I've been here in Hamburg, Germany for about 2 weeks now, living with a host family on the eastern side of the city. I've used the U-Bahn everyday now, and gone exploring both on roads traveled and those less traveled. I've been to Mümmelmannsberg, a neighborhood infamous for gangs and violence, at 22:00 and taken a stroll.
But so far I've noticed no sign of neo-nazism. No graffiti. No pamphlets. No swastikas. Of course, that only means that I'm not looking hard enough, because I'm sure from my research that neo-nazis are abundant in Hamburg. But I cannot seem to find anything related to the ideology or any affiliated groups.
What I have found coincides with what I have researched. Neo-nazis have a very small population, and the new generation of neo-nazism blends into the society. They infiltrate and sit.
I'm sure if I stayed here long enough, I would spot something. I would see a poster, a swastika, graffiti. After all, 9/11 was planned here. But so far, it has been me, my friends, and the friendly people of Hamburg, Germany.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
An Interview with Bill White
I recently was able to contact Bill White, the Commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party
Q: Can you please explain your experience with the National Socialist movement?
WHITE: I am the Commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party
Q: What is the core foundation of the neo-Nazi ideology? Why do you believe it?
WHITE: We believe that the class problem can be reconciled on the basis of race; that races are organisms, and have a real existence apart from their component individuals; and that the greatest human happiness can be achieved by organizing human society around the racial organism.
I believe it because it is what is best.
Q: How organized is the movement today? How many people in the United States would you estimate to be a neo-Nazi?
WHITE: We have about 1200 people on our mailing lists. The National Socialist Movement has about 1200 on theirs, as well. Non-uniformed and nominally National Socialist groups such as the National Alliance, National Vanguard and the Nationalist Coalition probably comprise another 2500 - 3000 activists. With miscellaneous groups, there are probably about 6000 people in the United States actively involved in National Socialism, i.e., contributing money or engaged in activism.
Q: Do you advocate violence to achieve your purpose?
WHITE: No
Q: Can you please explain your experience with the National Socialist movement?
WHITE: I am the Commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party
Q: What is the core foundation of the neo-Nazi ideology? Why do you believe it?
WHITE: We believe that the class problem can be reconciled on the basis of race; that races are organisms, and have a real existence apart from their component individuals; and that the greatest human happiness can be achieved by organizing human society around the racial organism.
I believe it because it is what is best.
Q: How organized is the movement today? How many people in the United States would you estimate to be a neo-Nazi?
WHITE: We have about 1200 people on our mailing lists. The National Socialist Movement has about 1200 on theirs, as well. Non-uniformed and nominally National Socialist groups such as the National Alliance, National Vanguard and the Nationalist Coalition probably comprise another 2500 - 3000 activists. With miscellaneous groups, there are probably about 6000 people in the United States actively involved in National Socialism, i.e., contributing money or engaged in activism.
Q: Do you advocate violence to achieve your purpose?
WHITE: No
Sunday, May 25, 2008
They Want YOU to be a Neo-Nazi
In the highly stabilized, well defined, highly tolerant American culture, which boasts a very high rate of education, how is it possible for neo-Nazi groups to recruit new members? Why would someone be attracted by such a horrifying ideology?
The methods of neo-Nazi recruitment have been well refined over the years of the movement's existence. As stated in the video, neo-Nazi's communicate with a highly impressionable population of American youth through multiple highly accessible media.
It is highly ironic and perhaps a bit depressing that, the methods with which neo-Nazi groups connect with prospective members is completely legal within the United States. The laws of freedom of expression, which exist to instill tolerance in the American public, are the very laws which allow for such racist groups to recruit and grow.
The methods of neo-Nazi recruitment have been well refined over the years of the movement's existence. As stated in the video, neo-Nazi's communicate with a highly impressionable population of American youth through multiple highly accessible media.
It is highly ironic and perhaps a bit depressing that, the methods with which neo-Nazi groups connect with prospective members is completely legal within the United States. The laws of freedom of expression, which exist to instill tolerance in the American public, are the very laws which allow for such racist groups to recruit and grow.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
International Neo-Nazism
The presence of neo-Nazism in the United states has been established, but the membership in these organizations remains low enough that neo-Nazi and other neo-Fascist groups do not wield much political or social power. The social effects of neo-Nazism in America are felt, but the people most drawn to the groups are social extremists, and the neo-Nazi realm is on the fringe of today's society.
I've found through my research that neo-Nazism has a much more prevalent role in countries and cultures which have undergone significant struggles in recent history and/or have a relatively large population of poverty stricken people and/or have witnessed severe shifts in ideologies. These countries often have a very large racist or xenophobic population, which is the center of the neo-Nazi ideology.
This video segment of a documentary about skinheads in Moscow is a fascinating look into a culture which is extremely susceptible to the neo-Nazi subculture. It is interesting to note that the xenophobic and racist views of the people usually are preexisting.
Even in this situation, in a poverty-stricken country like Russia, the membership in this neo-Nazi group is very small and it has no political power. The group is more of a place for disenfranchised members of society can come and feel as though they are doing something with a purpose.
I've found through my research that neo-Nazism has a much more prevalent role in countries and cultures which have undergone significant struggles in recent history and/or have a relatively large population of poverty stricken people and/or have witnessed severe shifts in ideologies. These countries often have a very large racist or xenophobic population, which is the center of the neo-Nazi ideology.
This video segment of a documentary about skinheads in Moscow is a fascinating look into a culture which is extremely susceptible to the neo-Nazi subculture. It is interesting to note that the xenophobic and racist views of the people usually are preexisting.
Even in this situation, in a poverty-stricken country like Russia, the membership in this neo-Nazi group is very small and it has no political power. The group is more of a place for disenfranchised members of society can come and feel as though they are doing something with a purpose.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Is Neo-Nazism Relevent?
If someone says "Neo-Nazism" what's the first thing you think of? Probably a gang of skinheads making a ruckus or some sort of protest march. Maybe someone throws a Molotov cocktail, maybe some rocks, and the riot police usually have to break it up.
But the question I've been asking myself is: is that fair? I mean, it's at least understandable: most of what we hear (if anything) about today's Neo-Nazis comes from the news or some prison show. News reports usually go something like "a group of young Neo-Nazis have been charged with..." or "a gang of Neo-Nazis caused a violent reaction with a demonstration today...", and prison violence is probably the only notable result of prison-gang Neo-Nazism.
And more importantly: if the publicity that Neo-Nazis receive is mostly negative, is their ideology even relevant for today's American culture? Would we Americans, who do not happen to be in a prison gang or have shaven heads and swastika tattoos, even consider the Nazi ideology as valid? I think not. Walter Laqueur, author of Fascism: Past, Present and Future states "Small groups in various parts of the world continue trying to revive the old Nazism and Fascism, embracing their emblems and slogans and, of course, their ideas and political programs. But even if these corpses could be resurrected, they would still be irrelevant to today's world. Just as Communism in its Leninist-Stalinist incarnation cannot be resurrected, historical fascism cannot have a second coming, either." (4)
Is Laqueur right? If he is (and he sounds pretty convincing), what reason, psychological or ideological, could the members of the groups that attempt to resurrect the Old-World Nazism or some of its parts have for what they are doing? Obviously to them Neo-Nazism is relevant. I'm talking deeper than the mindless violence: why, to these people, is Neo-Nazism relevant? Do you think that the American culture could ever be swayed towards the ideology of these people? Why do Neo-Nazis believe that it's possible?
I need to do more research, obviously, but let me know what you think.
But the question I've been asking myself is: is that fair? I mean, it's at least understandable: most of what we hear (if anything) about today's Neo-Nazis comes from the news or some prison show. News reports usually go something like "a group of young Neo-Nazis have been charged with..." or "a gang of Neo-Nazis caused a violent reaction with a demonstration today...", and prison violence is probably the only notable result of prison-gang Neo-Nazism.
And more importantly: if the publicity that Neo-Nazis receive is mostly negative, is their ideology even relevant for today's American culture? Would we Americans, who do not happen to be in a prison gang or have shaven heads and swastika tattoos, even consider the Nazi ideology as valid? I think not. Walter Laqueur, author of Fascism: Past, Present and Future states "Small groups in various parts of the world continue trying to revive the old Nazism and Fascism, embracing their emblems and slogans and, of course, their ideas and political programs. But even if these corpses could be resurrected, they would still be irrelevant to today's world. Just as Communism in its Leninist-Stalinist incarnation cannot be resurrected, historical fascism cannot have a second coming, either." (4)
Is Laqueur right? If he is (and he sounds pretty convincing), what reason, psychological or ideological, could the members of the groups that attempt to resurrect the Old-World Nazism or some of its parts have for what they are doing? Obviously to them Neo-Nazism is relevant. I'm talking deeper than the mindless violence: why, to these people, is Neo-Nazism relevant? Do you think that the American culture could ever be swayed towards the ideology of these people? Why do Neo-Nazis believe that it's possible?
I need to do more research, obviously, but let me know what you think.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Neo-Nazism: A Brief Synopsis
Neo-Nazism, a sect of fascism, is more or less an attempt to revive the NSDAP party and its ideals which controlled the German government under the leadership of Adolf Hitler during World War II. Germany's denazification policies which followed the war outlawed most Nazi devotionalia, and the Neo-Nazi scene was pushed into reclusion until the 1960's and began to grow with the reunification of Germany in 1990's.
The American branch of Nazism began in the 1920's with the formation of the Friends of Germany and the German-American Bund, basically an American branch of the German NSDAP party (Hitler himself designated Fritz Kuhn as the head of the German-American Bund). As World War II rolled around in 1941, the popularity of the party which once had the capacity to hold a rally consisting of 20,000 people, rapidly disintegrated.
After World War II, Neo-Nazism continued to grow, more overtly than in Germany, since the freedom of speech and assembly laws in the United States create a less hostile environment for rallies and speeches.Today, the neo-Nazi scene represents a negligible threat to the current governmental and existing party system, nonetheless its cultural implications are felt. As evident in the Skokie Affair in 1977, the public attitude towards neo-Nazism is generally hostile. Well publicized neo-Nazi rallies generally are overwhelmed by counter-protestors.
Groups like the Anti-Defamation League, dedicated to
"[stopping], by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens"
and the Southern Poverty Law Center also monitor neo-Nazi activities. Public hostility towards neo-Nazism is generally related to the numerous hate crimes that the groups have been associated with throughout the existence of neo-Nazi groups. Also, neo-Nazism usually connotes intolerance of religions, certain sexual orientations (homosexuality), races other than the white Aryan, and also promotes the theory of holocaust denial or revisionism. These ideologies conflict with the mindset of the mainstream American public, and has thus hindered the growth of neo-Nazi's in the United States.
My Questions to YOU:
1) How has American culture affected neo-Nazism?
2) How has the United States government dealt with the neo-Nazi's throughout the 20th and 21st century?
3) Why, in a country which touts "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly" have the neo-Nazi groups received such hostility from the American public and the American government? Is this hostility justified? Legal? Understandable?
I would like to hear what you think.
The American branch of Nazism began in the 1920's with the formation of the Friends of Germany and the German-American Bund, basically an American branch of the German NSDAP party (Hitler himself designated Fritz Kuhn as the head of the German-American Bund). As World War II rolled around in 1941, the popularity of the party which once had the capacity to hold a rally consisting of 20,000 people, rapidly disintegrated.
After World War II, Neo-Nazism continued to grow, more overtly than in Germany, since the freedom of speech and assembly laws in the United States create a less hostile environment for rallies and speeches.Today, the neo-Nazi scene represents a negligible threat to the current governmental and existing party system, nonetheless its cultural implications are felt. As evident in the Skokie Affair in 1977, the public attitude towards neo-Nazism is generally hostile. Well publicized neo-Nazi rallies generally are overwhelmed by counter-protestors.
Groups like the Anti-Defamation League, dedicated to
"[stopping], by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens"
and the Southern Poverty Law Center also monitor neo-Nazi activities. Public hostility towards neo-Nazism is generally related to the numerous hate crimes that the groups have been associated with throughout the existence of neo-Nazi groups. Also, neo-Nazism usually connotes intolerance of religions, certain sexual orientations (homosexuality), races other than the white Aryan, and also promotes the theory of holocaust denial or revisionism. These ideologies conflict with the mindset of the mainstream American public, and has thus hindered the growth of neo-Nazi's in the United States.
My Questions to YOU:
1) How has American culture affected neo-Nazism?
2) How has the United States government dealt with the neo-Nazi's throughout the 20th and 21st century?
3) Why, in a country which touts "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly" have the neo-Nazi groups received such hostility from the American public and the American government? Is this hostility justified? Legal? Understandable?
I would like to hear what you think.
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