Young People and the Far Right

Alternatives and Futures: Cultures, Practices, Activism and Utopias Series Editor Anitra Nelson, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Movements such as degrowth, Occupy, solidarity economies, permaculture, low impact living and Via Campesina variously address key issues of the contemporary era such as inequalities of wealth and income, environmental crises, and achieving sustainable cities and production. This series demonstrates the breadth, depth, significance and potential of ‘alternatives’ in the construction of this century, focusing on the type of future each movement advocates and their strategic agenda. Alternatives and Futures is of interest to scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities, especially those working in environmental sustainability, politics and policymaking, environmental justice, grassroots governance, heterodox economics and activism. The series offers a forum for constructive critique and analytical reflection of movements’ directions, activism and activists, their assumptions, drivers, aims, visions of alternative futures and actual performance and influence. More information about this series at http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/15864 Pam Nilan Young People and the Far Right Pam Nilan Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation Deakin University Burwood, VIC, Australia ISSN 2523-7063 ISSN 2523-7071 (electronic) Alternatives and Futures: Cultures, Practices, Activism and Utopias ISBN 978-981-16-1810-9 ISBN 978-981-16-1811-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1811-6 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover illustration: © Melisa Hasan This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore Series Editor’s Foreword---Young People and the Far Right At first glance Pamela Nilan’s contribution to the Alternatives and Futures series might seem unexpected. Where does the Far Right fit in a discursive space which, to all intents and purposes, is dedicated to prefigurative, post-capitalist thinking? Almost on cue, within weeks of delivery of her final draft, a spectacular event made headlines throughout the world to offer a ready reference point for our, as it were, defense. On January 6, 2021 a Far Right mob with diverse organizational associations descended on and briefly occupied an admittedly already battered bastion of global democracy, the Capitol Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, United States of America. This act of insurrection involved many with training in Far Right militia who came in violent postures and clothing, their bodies protected, connected by radios, and mobile phones. Mainstream and social media reported on the drama as it happened—as rioters broke through police barricades, crawled up walls, and rampaged through hallowed halls. Social media filled with viral testimonials from the invaders, and denunciations from politicians and citizens. Where was security? How had this happened? Had the red carpet been rolled out for the Far Right insurrectionists—in contrast to the brutal treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters by authorities? Even before he left office and the impeachment trial moved to the senate, ten Republicans joined every House of Representatives Democrat in Congress to result in a 232 to 197 vote to impeach Donald Trump on the basis of incitement of insurrection,” the most v vi SERIES EDITOR’S FOREWORD—YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAR RIGHT significant charge faced by any sitting president. Since then there have been many calls for enforceable legislation to address domestic terrorism. The rioters who violently stormed the Congress defended their actions in terms of protecting their fundamentalist alt-right, paramilitary, QAnon, Trumpist right to rule “our America,” “our house.” This Right lays claim to the future. They believe that they are right in every sense of the word. Moreover, they demand the institutionalization of a raft of rights including guns. Nationalist yet global, infused by “tradition” yet particularly attractive to youth, the Far Right certainly demands scrutiny. As such, we need to understand it, and its youthful supporters, to account for and inform engagement with and about them. Pamela Nilan focuses her analysis on the youth of the Far Right in its contemporary “fourth wave” by employing sociological analyses. How, she asks, are youthful Far Right supporters attracted, groomed, treated, and grow through their experiences, even coming out the other side, re-humanized, beyond Far Right bubbles and fixations? Her rich analysis shows glimpses and inferences of a steadily Leftist, especially feminist, political position but is overwhelmingly cultural in its approach. The United States is not alone in experiencing an increase in Far Right activism. The BBC’s “Europe and right-wing nationalism: A country-bycountry guide” (November 13, 2019) traced a remarkable rise in rightwing and populist party support among voters. At that point, Alternative for Germany had risen to the dominant opposition party, with Spain’s Vox successfully jockeying for power, and the Far Right bloc Identity and Democracy forming in the European Parliament. The BBC identified “globalisation, immigration, a dilution of national identity and the European Union” as key drivers of voter attraction to Far Right parties. Since then, the global COVID-19 pandemic has offered a political and economic context facilitating Far Right provocations, amplifying frustrations with restrictions and conspiracy theories that divide in order to conquer. Nilan applies Edward Said’s active concept of “Other”(-ing) to the practices of the Far Right. In Orientalism (1978) Said’s critique identified a strong Western tendency to interpret the East as weak, feminine and irrational in contrast to the representation of Europe and the Anglosphere as masculine, strong, and highly rational. Using various exemplars, Nilan shows how ultra-nationalism equates to white superiority and Right sovereignty of a Western type. SERIES EDITOR’S FOREWORD—YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAR RIGHT vii Both “Ultra-nationalism: Imagining the Future” (Chapter 4) and the section “Reflections on the Far Right Utopia” in the final chapter explore Far Right visions of preferred futures. Their at-hand reference points are seemingly not-so-distant colonial and imperial pasts, reverberating in contemporary economic neo-colonialism and polities formally resistant to immigration and intolerant of both religious and ethnic difference. The political and economic conjuncture of the early twenty-first century has offered a platform for Far Right associations within which youth, heroism and national greatness are means and ends. For angry and marginalized youth, the culture of the Far Right offers close camaraderie in a local group and the sense of menacing omnipotence by identifying with a globally networked movement. They can feel a part of imagined pasts and futures full of victorious struggles, and distinctively apart from all too ordinary everyday lives of late capitalist alienation. Their ideal social order offers males a strong sense of overt biological and social dominance. Trump performed Far Right populist practices within mainstream politics. For instance, in his first electoral debate with now President Joe Biden in September 2020, Trump enhanced the visibility of the Far Right Proud Boys by publicly calling on them to “Stand back and stand by.” Ardently opposed to the “political correctness” of the Left, with their violent ultramasculine street gang image, the Proud Boys had become identified by baseball bats and yellow and black colours. Colours they left at home when they took a leading role in the insurrection at Capitol Hill. Interestingly, back in September 2020, hijacking their name, many oppositional gay activists and sympathizers began tweeting provocative images of themselves as “Proud Boys,” all of which went viral. This humorous and subversive intervention is to be applauded in a world overburdened with economic and environmental challenges and far too much political apathy. Of course, the Antifa movement continuously heads off the Far Right. This decentralized network of nonviolent activists variously identifies as the Other that the Far Right would want to tame, if not eliminate. Significantly, their antifascist tactics involve cultural events, performances, art, and other activities that highlight inclusion and solidarity. In the context of the cultural emphasis of many twenty-first-century movements, Pamela Nilan’s cultural approach hits the target as both necessary and appropriate. viii SERIES EDITOR’S FOREWORD—YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE FAR RIGHT While I do not agree with generic criticisms of utopian currents— indeed the alternative of no dreamers, no experimentation, and no prefigurative communities would, I contend, leave us precisely nowhere—the closed Far Right vision of an ideal future is highly disturbing and directly relevant to both the rule of Trump and the insurrection on Capitol Hill. In Nilan’s words, the Far Right tends to work toward a “utopia of the tightly controlled white ethnostate, often with rigid gender roles.” The Far Right’s strategy of inciting fear and turmoil aims to upset the current state so as to, ultimately, establish their own hierarchical and highly managed order. Trump is a successful example of this practice. Any parallels made with the Left’s collapsology narratives only make distinctions between radical Left and Far Right currents more obvious. For instance, degrowth and extinction rebellion are most concerned with encouraging open, transparent and engaged discourse and action— for a highly participatory climate justice movement and democratically managed descent in the face of scarcity—with sharing and commons among their ideal futures. Participatory and direct democracy is a clear goal of those on the Left. In contrast, the Far Rights literally fight for closure and exclusion, which fit neatly within market-based societies of late stage capitalism. It seems then that the time is ripe to launch this series on “Alternatives and Futures” with a compact and insightful work on the Far Right. February 2021 Anitra Nelson Foreword In the context of COVID-19 and its post-vaccine aftermath, it is difficult to remember what the world looked like a year ago, let alone a decade. Yet in 2011 the world was indeed a very different place. Just two years post-the Global Financial Crisis democracies across the West continued to be ruled by stable, reasonably predictable governments, and while the damage of the GFC was significant, it appeared surmountable. Yet within just five years, we would see the emergence of a global class of demagogic strong men, emergence of the Islamic State, the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union, election of Donald J Trump as President, and the global resurgence of theFar Right, including new manifestations in the “alt-right.” The GFC and failing economies played a key role, but not the only role. Social media likewise played a key role, yet it was also evident that many, in fact, the majority of supporters of these movements were angry men who felt somehow “left behind.” It seemed by the end of the decade, in the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attack, killing 51 Muslims and wounding scores more by a 29-year-old Australian man, that things couldn’t get much worse. That was, until the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The pandemic has given the Far Right a unique opportunity to exploit distrust, disinformation, and social media in an unprecedented manner. We do not yet understand the full impact. It is in this context that this highly significant work by Pam Nilan steps in and fills a yawning gap. As a leading youth sociologist, Nilan has worked for decades at the fore of understanding the key social factors shaping ix x FOREWORD young people, including importantly, masculinities. With a deep body of work behind her, including significant studies of Muslim masculinities and violent extremism, and building one of Australia’s leading youth studies research centers at the University of Newcastle, Nilan is uniquely placed to offer insights into how and why the Far Right have become such an attractive proposition to young men. Nilan synthesizes a vast array of works and recent developments in the evolution of the Far Right, covering the use of definitions, theoretical frames, key contributing factors, the online evolution of the Far Right including memes, trolling, “bots,” and the “gamification of hate,” the warrior mythology that underpins Far Right narratives and the new ultra-nationalism. The Far Right has become tech-savvy and we ignore it at our own risk. This is an eminently readable, engaging, and highly informative short book. It provides an invaluable introduction to the form and function of the Far Right in contemporary Western contexts. It will be as valuable to seasoned researchers, practitioners, and policymakers as it will to a concerned parent seeking to make sense of a rapidly evolving spectrum of Far Right groups and organizations seeking new recruits. Young People and the Far Right could not have come at a better time. Josh Roose Senior Research Fellow Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation Deakin University Acknowledgments I acknowledge that this book was written on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nation. This land was never ceded from its custodians. I pay my respects to elders, past, present, and emerging. The research that informs this book was carried out with the support of fellow Chief Investigators on Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP200102013—Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship. I am grateful to the ongoing scholarship and research of Bryan S. Turner, Josh Roose, and Mario Peucker. I thank the Palgrave Alternatives and Futures series editor Anitra Nelson, for her faith in this book. I also thank young researcher Tim Gentles, who provided critical reading as the manuscript evolved. Others who provided support and inspiration include the Youth Studies Group at the University of Newcastle, Australia (Steven Threadgold, David Farrugia, Julia Coffey, and Julia Cook), and members of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation in Melbourne. Finally, the book would never have happened without the support of my dear ones; Terry Leahy, Lena Rodriguez, Viv Nilan, and Lily Leahy. xi Praise for Young People and the Far Right “In this timely new work, Nilan dips a well-calibrated gauge into the swirling echo-chamber of politics, identity and digital consumption that constitute contemporary youth culture. Drawing together classical theory and up-to-the-minute examples, Nilan illuminates the everyday mechanisms that propel disillusioned youth into extremist action. A short, sweet and on-point tour of the global landscape of nationalism, with wellselected exemplars that demonstrate the demonic swirl of fantasy and hate is neither new nor local. Recommended to students and youth scholars the world over.” —Alistair Fraser, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Glasgow, and Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research xiii Contents 1 Youth and the Far Right 2 Online Discourse and Social Media 29 3 The Warrior Myth and Other Fantasies 57 4 Ultra-Nationalism: Imagining the Future 85 5 Entrances and Exits Index 1 113 141 xv About the Author Pam Nilan is an Honorary Professor at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, and Conjoint Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle Australia. She specializes in the study of youth cultures and has published widely on young people in Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia. Professor Nilan has led a number of externally funded research projects on youth. She is the author or co-author of six books, including Global Youth? Hybrid Identities, Plural Worlds (Routledge, 2006), Ambivalent Adolescents in Indonesia (Routledge 2013) Youth, Space and Time (Brill, 2016), and the monograph Muslim Youth in the Diaspora: Challenging Extremism through Popular Culture (Routledge, 2017). She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Youth Studies, and French Journal for Media Research. She has been a consultant on Indonesian postgraduate study scholarships for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 2005. Professor Nilan is currently on the Advisory Board for the Australian Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies in Melbourne. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the European Union project TRANSGANG. In 2020 she joined the International Steering Committee for an Asian Development Bank project: Youth Engagement in Liveable Settlements, focusing on multidimensional poverty and social challenges of young Indonesians living in urban slums. xvii List of Figures Fig. 2.1 Fig. 3.1 Fig. 4.1 Wolfsangel (Image accessed from: https://commons.wik imedia.org/wiki/File:Wolfsangel.svg) Logo Soldiers of Odin Quebec (Image accessed from: https://montreal-antifasciste.info/en/soldiers-of-odin-que bec-soo/) Red MAGA hat (Image accessed from: https://www.shu tterstock.com/image-photo/new-yorkusa-1252019-makeamerica-great-1580390440) 48 74 98 xix