of “biocultural diversity” against the homogeni- old-guard conservatism. Neocons promoted an zation supposedly brought by liberalism and aggressive foreign policy to spread U.S. “democ- globalization. They argued that true antiracism racy” throughout the world and supported a requires separating racial and ethnic groups close alliance with Israel, but they also favored to protect their unique cultures, and that true nonrestrictive immigration policies and, to a feminism defends natural gender differences, limited extent, social welfare programs. Pale- instead of supposedly forcing women to “divest conservatives regarded the neocons as usurp- themselves of their femininity.” ENR writers ers and closet leftists, and in the post-Soviet also rejected the principle of universal human era they criticized military interventionism, rights as “a strategic weapon of Western ethno- free trade, immigration, globalization, and the centrism” that stifles cultural diversity.10 welfare state. They also spoke out against Wash- European New Rightists dissociated them- ington’s close alliance with Israel, often in terms selves from traditional fascism in various other that had anti-Jewish undertones. Paleoconserva- ways as well. In the wake of France’s defeat by tives tended to be unapologetic champions of anticolonial forces in Algeria, they advocated European Christian culture, and some of them anti-imperialism rather than expansionism and gravitated toward White nationalism, advo- a federated “empire” of regionally based, ethni- cating a society in which White people, their cally homogeneous communities, rather than values, interests, and concerns would always a big, centralized state. Instead of organizing be explicitly preeminent. To some extent they a mass movement to seize state power, they began to converge with more hardline White advocated a “metapolitical” strategy that would supremacists during this period.6 gradually transform the political and intellectu- These positions attracted little elite support, al culture as a precursor to transforming institu- and after Reagan paleocons were mostly frozen tions and systems. In place of classical fascism’s out of political power. But they attracted signifi- familiar leaders and ideologues, European New cant popular support. In 1992 and 1996, Patrick Rightists championed more obscure far right- Buchanan won millions of votes in Republican ist intellectuals of the 1920s, ‘30s, and beyond, presidential primaries by emphasizing paleo- such Julius Evola of Italy, Ernst Jünger and Carl con themes. Paleocons also played key roles in Schmitt of Germany, and Corneliu Codreanu of building the anti-immigrant and neo-Confeder- Romania. ate movements in the ‘90s, and influenced the ENR ideology began to get attention in the Patriot movement, which exploded briefly in the United States in the 1990s,11 resonating with mid-90s around fears that globalist elites were paleoconservatism on various themes, notably plotting to impose a tyrannical world govern- opposition to multicultural societies, non-White ment on the United States. Some self-described immigration, and globalization. On other is- libertarians, such as former Congressmember sues, the two movements tended to be at odds: Ron Paul, embraced paleoconservative positions reflecting their roots in classical fascism but

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 3 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG in sharp contrast to paleocons, European New nostate in North America.”14 Rightists were hostile to liberal individual- In 2011, Richard Spencer became head of the ism and laissez faire capitalism, and many of White nationalist think-tank National Policy In- them rejected Christianity in favor of pagan- stitute (NPI) and its affiliated Washington Sum- ism. Nonetheless, some kind of dialog between mit Publishers. He turned AlternativeRight.com paleocon and ENR ideas held promise for Ameri- over to other editors the following year, then cans seeking to develop a White nationalist shut it down completely, establishing a new movement outside of traditional neonazi/Ku online magazine, Radix, in its place. (The other Klux Klan circles. editors then reestablished Alternative Right as a blog.) Compared with AlternativeRight.com’s Early years and growth broad ideological approach, Spencer’s later enti- The term “Alternative Right” was introduced ties were more sharply focused on promoting by Richard Spencer in 2008, when he was White nationalism. Starting in 2011, NPI held a managing editor at the paleocon and libertarian series of high-profile conferences that brought Taki’s Magazine. At Taki’s Magazine the phrase together intellectuals and activists from various was used as a catch-all for a variety of right-wing branches of the movement. In 2014, the think- voices at odds with the conservative establish- tank, together with supporters of Russian ENR ment, including paleocons, libertarians, and theorist Aleksandr Dugin, cosponsored a “pan- White nationalists.12 Two years later Spencer left European” conference in Budapest, although to found a new publication, AlternativeRight. the Hungarian government deported Spencer com, as “an online magazine of radical tradition- and denied Dugin a visa.15 alism.” Joining Spencer were two senior contrib- Starting in 2015, a much wider array of uting editors, Peter Brimelow (whose anti-immi- writers and online activists embraced the Alt grant VDARE Foundation sponsored the project) Right moniker. As Anti-Fascist News put it, and Paul Gottfried (one of paleoconservatism’s “the ‘alt right’ now often means an internet founders and one of its few Jews). Alternati- focused string of commentators, blogs, Twit- veRight.com quickly became a popular forum ter accounts, podcasters, and Reddit trolls, all among dissident rightist intellectuals, especially of which combine scientific racism, romantic younger ones. The magazine published works nationalism, and deconstructionist neo-fascist of old-school “scientific” racism along with ideas to create a white nationalist movement articles from or about the European New Right, that has almost no backwards connection with Italian far right philosopher Julius Evola, and neo-Nazis and the KKK.”16 Some online cen- figures from Germany’s interwar Conservative ters of this larger, more amorphous Alt Right Revolutionary movement. There were essays by included the imageboard websites 4chan and National-Anarchist Andrew Yeoman, libertarian 8chan, various Reddit sub-communities, and The and Pat Buchanan supporter Justin Raimondo of Right Stuffblog and podcasts. Some Alt Right Antiwar.com, male tribalist Jack Donovan, and outfits offered neonazi-oriented politics (such Black conservative Elizabeth Wright.13 as The Daily Stormer and the Traditionalist Youth AlternativeRight.com developed ties with a Network), while others did not (such as Occi- number of other White nationalist intellectual dental Dissent, The Unz Review, Vox Popoli, and publications, which eventually became associ- Chateau Heartiste). ated with the term Alternative Right. Some of On many sites, Alt Right politics were pre- its main partners included VDARE.com; Jared sented in terms intended to be as inflammatory Taylor’s American Renaissance, whose confer- as possible, bucking a decades-old trend among ences attracted both antisemites and right-wing U.S. Far Rightists to tone down their beliefs for Jews; The Occidental Quarterly and its online mass consumption. Previously, antisemitic pro- magazine, The Occidental Observer, currently pagandist Willis Carto and former Ku Klux Klan edited by prominent antisemitic intellectual leader David Duke had made careers of dressing Kevin MacDonald; and Counter-Currents Publish- up fascism as “populism” or “conservatism”; ing, which was founded in 2010 to “create an now Alt Rightists confidently derided antifas- intellectual movement in North America that is cism in the way 1960s radicals had derided analogous to the European New Right” and “lay anticommunism: “We might not all be proper the intellectual groundwork for a white eth- fascists,” The Right Stuffcolumnist Lawrence

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 4 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG Murray wrote in 2015, “but we’re all a little too, with whites and Asians on the top and fash whether we want to be or not. We’re fashy blacks at the bottom. The Alternative Right goys—we think a lot of nasty thoughts that keep takes it for granted that equality of opportu- leftists up at night during their struggle ses- nity means inequality of results for various sions. Might as well embrace it…”17 classes, races, and the two sexes. Without The Alt Right’s rapid growth partly reflected ignoring the importance of culture, we see trends in internet culture, where anonym- Western civilization as a unique product of ity and the lack of face-to-face contact have the European gene pool.18 fostered widespread use of insults, bullying, and supremacist speech. More immediately, it A few months later, Greg Johnson at Counter- reflected recent political developments, such Currents Publishing declared that: as a backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement and, above all, Donald Trump’s The survival of whites in North America and presidential candidacy. A majority of Alt Right- around the world is threatened by a host of ists supported Trump’s campaign because of his bad ideas and policies: egalitarianism, the anti-immigrant proposals; defamatory rhetoric denial of biological race and sex differences, against Mexicans, Muslims, women, and oth- feminism, emasculation, racial altruism, ers; and his clashes with mainstream conserva- ethnomasochism and xenophilia, multicul- tives and the Republican Party establishment. turalism, liberalism, capitalism, non-white immigration, individualism, consumerism, PART 2 - MAJOR IDEOLOGICAL CURRENTS materialism, hedonism, anti-natalism, etc.

White nationalists, high- and low-brow He also warned that White people would The original AlternativeRight.com magazine not survive unless they “work to reduce Jewish helped set the parameters of Alt Right White power and influence” and “regain political con- nationalism. In “Why an Alternative Right is trol over a viable national homeland or home- Necessary,” published in 2010 soon after the lands.”19 magazine was launched, columnist Richard In 2016, following the Alternative Right’s Hoste offered a paleocon-style criticism of the rapid growth, Lawrence Murray in The Right War on Terror and mainstream conservatives, Stuffproposed a summary of the movement’s coupled with a blunt new emphasis on race: “big tent” philosophy: inequality of both in- dividuals and populations is “a fact of life”; One would think that the odds of a major “races and their national subdivisions exist and terrorist attack happening would depend on compete for resources, land and influence”; how many Muslims are allowed to live in the White people are being suppressed and “must United States. Reducing Islamic immigration be allowed to take their own side”; men and in the name of fighting terror would receive women have separate roles and heterosexual widespread public support, be completely monogamy is crucial for racial survival; “the practical in a way installing a puppet regime franchise should be limited” because universal in Afghanistan wouldn’t, and not lead us democracy “gives power to the worst and shack- to kill or torture anybody…. The idea that les the fittest”; and “Jewish elites are opposed to nothing must be done to stop the March Of our entire program.”20 Alfred W. Clark in Radix Diversity is so entrenched in the minds of offered a slightly different summary. In his those considered of the Right that they will view, Alt Rightists recognize human biodiver- defend America policing the entire planet, sity; reject universalism; want to reverse Third torture, indefinite detentions, and a nation World immigration into the West; are skeptical on permanent war footing but won’t mention of free trade and free market ideology; oppose immigration restriction or racial profiling. mainstream Christianity from a variety of reli- gious viewpoints (traditionalist Christian, neo- We’ve known for a while through neurosci- pagan, atheist, and agnostic); and often (but not ence and cross-adoption studies—if common always) support Donald Trump. Unlike Murray, sense wasn’t enough—that individuals differ Clark noted that Alt Rightists disagree about in their inherent capabilities. The races do, the “Jewish question,” but generally agree “that

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 5 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG Jews have disproportionately been involved in starting left-wing movements of the last 150 [...] years.”21 Progressives, communists, and degenerates Alt Rightists have promoted these ideas of various stripes will need to be interned—at in different ways. Some have used moderate- least during the transition period. Terrorism sounding intellectual tones, often borrowed and guerrilla warfare can be prevented with from the European New Right’s euphemistic this measure. In the instance of a coup d’état language about respecting “difference” and it would be reasonable to detain every person protecting “biocultural diversity.” For example, who might conceivably be an enemy of the the National Policy Institute has promoted right-wing revolution. Rather than starving “identitarianism,” a concept that was developed or torturing them they should be treated well by the French New Right and popularized by the with the highest standard of living reason- French group Bloc Identitaire. In 2015, Rich- ably possible. Most of them will simply be ard Spencer introduced an NPI essay contest held until the war is over and the winner is for young writers on the theme, “Why I’m An clear. This is actually much more humane Identitarian”: than allowing a hotly contested civil war to occur.23 Identitarianism… eschews nationalist chau- vinism, as well as the meaningless, petty The Right Stuffdoesn’t just offer quasi-irony, nationalism that is tolerated, even encour- however, but also naked bigotry, as summarized aged, by the current world system. That said, by Anti-Fascist News: Identitarianism is itself not a universal value system, like Leftism, monotheism, and most [On The Right Stuff] they choose to openly contemporary versions of ‘conservatism.’ To use racial slurs, degrade women and rape the contrary, Identitarianism is fundamen- survivors, mock the holocaust and call for tally about difference, about culture as an violence against Jews. Their podcast, The expression of a certain people at a certain Daily Shoah, which is a play on The Daily time…. Identitarianism acknowledges the Show and the Yiddish term for The Holo- incommensurable nature of different peoples caust, is a roundtable discussion of different and cultures—and thus looks forward to a racists broadcasting under pseudonyms. world of true diversity and multicultural- Here they do voice “impressions” of Jews, ism.22 and consistently use terms like “Nig Nog,” “Muds[”] (referring to “mud races,” meaning Very different versions of Alt Right politics non-white), and calling people of African are available elsewhere. The Right Stuffwebsite descent “Dingos.” The N-word, homophobic uses a mocking, ironic tone, with rotating tag slurs, and calls for enforced cultural patri- lines such as “Your rational world is a circle archy and heteronormativity are common- jerk”; “Non-aggression is the triumph of weak- place… The use of rhetoric like this is almost ness”; “Democracy is an interracial porno”; entirely missing from groups like American “Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation Renaissance, Counter-Currents, Radix Jour- of manly character”; and “Life isn’t fair. Sucks nal, Alternative Right, and even Stormfront, for you, but I don’t care.” An article by “Darth the main hub for racist groups who recently Stirner,” titled “Fascist Libertarianism: For a banned swastikas and racial slurs.24 Better World,” further illustrated this style: Anti-Fascist News argues that different Dear libertarian, take the rose colored glasses branches of the Alternative Right use different of racial egalitarianism off. Look around and language to appeal to different target audiences. see that other races don’t even disguise their “The Right Stuff tries to mimic the aggression hatred of you. Even though you don’t think and reactionary insults of right-wing talk radio in terms of race, rest assured that they do. like Rush Limbaugh, while Radix would love to Humanity is composed of a series of racial look a lot more like that trendy Critical Theory corporations. They stick together, and if we journal young grad students are clamoring to be don’t… Western civilization is doomed. published in.”25 This is more division of labor

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 6 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG than factional conflict, as a number of Alt Right similate, cause even greater harm than they did intellectual figures have appeared onThe Right before desegregating.” Yet Lane also hoped that Stuff podcasts, for example. a significant number of Jews could be won over Stylistic differences aside, though, Alt Right- to ally with White nationalism since, “if we go ists have also disagreed about substantive is- down, they go down.” Of course, in such an alli- sues. One of the biggest points of contention has ance White nationalists “must not allow our- been whether White nationalists should work selves to become stooges.” Jews “living in our with Jews, or at least some Jews. Anti-Jewish midst… could either be allowed to live in their bigotry and scapegoating have been prevalent own communities, assimilate in small numbers, across most of the movement, but with impor- or move to Israel. Anything as long as they re- tant variations and exceptions. For the minority frain from subverting our societies…”30 of Alt Rightists who identify with neonazism, such as Andrew Anglin of the Daily Stormer, Manosphere uncompromising antisemitism is the over- While White nationalism has been central to riding core principle.26 And for many others, the Alternative Right, patriarchal politics have Jews are a major existential threat. To The Right played an increasingly important—and increas- Stuff blogger “Auschwitz Soccer Ref,” Jews as a ingly poisonous—role in the movement. The group have engaged in “2,000 years of non-stop original AlternativeRight.com featured a range treachery and backstabbing” and are “remorse- of views on gender, from patriarchal traditional- less enemies who seek the destruction of the ism to a kind of quasi-feminism. A number of people they hate, which is us.” As a result, “any- male contributors expressed concern that their one who self-identifies as a Jew or anyone who branch of the Right had attracted few women. makes excuses for a continued Jewish presence Publisher and novelist Alex Kurtagic argued in in White homelands should be unapologeti- 2011 that women and men had distinct natural cally excluded from this movement, and none of roles, but that the White nationalist movement these people should ever be allowed to speak at needed both: alt right conferences no matter how pro-White they may seem.”27 Women are far more than nurturers: they Not all Alt Rightists agree. American Renais- are especially proficient at networking, sance, one of the movement’s central institu- community building, consensus building, tions, pioneered a version of White nationalism multi-tasking, and moral and logistical sup- that avoided antisemitism. Besides publishing port provision. These are all essential in any Jewish authors, both Jews and antisemites have movement involving community outreach been welcome at AmRen events as long as they and where user-friendly, low-key, non- set aside their disagreements.28 Richard Spen- threatening forms of recruitment are advis- cer, too, repeatedly welcomed Jewish writers able…. Women can create a much broader and cited them as useful contributors to the comfort zone around hardcore political movement. activism through organising a wide range of Even Alt Rightists who view Jews as danger- community, human, and support-oriented ous outsiders don’t necessarily regard them as activities…31 the embodiment of pure evil. Serbian-American author Srdja Trifkovic wrote that “the Jews” had Andrew Yeoman of Bay Area National Anar- disproportionately contributed to the erosion of chists argued more pointedly that sexist behav- European civilization. Nevertheless, he hoped ior by male Alt Rightists was driving women for an alliance with Jews against their common away: enemy, “the brown, black, and yellow multi- tudes” whose eventual attacks on the Jewish Many women won’t associate with our ideas. community might “easily exceed in ferocity and Why is this important? Because it leaves half magnitude the events of 1942-45.”29 Similarly, our people out of the struggle. The women Counter-Currents writer M.K. Lane described that do stick around have to deal with a con- Jews as “a self-segregating and culturally arro- stant litany of abuse and frequent courtship gant people, a people who refuse to assimilate invitations from unwanted suitors. ...noth- [and] who even when they do ostensibly as- ing says ‘you’re not important to us’ [more]

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 7 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG than sexualizing women in the movement. or by women in general. This echoes the concept Don’t tell me that’s not an issue. I’ve seen of “reverse racism,” the idea that White Ameri- it happen in all kinds of radical circles, and cans face unfair discrimination, which White ours is the worst for it.32 nationalists have promoted since the 1970s. Some manospherians are family-centered As the Alternative Right has grown, it has traditionalists while others celebrate a more abandoned this kind of self-criticism and predatory sexuality. Daryush Valizadeh, who debate about gender politics. Going beyond writes at the PUA site Return of Kings under traditionalist claims about the sanctity of the the name Roosh V, embodies this tension. He family and natural gender roles, Alt Right- argues that the nuclear family with one father ists have embraced an intensely misogynistic and one mother is the healthiest unit for raising ideology, portraying women as irrational, children, and socialism is damaging because it vindictive creatures who need and want men makes women dependent on the government to rule over them and who should be stripped and discourages them from using their “femi- of any political role.33 The Traditionalist Youth nine gifts” to “land a husband.” Yet Valizadeh Network claims that “women’s biological drives has also written 10 how-to books for male sex are contrary to the best interests of civilization tourists with titles such as Bang Ukraine and and… the past century or so of women’s enfran- Bang Iceland. Valizadeh doesn’t dwell on his chisement and liberation has been detrimental own glaring inconsistency, but does suggest to societal stability.” But the group frames this in his article, “What is Neomasculinity?,” that position as relatively moderate because, unlike the dismantling of patriarchal rules has forced some rightists, they don’t believe “that women men to pursue “game” as a defensive strategy are central to the destruction of Western Civili- “to hopefully land some semblance of a normal zation”—they are simply being manipulated by relationship.”37 the Jews.34 The Daily Stormer has banned female Like the Alt Right, manosphere discourse contributors and called for limiting women’s ranges from intellectual arguments to raw invec- roles in the movement, sparking criticism from tive, although the line between them is often women on the more old school White national- blurred. Paul Elam’s A Voice for Men, founded ist discussion site Stormfront. Far-right blogger in 2009, became one of the manosphere’s most Matt Forney asserts that “Trying to ‘appeal’ to influential websites with intentionally pro- women is an exercise in pointlessness…. it’s not vocative articles arguing, for example, that that women should be unwelcome [in the Alt the legal system was so heavily stacked against Right], it’s that they’re unimportant.”35 men that rape trial jurors should vote to acquit A big reason for this shift toward hardline “even in the face of overwhelming evidence that woman-hating is that the Alt Right has be- the charges are true.”38 Elam also “satirically” come closely intertwined with the so-called declared October “Bash a Violent Bitch Month,” manophere, an online antifeminist male sub- urging men to fight back against physically abu- culture that has grown rapidly in recent years, sive female partners. He offered “satire” such as: largely outside traditional right-wing networks. The manosphere includes various overlapping I don’t mean subdue them, or deliver an circles, such as Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs), open handed pop on the face to get them to who argue that the legal system and media un- settle down. I mean literally to grab them fairly discriminate against men; Pickup Artists by the hair and smack their face against the (PUAs), who help men learn how to manipulate wall till the smugness of beating on some- women into having sex with them; Men Going one because you know they won’t fight back Their Own Way (MGTOWs), who protest wom- drains from their nose with a few million red en’s supposed dominance by avoiding relation- corpuscles.39 ships with them; and others.36 Manospherians have emphasized male vic- Manospherians also tend to promote ho- timhood—the false belief that men in U.S. soci- mophobia and transphobia, which is consistent ety are oppressed or disempowered by feminism with their efforts to re-impose rigid gender roles

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 8 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG and identities. At Return of Kings, Valizadeh MacDonald in a lengthy post about “The Damag- has denounced the legalization of same-sex ing Effects of Jewish Intellectualism And Activ- marriage as “one phase of a degenerate march ism On Western Culture.”45 Some Alt Rightists to persecute heterosexuals, both legally and so- responded favorably. One blogger commented cially, while acclimating young children to the that the manosphere was “not as stigmatized” as homosexual lifestyle.”40 On the same website, White nationalism and the Alt Right, and sug- Matt Forney warned that trans women who have gested hopefully that, “since the Manosphere sex with cis men might be guilty of “rape by has a very broad appeal it is possible that blog- fraud.”41 At the same time, some manosphere gers such as Roosh and Dalrock [a Christian sites have sought to reach out to gay men. A manospherian] might serve as a stepping stone Voice for Men published a series of articles by to guide formerly apathetic men towards the writer Matthew Lye that were later collected into Alternative Right.”46 Matt Parrott of the Tra- the e-book The New Gay Liberation: Escaping the ditionalist Youth Network praised Valizadeh’s Fag End of Feminism, which Paul Elam described “What is Neomasculinity?” as “a masterful syn- as “a scorching indictment of feminist hatred of thesis of human biodiversity knowledge, radical all things male.”42 traditionalist principle, and pragmatic modern One of the events that brought the mano- dating experience.”47 sphere to public attention was the Gamergate But the relationship soured quickly, largely controversy. Starting in 2014, a number of because Valizadeh is Persian American. Al- women who worked in—or were critical of sex- though Andrew Anglin of The Daily Stormer ism in—the video game industry were subjected tweeted that Valizadeh was “a civilized and to large-scale campaigns of harassment, co- honorable man,”48 many White nationalists ordinated partly with the #Gamergate Twitter denounced him as non White and an enemy. hashtag. Supporters of Gamergate claimed that One tweeted that he was “a greasy Iranian” who that campaign was a defense of free speech and “goes to Europe to defile white women and write journalistic ethics and against political correct- books about it.”49 After studying Valizadeh’s ac- ness, but it included streams of misogynistic counts of his own sex tourism, Counter-Currents abuse, rape and death threats, as well as doxx- Publishing editor-in-chief Greg Johnson con- ing (public releases of personal information), cluded that Roosh “is either a rapist or a fraud” which caused several women to leave their and “it is not just feminist hysteria to describe homes out of fear for their physical safety.43 Roosh as a rape advocate.” More broadly, John- The Gamergate campaign took the pervasive, son wrote, “for all its benefits… the manosphere systematic pattern of threats and abuse that has morally corrupts men. It does not promote the been long used to silence women on the inter- resurgence of traditional and biologically based net, and sharpened it into a focused weapon sexual norms.”50 Valizadeh responded by blog- of attack.44 Gamergate, in turn, strongly influ- ging “The Alt Right Is Worse Than Feminism in enced the Alt Right’s own online activism, as I Attempting to Control Male Sexual Behavior.”51 discuss below. There is significant overlap between the Male tribalism manosphere and the Alt Right. Both are heav- Jack Donovan, an early contributor to Alter- ily active on discussion websites such as 4chan, nativeRight.com who has stayed active in the Alt 8chan, and Reddit, and a number of prominent Right as it has grown, offers a related but dis- Alt Rightists—such as Forney, Theodore Beale tinct version of male supremacist ideology. In a (pseudonym: “Vox Day”), James Weidmann series of books and articles over the past decade, (“Roissy”), and Andrew Auernheimer (“weev”)— Donovan has advocated a system of patriarchy have also been active in the manosphere. Many based on “tribal” comradeship among male war- other Alt Rightists have absorbed and promoted riors. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, he manosphere versions of gender ideology. argues that in the past men have mostly orga- But there have also been tensions between nized themselves into small, close-knit “gangs,” the two rightist movements. In 2015, Valizadeh which fostered true masculinity and men’s (“Roosh V”) began to build a connection with the natural dominance over women. Yet modern Alternative Right, attending an NPI conference “globalist civilization” “requires the abandon- and quoting extensively from antisemite Kevin ment of human scale identity groups for ‘one

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 9 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG world tribe.’” A combination of “feminists, elite is not culturally specific and he’s happy to see bureaucrats, and wealthy men,” he writes, has men of other cultures pursue similar aims. “For promoted male passivity and put women in a instance, I am not a Native American, but I have dominant role.52 been in contact with a Native American activ- Unlike Christian rightists, who argue that ist who read The Way of Men and contacted me feminism misleads women into betraying their to tell me about his brotherhood. I could never true interests, Donovan sees feminism as an belong to that tribe, but I wish him great suc- expression of women’s basic nature, which is “to cess in his efforts to promote virility among his calm men down and enlist their help at home, tribesmen.”57 raising children, and fixing up the grass hut.” There are strong resonances between Dono- Today, he argues, feminists’ supposed alliance van’s ideas and early fascism’s violent male with globalist elites reflects this: “Women are camaraderie, which took the intense, trauma- better suited to and better served by the global- laced bonds that World War I veterans had ism and consumerism of modern democracies formed in the trenches and transferred them that promote security, no-strings attached sex into street-fighting formations such as the Ital- and shopping.”53 ian squadristi and German storm troopers. Don- Donovan’s social and political ideal is a latter- ovan also echoes the 1909 Futurist Manifesto, a day tribal order that he calls “The Brotherhood,” document that prefigured Italian Fascism with in which all men would affirm their sacred statements such as “We want to glorify war—the loyalty to each other against the outside world. only cure for the world—militarism, patrio- A man’s position would be based on “hierarchy tism, the destructive gesture of the anarchists, through meritocracy,” not inherited wealth or the beautiful ideas which kill, and contempt status. All men would be expected to train and for woman.”58 Thus it’s not surprising he has serve as warriors, and only warriors—mean- embraced the term “anarcho-fascism,” referring ing no women—would have a political voice. to “a unified male collective… bound together by In this version of patriarchal ideology, unlike a red ribbon of blood.”59 the Christian Right version, male comradeship In the Alternative Right and among rightists is central and the family is entirely peripheral. in general, the most controversial part of Dono- An example of the kind of community Dono- van’s ideology is that he advocates and practices van envisions is the Odinist group Wolves of “androphilia,” by which he means love or sex Vinland, which Donovan joined after visiting between masculine men. Donovan doesn’t call their off-the-grid community in rural Virginia in himself gay, rejects gay culture as effeminate, 2014. The Wolves use group rituals (including and justifies homophobia as a defense of mas- animal sacrifice) and hold fights between mem- culinity rooted in the male gang’s collective bers to test their masculinity.54 The Wolves of survival needs. His version of homosexuality is Vinland have also been praised by White nation- a consummation of the priority that men in his alist groups such as Counter-Currents Publishing, ideal gang place on each other. As he has com- and one of their members has been imprisoned mented, “When you get right down to it, when for attempting to burn down a Black church in it comes to sex, homos are just men without Virginia.55 women getting in the way.”60 Many Alternative Donovan has written that he is sympathetic Rightists consider homosexuality in any form to to White nationalist aims such as encourag- be immoral and a threat to racial survival, and ing racial separatism and defending European Donovan has been vilified on many Alt Right Americans against “the deeply entrenched sites for his sexuality, yet his work has also won anti-white bias of multiculturalist orthodox- widespread support within the movement. Anti- ies.”56 White nationalism dovetails with his Fascist News has noted a broader trend among beliefs that all humans are tribal creatures and many White nationalists to include openly human equality is an illusion. But in contrast to homosexual writers (such as James O’Meara) most Alt Rightists, race is not Donovan’s main and musicians (such as Death in June leader focus or concern. “My work is about men. It’s Douglas Pearce), while continuing to derogate about understanding masculinity and the plight gay culture.61 of men in the modern world. It’s about what all men have in common.” His “Brotherhood” ideal Right-wing anarchists

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 10 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG Like many far-right currents in the United BANA disbanded in 2011, but self-described States, the Alt Right offers a vision of the state anarcho-pluralist Keith Preston has continued that is both authoritarian and decentralist. Alt to participate in Alt Right forums, for example Rightists uphold classical fascism’s elitist and speaking at National Policy Institute confer- anti-democratic views on how society should ences and on The Right Stuffpodcasts. Preston is be governed, and as the movement has grown a former left-wing anarchist who moved to the it has increasingly applauded dictatorial fig- Right in the 1990s and then founded the group ures such as Chile’s Augusto Pinochet.62 At the American Revolutionary Vanguard, which is same time, the Alt Right goal of breaking up the better known today by the name of its web- United States into ethnically separate polities site, Attack the System.67 ATS brings together is inherently decentralist, and is rooted in both a number of right-wing currents, including the European New Right’s vision of replacing National-Anarchist, libertarian, White nation- nation-states with a federated “empire” and alist, Duginist, and others, among it editors paleoconservatism’s traditional hostility to big and contributors, but Preston’s own ideology is government. The authoritarian/decentralist distinct from all of these.68 blend has been bolstered by two other politi- Like the National-Anarchists, Preston cal currents that have influenced the Alt Right: advocates a decentralized, diverse network of right-wing anarchism and neoreaction. self-governing communities, while rejecting As part of its project to bring together a range left-wing anarchism’s commitment to dismantle of dissident right-wing voices, AlternativeRight. social hierarchy and oppression. Authoritarian com published articles by self-identified anar- and supremacist systems would be fully compat- chists Andrew Yeoman of Bay Area National ible with the anarcho-pluralist model, as long Anarchists (BANA) and Keith Preston of the as they operated on a small scale. But unlike website Attack the System (ATS). National-Anar- National-Anarchists, Preston frames his decen- chism, which advocates a decentralized system tralist ideal in terms of individual free choice of “tribal” enclaves, was initiated in the 1990s rather than tribalism, and he is not a White na- by Troy Southgate, a veteran of British neona- tionalist.69 Although Preston has echoed some zism.63 Over the following years, National-An- racist ideas such as the claim that non-European archist groups formed in a number of countries immigrants threaten to destroy Western civiliza- across Europe, the Americas, and Australia/ tion, his underlying philosophy is based not on New Zealand. The first U.S. affiliate, BANA,- be race but rather a generic, Nietzschean elitism gan in 2007, and Southgate formally launched that is not ethnically specific.70 While Preston the National-Anarchist Movement (N-AM) in himself is White, several of his closest associates 2010.64 in the Attack the System inner circle are people National-Anarchism is a White nationalist of color. ideology. Like Identitarianism, it draws heavily Preston has offered several reasons for his on the ENR doctrine that ethnic and racial sepa- involvement in the Alternative Right. He sees ratism is needed to defend so-called biocultural the movement as an important counterweight diversity. The N-AM Manifesto declares that race to what he calls “totalitarian humanism” (sup- categories are basic biological facts and some posedly state-enforced progressive values, people are innately superior to others. Nation- i.e., political correctness), he regards the Alt al-Anarchists also repeat classic antisemitic Right’s foreign policy non-interventionism and conspiracy theories and, like many neonazis, economic nationalism as superior to what the promote neopaganism and closeness to na- Republican or Democratic parties advocate, and ture.65 But National-Anarchists reject classical he shares many Alt Rightists’ interest in earlier fascism for its emphasis on strong nation-states, European “critics of liberal capitalism and mass centralized dictatorship, and collaboration with democracy,”71 meaning people like Julius Evola, big business. Instead, they call for breaking up Carl Schmitt, and Ernst Jünger. In addition, the society into self-governing tribal communities, Alt Right allows Preston to avoid political isola- so that different cultures, beliefs, and practices tion, as his efforts to reach out to left-wing anar- can co-exist side by side.66 chists have been almost completely rejected. National-Anarchists have not had a signifi- Preston is a respected figure within the Alter- cant presence in the Alternative Right since native Right, and his anti-statist vision appeals

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 11 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG to some White nationalists in the movement. ideology in 2007, but many other writers have For example, Counter-Currents author Francisco contributed to it. Neoreaction emphasizes order Albanese has argued that it provides “the best and restoring the social stability that suppos- and most viable option for the ethnic and racial edly prevailed before the French Revolution, survival” of Whites in regions where they form along with technocratic and futurist concerns a minority of the population. In addition, “it is such as transhumanism, a movement that hopes only outside the state that whites can come to to radically “improve” human beings through understand the true essence of community and technology. NRx theorist Nick Land is a leading construction of a common destiny.”72 At the advocate of accelerationism, which in his ver- same time, anarcho-pluralism offers potential sion sees global capitalism driving ever-faster common ground between White nationalists technological change, to the point that artificial and other critics of the existing order, such as intelligence essentially replaces human beings. anarcho-capitalists and other “market anar- One critic wrote that neoreaction “combines chists,” whose ideas are regularly featured on all of the awful things you always suspected Attack the System, as well as the “libertarian about libertarianism with odds and ends from theocrats” of the Christian Reconstructionist PUA culture, Victorian Social Darwinism, and movement.73 an only semi-ironic attachment to absolutism. Preston’s approach to political strategy takes Insofar as neoreactionaries have a political this bridge-building further. Echoing Third project, it’s to dissolve the United States into Position fascists, who denounce both commu- competing authoritarian seasteads on the model nism and capitalism, Preston and ATS call for of Singapore…”76 a broad revolutionary alliance of all those who Neoreactionaries, who are known for their want to destroy U.S. imperialism and the federal arcane, verbose theoretical monologues, ap- government. Within U.S. borders, this would pear to be mostly young, computer-oriented involve a “pan-secessionist” strategy uniting men, and their ideas have spread partly through groups across the political spectrum that want the tech startup scene. PayPal co-founder and to carve out self-governing enclaves free of fed- Trump supporter Peter Thiel has voiced some eral government control.74 As a step in this di- neoreactionary-sounding ideas. In 2009, for rection, ATS supported a series of North Ameri- example, he declared, “I no longer believe that can secessionist conventions, which brought freedom and democracy are compatible” and together representatives of the neo-Confederate “the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and group League of the South, the Reconstruction- the extension of the franchise to women…have ist-influenced Christian Exodus, the libertar- rendered the notion of ‘capitalist democracy’ ian Free State Project, advocates of Hawaiian into an oxymoron.”77 Both Yarvin and fellow independence, the left-leaning Second Vermont NRxer Michael Anissimov have worked for com- Republic, and others.75 panies backed by Thiel.78 This doesn’t necessar- ily mean that Thiel is intentionally bankrolling Neoreaction the neoreactionary movement per se, but it Neoreaction is another dissident right-wing points to resonances between that movement current with a vision of small-scale authori- and Silicon Valley’s larger techno-libertarian tarianism that has emerged online in the past discourse. decade, which overlaps with and has influenced “At its heart, neoreaction is a critique of the the Alternative Right. Like the Alt Right and entire liberal, politically-correct orthodoxy,” much of the manosphere, neoreaction (often commented “WhiteDeerGrotto” on the NRx blog abbreviated as NRx, and also known as Dark Habitable Worlds. “The Cathedral, a term coined Enlightenment) is a loosely unified school of by Moldbug, is a description of the institutions thought that rejects egalitarianism in principle, and enforcement mechanisms used to propa- argues that differences in human intelligence gate and maintain this orthodoxy”—a power and ability are mainly genetic, and believes that center that consists of Ivy League and other elite cultural and political elites wrongfully limit the universities, The New York Times, and some civil range of acceptable discourse. Blogger Curtis servants. “The politically-correct propagandists Yarvin (writing under the pseudonym Men- assert that humans are essentially interchange- cius Moldbug) first articulated neoreactionary able, regardless of culture or genetics, and

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 12 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG that some form of multicultural social-welfare democracy is the ideal, final political state for PART 3 - RELATIONSHIP WITH DONALD TRUMP all of humanity. Neoreaction says no. The sexes are biologically distinct, genetics matter, and Political strategy debates democracy is deeply flawed and fundamentally The Alternative Right first gained main- unstable.”79 stream attention through its support for Donald While Alt Rightists largely agree with these Trump’s presidential candidacy. In exploring the neoreactionary ideas, and some outsiders have Alt Right’s relationship with the Trump cam- equated the two movements, Alt Right and neo- paign and with Trump as president-elect, several reaction differ significantly. Alt Rightists might issues deserve special attention: the movement’s or might not invoke popular sovereignty as an debates about political strategy, its skillful use achievement of European civilization, and try to of online activism, and its attraction of a wider strike a populist or anti-elitist pose, but neore- circle of sympathizers and popularizers who actionaries all regard regular people as utterly came to be known as the “Alt Lite.” unsuited to hold political power—“a howling Alt Rightists’ embrace of Trump followed irrational mob” as NRx theorist Nick Land has several years in which they argued about put it.80 Some NRxers advocate monarchy; oth- whether to work within existing political chan- ers want to turn the state into a corporation with nels or reject them entirely. During this period, members of an intellectual elite as sharehold- American Renaissance columnist Hubert Collins ers.81 Conversely, neoreactionaries might or called on White nationalists to use the electoral might not translate their genetic determinism process and ally with more mainstream anti- into calls for racial solidarity, but for most Alt immigrant groups to keep Whites at as high a Rightists race is the basis for everything else.82 percentage of the U.S. population as possible.87 Unlike most Alt Rightists, leading neoreaction- In contrast, Gregory Hood of Counter-Currents aries have not supported Donald Trump.83 In Publishing declared that the United States was addition, while many Alt Rightists emphasize “beyond reform” and political secession was antisemitism, neoreactionaries generally do “the only way out.”88 Sidestepping this issue, not, and some neoreactionaries are Jewish or, many Alt Rightists have followed the European in Yarvin’s case, of mixed Jewish and non-Jewish New Right lead and focused on a “metapoliti- ancestry.84 Indeed, in The Right Stuff’slexicon of cal” strategy of seeking to transform the broader Alt Right terminology, “Neoreaction” translates culture. In Lawrence Murray’s words, “When as “Jews.” the idea of White nationalism has taken root At the same time, many Alt Rightists regard among enough of our people, the potential to neoreaction as a related movement that offers demand, demonstrate, and act will be superior many positive contributions. Some writers, to what it currently is.”89 Jack Donovan has such as Steve Sailer, have had a foot in both argued that the U.S. is on the road to becoming camps. Alt Rightist Gregory Hood has argued a failed state and urged Alt Rightists to “build that White nationalism and neoreaction are the kinds of resilient communities and networks complementary: “I’ve argued in the past that of skilled people that can survive the collapse race is sufficient in and of itself to serve as a and preserve your identities after the Fall.”90 foundation for state policy. However, just say- To Donovan, this is an optimistic scenario: “In ing that tells you very little about how precisely a failed state, we go back to Wild West rules, you execute that program. NRx and its theoreti- and America becomes a place for men again—a cal predecessors are absolutely core to under- land full of promise and possibility that rewards standing how society works and how power daring and ingenuity, a place where men can functions.”85 Anarcho-pluralist Keith Preston restart the world.”91 applauded a proposal by NRxer Michael Anis- Whether or not to work within established simov to create breakaway enclaves in “low-pop- political channels has been debated at move- ulation, defensible regions of the United States ment events, with some Alt Rightists moving like Idaho.”86 On its own, neoreaction seems too from one position to another. Richard Spencer, esoteric to have much of a political impact, but for example, argued in 2011 that “the GOP its contribution to Alt Right ideology might be could unite a substantial majority of white significant.

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 13 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG voters by focusing its platform on immigra- alist Youth Network declared: tion restriction.” This strategy “would…ensure that future Americans inherit a country that While Donald Trump is neither a Traditional- resembles that of their ancestors.”92 But two ist nor a White nationalist, he is a threat to years later, Spencer seemingly turned his back the economic and social powers of the inter- on the Republican Party and called for creating national Jew. For this reason alone as long a separate White ethnostate in North America. as Trump stands strong on deportation and He declared, “the majority of children born in immigration enforcement we should support the United States are non-White. Thus, from our his candidacy insofar as we can use it to push perspective, any future immigration-restriction more hardcore positions on immigration and efforts are meaningless.” Spencer also argued Identity. Donald Trump is not the savior of that “restoring the Constitution,” (going back to Whites in America, he is however a booming an aristocratic republic run by property-owning salvo across the bow of the Left and Jewish White men) as some White nationalists advo- power to tell them that White America is cated, would only lead to a similar or worse awakening, and we are tired of business as situation.93 usual.96 One approach has been to propose work- ing within the system in order to weaken it, At The Right Stuff, “Professor Evola-Hitler” advocating changes that sound reasonable but argued that Trump had broken important taboos require radical change—a right-wing version of on issues such as curtailing immigration and the Trotskyist transitional demand strategy. Ted ending birthright citizenship, damaged the Sallis, for example, urged White nationalists to Republican Party’s pro-Israel coalition, shifted “demand a seat at the multicultural table, repre- the party closer to ethnic nationalism, and “of- sented by real advocates of White interests, not fers the opportunity for the Alt-Right to expand groveling patsies.” This would involve using the quickly,” but cautioned that “We need to be language of multiculturalism to complain about taking advantage of Trump, not allow Trump to “legitimate” cases of discrimination against take advantage of us.”97 Whites or members of other dominant groups. Not all Alt Rightists supported Trump. The The aim here would not be “reforming the Sys- Right Stuff contributor “Auschwitz Soccer Ref” tem. It is instead using the contradictions and argued that Alt Rightists shouldn’t support weaknesses of the System against itself…”94 Trump since two of his children had married To a large extent, Alternative Rightist sup- Jews, making him “naturally loyal” to Israel.98 port for Trump’s presidential candidacy followed Jack Donovan suggested that a Hillary Clinton a related approach of using the system against presidency would be preferable, because she itself. Alt Rightists began praising Trump in would “drive home the reality that white men 2015, and by mid-2016 most of the movement are no longer in charge… and that [the United was applauding him. But this support was quali- States] is no longer their country and never will fied by the recognition that Trump was not one be again,”99 Keith Preston commented, “The alt- of them and was not going to bring about the right’s attachment to Trump seems to be a mir- change they wanted. Brad Griffin, who blogs at ror image repeat of the religious right’s attach- Occidental Dissent under the name Hunter Wal- ment to Reagan, i.e. the case of an insurgent, lace, hoped in late 2015 that Trump “provokes a somewhat reactionary, populist movement fatal split that topples the GOP.”95 The Tradition- being taken for a ride by a thoroughly pro-ruling class centrist politician motivated primarily by

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 14 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG personal ambition.”100 However, these anti- wife, Nancy, claiming that she had slept with Trump voices were squarely in the minority. black men while I was deployed to Iraq, and that I loved to watch while she had sex with Internet memes and harassment campaigns “black bucks.” People sent her pornographic The main way that Alt Rightists helped images of black men having sex with white Trump’s campaign was through online activism. women, with someone photoshopped to look A pivotal example came in the summer of 2015, like me, watching.105 when Alt Rightists promoted the #cuckservative meme to attack Trump’s GOP rivals as traitors Another example of Alt Right online ac- and sellouts to liberalism. “Cuckservative” com- tivism was the campaign to “wedge gays and bines the words “conservative” and “cuckold,” Muslims,” as “Butch Leghorn” of The Right Stuff meaning a man whose wife has sex with other put it. Writing in June 2016, two days after men. As journalist Joseph Bernstein pointed Afghani American Omar Mateen murdered 49 out, “The term’s connotations are racist. By al- people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, luding to a genre of porn in which passive white Leghorn declared, “Gays will never be safe from husbands watch their wives have sex with black Muslim violence, and the liberals will allow men, it casts its targets as impotent defenders of Muslim violence against gays because Muslims white people in America.”101 During the weeks are higher ranked on the Progressive stack than leading up to the first Republican presidential gays…. This makes [the Orlando] shooting a very debate, Alt Rightists spread the meme across valuable wedge issue. By allowing Muslims into social media to boost Trump and vilify his GOP America, the Democrats are in effect choosing rivals, as in a Tweet that showed a picture of Jeb Muslims over gays. We simply need to hammer Bush with the words, “Please fuck my country, this issue. Meme magic is real boys, so spread Mexico. #Cuckservative.”102 As Anti-Fascist this meme. Drive this wedge. Smash their News pointed out, this initiative “allowed racial- coalition.”106 Leghorn offered several examples ist discourse to shift into the public, making of talking points and images to use, such as a #cuckservative an accusation that mainstream rainbow flag with the words “Fuck Islam” super- Republicans feel like they have to answer to.”103 imposed over it. Alt Rightists also turned online harassment One of the Alt Right’s most skillful uses of and abuse into a potent tactic for frightening social media in 2016 was the #DraftOurDaugh- and silencing opponents, borrowing directly ters meme, which was trending on Twitter the from the manosphere’s Gamergate campaign week before the election. As the website Know discussed above. In the Spring of 2016, for ex- Your Meme explained, “#DraftOurDaughters ample, anti-Trump protesters at Portland State is a satirical social media hashtag launched by University were flooded with racist, transpho- supporters of Donald Trump which encourages bic, and antisemitic messages, doxxing, and American women to register for Selective Ser- rape and death threats, sent from anonymous vice in preparation for hypothetical scenarios social media accounts. Reflecting the mano- of United States military operations that would sphere’s influence, Alt Right harassment often supposedly be launched by Hillary Clinton if she emphasized sexual violence and the humiliation were elected as President of the United States.” of women and girls, even when men were the The campaign included a series of fake Clinton supposed targets.104 David French, staff writer at campaign ads, many of which feature images the conservative National Review, described the of women in military uniform and slogans such yearlong stream of relentless online abuse his as “Hillary will stand up to Russian Aggression. family has endured because he criticized Trump Will you stand with her?,” “I’d rather die in a and the Alt Right: war than live under bigotry,” and “In the White House or on Russian soil. The fight for equality I saw images of my daughter’s face in gas never stops.”107 chambers, with a smiling Trump in a Nazi #DraftOurDaughters portrayed the Clinton uniform preparing to press a button and kill campaign as fusing feminism/multiculturalism her. I saw her face photoshopped into im- and aggressive militarism. Since that was a rea- ages of slaves. She was called a “niglet” and sonably accurate description of Clinton’s poli- a “dindu.” The alt-right unleashed on my tics, the meme was equally effective as either

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 15 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG disinformation or satire. A number of Alt Right Rightists.114 Meanwhile, Steve Bannon declared sites, such as Vox Popoli and The Daily Stormer, Breitbart “the platform of the Alt Right” and be- promoted the campaign.108 Along with spread- gan publishing semi-veiled antisemitic attacks ing the “ads” themselves, Alt Rightists also on Trump’s opponents, all while insisting that spread the phony claim that mainstream media White nationalists, antisemites, and homo- had been taken in by them.109 phobes were marginal to the Alt Right.115 Rich- ard Spencer was pleased when Donald Trump The Alt Lite hired Bannon to run his campaign, commenting As the Alt Right has grown and attracted in- that “Breitbart has acted as a ‘gateway’ to Alt creased attention, it has also developed compli- Right ideas and writers” and that the media out- cated relationships with more moderate right- let “has people on board who take us seriously, ists. The movement has largely defined itself even if they are not Alt Right themselves.”116 But and drawn energy by denouncing conservatives, other Alt Rightists have been more critical of and some conservatives have returned the favor, the Alt Lite phenomenon. At Occidental Dissent, such as the prestigious National Review.110 At Brad Griffin describes the Alt Lite as “basically the same time, other conservatives have taken conservative websites pushing Alt-Right materi- on the role of apologists or supporters for the al in order to generate clicks and revenue,” and Alt Right, helping to spread a lot of its mes- asks, “What the hell does Milo Yiannopoulos—a sage without embracing its full ideology or its Jewish homosexual who boasts about carrying ethnostate goals. Richard Spencer and his com- on interracial relationships with black men— rades began to call this phenomenon the “Alt have to do with us?”117 Right-lite” or simply the “Alt Lite.” Alt Rightists have relied on the Alt Lite to help bring its ideas CONCLUSION: THE ALT RIGHT AND THE TRUMP to a mass, mainstream audience, but to varying PRESIDENCY degrees they have also regarded Alt Lite figures with resentment, as ideologically untrustworthy Most Alt Rightists were thrilled by Trump’s opportunists. upset victory over Hillary Clinton, but not Breitbart News Network is the preeminent because they believe that Trump shares their example of Alt Lite politics. Founded in 2007, politics or will bring about the changes that Breitbart featured sensationalist attacks on they want. Rather, they believe a Trump liberals and liberal groups, praise for the Tea presidency will offer them “breathing room” to Party’s anti-big government populism, and ag- promote their ideology and to “move the Over- gressive denials that conservatives were racist, ton window” in their favor.118 In turn, they see sexist, or homophobic. Under Steve Bannon, themselves as the Trump coalition’s political who took over leadership in 2012, the organ vanguard, taking hardline positions that pull began to scapegoat Muslims and immigrants Trump further to the right while enabling him more directly.111 In March 2016, Breitbart pub- to look moderate by comparison. In Richard lished “An Establishment Conservative’s Guide Spencer’s words, “The Alt Right and Trumpian to the Alt-Right,” by Allum Bokhari and Milo populism are now aligned much in the way the Yiannopoulos, which asserted—without evi- Left is aligned with Democratic politicians like dence—that most Alt Rightists did not believe Obama and Hillary…. We—and only we—can their own racist propaganda, but were actually say the things Trump can’t say . . . can criticize just libertarians trying to shock people.112 The him in the right way . . . and can envision a new article helped boost the Alt Right’s profile and world that he can’t quite grasp.”119 The Tradi- acceptability in mainstream circles, yet many tionalist Youth Network was more specific: “We Alt Rightists criticized it for glossing over their cannot and will not back down on the Jewish White nationalist ideology.113 Question or our explicit racial identity. We Over the following months, Yiannopoulos— won’t. Don’t worry. But we will join those who a flamboyantly gay man of Jewish descent and aren’t as radical as we are in pulling politics in a political performer who vilifies Muslims our direction.”120 and women and refers to Donald Trump as But the question of how to play that van- “Daddy”—became publicly identified with the guard role has already sharpened tensions Alt Right himself, to mixed reviews from Alt between the Alt Right and its sympathizers, and

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 16 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG to some extent within the Alt Right itself. At the Trump in return, while maintaining a clear National Policy Institute conference shortly af- sense of the relationship’s limits. Unlike many ter the election, Spencer’s closing speech ended grassroots initiatives that pour themselves into with the shout “Hail Trump, hail our people, electoral politics and get trapped, the Alt Right hail victory!” which many audience members is well positioned to maintain its own identity greeted with fascist salutes. The fact that it was and freedom of maneuver. Because it mostly caught on video by journalists made it a politi- exists online, the Alt Right does not have the cally embarrassing moment. Alt Lite figure Mike infrastructure needed to launch a guerrilla war Cernovich claimed, absurdly, that Spencer had (as Nazi/Klan forces did in the 1980s) or build acted on behalf of the government to deliber- pseudo-state institutions (as Patriot groups did ately discredit the movement. Several other in the 1990s and are attempting again now), sympathizers, and even long-time Alt Rightist but it is in a strong position to pursue a “meta- Greg Johnson of Counter-Currents, also criticized political” transformation of the political culture Spencer’s behavior as damaging.121 and thereby lay the groundwork for structural In the months and years ahead, there are change, centered on its vision of a White eth- likely to be further tensions within the larger nostate. Trump coalition, which spans from Alt Rightists to mainstream conservatives. Although Trump’s choice of Steve Bannon as chief strategist and senior counselor puts someone with Alt Right ties close to the center of power, most of his other appointments are hardline establishment figures. On a number of issues, from immigra- tion policy to Israel, Alt Rightists could easily find themselves pushed into an oppositional role. VDare.com founder Peter Brimelow has warned that Alt Rightists might “revolt” if the Trump administration fails to move in the direc- tion they want.122 Even if that happens, however, Alt Rightists could continue to exert significant pressure on a Trump administration, because they know how to speak effectively to a large part of his popular base. The Alt Right has helped revitalize White nationalist and male supremacist politics in the United States. While earlier generations of far-right activists broke new ground with online bulletin boards such as Stormfront, Alt Right- ists have made effective use of the internet for everything from theoretical debate to mass cam- paigns of targeted ridicule. In previous decades, White nationalists largely relied on coded lan- guage and euphemisms when seeking mass sup- port, but Alt Rightists often parade their hate ideology aggressively and confidently. Although the movement has seen its share of infighting, it has also been relatively successful in crafting a workable “big-tent” culture that welcomes diverse points of view and fosters fruitful inter- change with related ideological currents. The Alt Right has been buoyed by Donald Trump’s drive to the presidency, and has aided

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 17 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG ENDNOTES

1. David Weigel. “‘Cuckservative’—the Telos was instrumental in translating 21. Alfred W. Clark, “What is the conservative insult of the month, ex- European New Right texts into English #Altright?” Radix, January 20, 2016. plained.” The Washington Post, July 29, and engaging with ENR ideas. See for http://www.radixjournal.com/ 2015, https://www.washingtonpost. example the Telos Winter 1993-Fall blog/2016/1/20/what-is-the-altright com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/29/ 1994 (nos. 98-99) special double issue 22. Richard B. Spencer, “Identitar- cuckservative-the-conservative-insult- on “The French New Right: New Right- ianism—A Conversation Starter.” of-the-month-explained New Left-New Paradigm?” Radix, June 15, 2015. http://www. 2. Abby Ohlheiser and Caitlin Dewey. 12. See, for example, Richard Spen- radixjournal.com/journal/2015/6/15/ “Hillary Clinton’s alt-right speech, cer, “The Conservative Write.” Taki’s identitarianisma-conversation-starter annotated.” The Washington Post, Magazine, August 6, 2008. http:// 23. Darth Stirner, “Fascist Liber- August 25, 2016. https://www. takimag.com/article/the_conserva- tarianism: For a Better World.” The washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/ tive_write/print#axzz4VruMeHTg; Right Stuff, January 23, 2013. http:// wp/2016/08/25/hillary-clintons-alt- Kevin DeAnna, “The Alternative therightstuff.biz/2013/01/23/fascist- right-speech-annotated/ Right.” Taki’s Magazine, July 26, 2009. libertarianism-for-a-better-world/ http://takimag.com/article/the_alter- 3. Daniel Lombroso and Yoni Appel- native_right/print#axzz4VruMeHTg; 24. Antifascist Front. “#Cuckserva- baum. “‘Hail Trump!’: White Nation- and Jack Hunter, “Whither the tive: How the ‘Alt Right’ Took Off alists Salute the President Elect.” Alternative Right?” Taki’s Magazine, Their Masks and Revealed Their White The Atlantic, November 21, 2016. November 3, 2009. http://takimag. Hoods.” Anti-Fascist News, August http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ com/article/whither_the_alterna- 16, 2015. https://antifascistnews. archive/2016/11/richard-spencer- tive_right#axzz4VruMeHTg net/2015/08/16/cuckservative-how- speech-npi/508379/ the-alt-right-took-off-their-masks-and- 13. Matthew N. Lyons, “Alternati- 4. I use the term “Far Right” to refer revealed-their-white-hoods/ veRight.com: Paleoconservatism for to political forces that (a) promote hu- the 21st Century.” Three Way Fight. 25. Ibid. man inequality based on race, gender, September 19, 2010, http://threeway- or other factors as natural or inevitable 26. Andrew Anglin, “Intensified Jew- fight.blogspot.com/2010/09/alterna- and (b) reject the legitimacy of the ing: Vox Covers the Alt-Right.” Daily tiverightcom-paleoconservatism.html U.S. political system. This definition Stormer, April 18, 2016. http://www. is specific to the United States today 14. Greg Johnson, “Theory & dailystormer.com/intensified-jewing- and does not necessarily apply to other Practice.” Counter-Currents Publish- vox-covers-the-alt-right/ times or places. ing, September 2010, http://www. 27. Auschwitz Soccer Ref, “Zero Toler- counter-currents.com/2010/09/ 5. Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons. ance: Why Aren’t White Nationalists theory-practice/ Right-Wing Populism in America: Too and Jewish Nationalists Fellow Travel- Close for Comfort. (New York: Guilford 15. James Kirchick, “American Rac- ers?” The Right Stuff,April 11, 2016. Press, 2000), 145-47, 160-61. ist Richard Spencer Gets to Play the http://therightstuff.biz/2016/04/11/ Martyr in Hungary.” The Daily Beast, zero-tolerance-why-arent-white- 6. Ibid., 243-44, 283-84. October 7, 2014. http://www.thedai- nationalists-and-jewish-nationalists- 7. Rachel Tabachnick and Frank L. lybeast.com/articles/2014/10/07/ fellow-travelers/ Cocozzelli. “Nullification, Neo-Con- american-racist-richard-spencer-gets- 28. Jared Taylor, “Jews and American federates, and the Revenge of the Old to-play-the-martyr-in-hungary.html Renaissance.” American Renaissance, Right.” Political Research Associates, 16. Antifascist Front, “Alternative April 14, 2006. http://www.amren. November 22, 2013. http://www. Internet Racism: Alt Right and the com/news/2006/04/jews_and_amer- politicalresearch.org/2013/11/22/ New Fascist Branding.” Anti-Fascist ic/ nullification-neo-confederates-and- News, December 18, 2015. https:// the-revenge-of-the-old-right/ 29. Eugene Girin, “Is the Alt Right antifascistnews.net/2015/12/18/ Anti-Semitic?” AlternativeRight.com, 8. Matthew N. Lyons, “Fragmented alternative-internet-racism-alt-right- July 29, 2010. [Reposted in Radix.] Nationalism: Right-Wing Responses to and-the-new-fascist-branding/ http://www.radixjournal.com/al- September 11 in Historical Context.” 17. Lawrence Murray, “Fashism.” The tright-archive/altright-archive/main/ The Pennsylvania Magazine of History Right Stuff,October 24, 2015. http:// the-magazine/is-the-traditionalist- and Biography 127, no 4 (October, therightstuff.biz/2015/10/24/fash- right-anti-semitic 2003), 398-404. ism/ 30. M. K. Lane, “Will Jews Change 9. Roger Griffin, “Plus ça change! The 18. Richard Hoste, “Why an Alterna- Sides?” Counter-Currents Publishing, Fascist Legacy in the Metapolitics of tive Right is Necessary.” AlternativeR- February 17, 2016. http://www. the Nouvelle Droite.” Chapter for The ight.com. February 24, 2010. http:// counter-currents.com/2016/02/will- Development of the Radical Right in www.radixjournal.com/altright- jews-change-sides/ France 1890-1995. (London: Rout- archive/altright-archive/main/the- ledge: 2000). Anton Shekhovtsov, 31. Alex Kurtagic, “Women as a magazine/why-an-alternative-right-is- “Aleksandr Dugin’s Neo-Eurasianism: Measure of Credibility.” AlternativeR- necessary The New Right a la Russe.” Religion ight.com, May 25, 2011. http://www. Compass 3, no. 4 (2009): 697-716. 19. Johnson op cit., 2010. radixjournal.com/altright-archive/ altright-archive/main/blogs/untimely- 10. Alain de Benoist and Charles 20. Lawrence Murray, “The Fight observations/women-as-a-measure-of- Champetier, “Manifesto of the French for the Alt-Right: The Rising Tide of credibility New Right in the Year 2000.” https:// Ideological Autism Against Big- archive.org/details/ManifestoOfThe- Tent Supremacy.” The Right Stuff, 32. Quoted in Lyons op cit. 2010. FrenchNewRightInTheYear2000 March 6, 2016. http://therightstuff. 33. Matthew N. Lyons, “Alt-right: biz/2016/03/06/big-tentism/ 11. In the 1990s, the ex-leftist journal more misogynistic than many neo-

CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 18 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG nazis.” Three Way Fight, December 3, psmag.com/why-women-aren-t- tribe-in-the-pacific-northwest/ 2016. http://threewayfight.blogspot. welcome-on-the-internet-aa21fdbc8d6 56. Jack Donovan, “Mighty White.” com/2016/12/alt-right-more-misogy- 45. Roosh V [Daryush Valizadeh], Jack Donovan, December 18, 2011. nistic-than-many.html “The Damaging Effects of Jewish http://www.jack-donovan.com/ 34. Traditionalist Youth Network, Intellectualism And Activism On axis/2011/12/mighty-white/ “Jews Destroy Women: A Response to Western Culture.” Return of Kings, May 57. Jack Donovan, A Sky Without ‘Women Destroy Nations.” Tradition- 4, 2015. http://www.returnofkings. Eagles: Selected Essays and Speeches alist Youth Network, February 2016. com/62716/the-damaging-effects-of- 2010-2014. (Milwaukie, Ore.: Dis- http://www.tradyouth.org/2016/02/ jewish-intellectualism-and-activism- sonant Hum, 2014), 166. jews-destroy-women/ on-western-culture 58. F. T. Marinetti, “The Futurist 35. Danielle Paquette, “The alt-right 46. Dota, “Manosphere Rising.” Al- Manifesto.” (1909). http://bactra.org/ isn’t only about white supremacy. It’s ternative Right, May 14, 2015. T4PM/futurist-manifesto.html about white male supremacy.” Chicago http://alternative-right.blogspot. Tribune, November 25, 2016. http:// com/2015/05/manosphere-rising. 59. Jack Donovan, “Anarcho-Fas- www.chicagotribune.com/news/na- html cism.” Jack Donovan, March 3, 2013. tionworld/politics/ct-alt-right-white- http://www.jack-donovan.com/ 47. Matt Parrott, “An Endorsement of male-supremacy-20161125-story. axis/2013/03/anarcho-fascism/ Roosh’s ‘Neomasculinity’ Manifesto.” html Traditionalist Youth Network, May 2015 60. Jack Donovan, Comment. Roosh 36. Jeff Sharlet, “Are You Man Enough [updated 19 January 2016]. http:// V Forum, November 16, 2012. for the Men’s Rights Movement?” www.tradyouth.org/2015/05/roosh- https://www.rooshvforum.com/ GQ, February 3, 2014. http://www. neomasculinity/ thread-17870.html gq.com/story/mens-rights-activism- 48. David Futrelle, “Hitler-loving 61. Antifascist Front, “Queer Fascism: the-red-pill dudes named Andrew agree: Roosh V Why White Nationalists Are Trying to 37. Roosh V [Daryush Valizadeh], is a-OK! (Even though he’s not white.)” Drop Homophobia.” Anti-Fascist News, “What is Neomasculinity?” Roosh V, We Hunted the Mammoth, August 15, November 6, 2015. May 6, 2015. http://www.rooshv. 2015. http://www.wehuntedthemam- 62. Shane Burley, “How the Alt-Right com/what-is-neomasculinity moth.com/2015/08/15/hitler-loving- Is Attempting to Hide Its White Su- dudes-named-andrew-agree-roosh-v- 38. Paul Elam, “Jury duty at a rape premacist Ties.” Truthout, September is-a-ok-even-though-hes-not-white/ trial? Acquit!” A Voice for Men, July 20, 15, 2016. http://www.truth-out.org/ 2010. http://www.avoiceformen.com/ 49. David Futrelle, “Roosh V shocked news/item/37611-how-the-alt-right- mens-rights/jury-duty-at-a-rape-trial- to discover that white supremacist is-attempting-to-hide-its-white-su- acquit/ movement is full of white suprema- premacist-ties cists.” We Hunted the Mammoth, 39. Paul Elam, “October is the fifth 63. Spencer Sunshine, “Rebrand- February 24, 2016. http://www.wehu- annual Bash a Violent Bitch Month” ing Fascism: National-Anarchists.” ntedthemammoth.com/2016/02/24/ A Voice for Men, September 30, 2015. The Public Eye Magazine 23, no. 4 roosh-v-shocked-to-discover-that- http://www.avoiceformen.com/mens- (2008), http://www.politicalresearch. white-supremacist-movement-is-full- rights/domestic-violence-industry/ org/2008/01/28/rebranding-fascism- of-white-supremacists/ october-is-the-fifth-annual-bash-a- national-anarchists/; Graham D. violent-bitch-month/ 50. Greg Johnson, “Roosh Really is Macklin, “Co-opting the Counter Cul- a Rape Advocate (& a Rapist, if He’s ture: Troy Southgate and the National 40. Roosh V [Daryush Valizadeh], Telling the Truth).” Counter-Currents Revolutionary Faction.” Patterns of “Why Homosexual Marriage Matters Publishing n.d., https://archive.is/ Prejudice 39, no. 3 (2005). For Straight Men.” Return of Kings, T66uL October 12, 2015. https://archive.is/ 64. Greg Johnson, “Bay Area National HzSIx#selection-139.0-139.16 51. Roosh V [Daryush Valizadeh], Anarchists: An Interview with Andrew “The Alt Right Is Worse Than Femi- Yeoman, Part 1.” The Occidental Quar- 41. Matt Forney, “Are Transsexuals nism in Attempting to Control Male terly, August 21, 2009. http://www. Who Sleep With Straight Men Guilty Sexual Behavior.” Return of Kings, toqonline.com/blog/interview-with- of Rape?” Return of Kings, December February 22, 2016. http://www.re- andrew-yeoman-part-i/; “THIRD WAY: 8, 2014. http://www.returnofkings. turnofkings.com/79234/the-alt-right- Introducing the National-Anarchist com/48665/are-transsexuals-who- is-worse-than-feminism-in-attempt- Movement.” National-Anarchist Move- sleep-with-straight-men-guilty-of-rape ing-to-control-male-sexual-behavior; ment, 3 October, 2010. http://www. 42. Paul Elam, “Andy Bob exposes Futrelle 2016 op cit. national-anarchist.net/2010/10/ feminist hatred of gay men in new third-way-introducing-national.html 52. Jack Donovan, The Way of Men. book.” A Voice for Men, January 7, (Milwaukie, Ore.: Dissonant Hum.: 65. National-Anarchist Movement, 2016. http://www.avoiceformen. 2012), 138-9. “N-AM Manifesto.” National-Anarchist com/a-voice-for-men/andy-bob- Movement (2010). http://www. exposes-feminist-hatred-of-gay-men- 53. Ibid., 137, 148. national-anarchist.net/2010/09/ in-new-book/ 54. Jack Donovan, “A Time for national-anarchist-movement-mani- 43. Stephen Totilo, “Another Woman Wolves.” Jack Donovan, June 14, 2014. festo_18.html in Gaming Flees Home Following http://www.jack-donovan.com/ 66. National-Anarchist Movement, Death Threats.” Kotaku, October 11, axis/2014/06/a-time-for-wolves/ “National-Anarchist Movement 2014. http://kotaku.com/another- 55. Rose City Antifa, “The Wolves (N-AM) FAQ.” National-Anarchist woman-in-gaming-flees-home-follow- of Vinland: a Fascist Countercultural Movement, November 21, 2012. ing-death-thre-1645280338 ‘Tribe’ in the Pacific Northwest.”Rose http://www.national-anarchist. 44. 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CTRL-ALT-DELETE <<< PAGE 21 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matthew N. Lyons is an independent scholar and freelance writer who studies reactionary and su- premacist movements. He co-authored Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort with Chip Berlet.

CHALLENGING THE RIGHT, ADVANCING SOCIAL JUSTICE