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Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump
The story of the remarkable resurgence of right-wing extremists in the United States
Just as Donald Trump’s victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked liberal Americans, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious ‘Alt-Right’ leaders mystifies many. But the extreme right has been growing steadily in the US since the 1990s, with the rise of patriot militias; following 9/11, when conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black president of the country. Nurtured by a powerful right-wing media sector in radio, TV, and online, the far-right, Tea Party movement conservatives, and Republican activists found common ground in ‘Producerist’ ideology and ‘Constitutionalist’ interpretations of US law – an alternative America that is resurgent, even as it has been ignored by the political establishment and mainstream media. Investigative reporter David Neiwert has been tracking extremists for more than two decades, and here he provides a deeply reported and authoritative report on the background, mindset, and growth on the ground of far-right movements across the country. The product of years of reportage, and including the most in-depth investigation of Trump’s ties to far-right figures, this is a crucial book about one of the most disturbing sides of the US.
Just as Donald Trump’s victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked liberal Americans, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious ‘Alt-Right’ leaders mystifies many. But the extreme right has been growing steadily in the US since the 1990s, with the rise of patriot militias; following 9/11, when conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black president of the country. Nurtured by a powerful right-wing media sector in radio, TV, and online, the far-right, Tea Party movement conservatives, and Republican activists found common ground in ‘Producerist’ ideology and ‘Constitutionalist’ interpretations of US law – an alternative America that is resurgent, even as it has been ignored by the political establishment and mainstream media. Investigative reporter David Neiwert has been tracking extremists for more than two decades, and here he provides a deeply reported and authoritative report on the background, mindset, and growth on the ground of far-right movements across the country. The product of years of reportage, and including the most in-depth investigation of Trump’s ties to far-right figures, this is a crucial book about one of the most disturbing sides of the US.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2017
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February 28, 2020
In his book Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump, David Neiwert demonstrates that right-wing populism is actually an alternative universe (“Alt-America”) that:
. . . has a powerful resemblance to our own, except that it’s a completely difference America, the nation its residents have concocted and refigured in their imaginations. . . . In this other America, suppositions take the place of facts, and conspiracy theories become concrete realities. Its citizens live alonside us in our universe, but their perception of that universe places them in a different world altogether, one scarcely recognizable to those outside it.Neiwert begins with Dylan Roof and Charlottesville, showing us Alt-America in the context of Trump, but then goes back twenty-five years to Bill Clinton’s first term, to the Montana Militia and Ruby Ridge. He traces the development of Alt-America through Oklahoma City, the Militia Movement and the Tea Party to the Oath Keepers,Cliven Bundy, and today’s alt-right, showing how all these movements are tied together by the same totems (the Gadsden Flag) and the same eliminationist rhetoric directed toward people of color.
Neiwert’s book offers us not only a good look at where we are now, with a right-wing populist in the White House, but also a useful backward glance at the conspiracy theories and racist rhetoric that brought us here. Neiwert helped me understand something I did not wish to understand: Trump is not a fluke, but a destination, the end of a road that reaches back at least a quarter of a century.
September 14, 2017
Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump by David Neiwert is a book I requested from NetGalley and the book's publishers and the review is voluntary. I want to thank them for the chance to read this great book. This book shows the reader that although the 'Alt-Right' seems to have popped right up out of thin air, it has been around for a long time. This takes you back to the the 1990's and follows many of the extremist as the movement grows. Many I have forgotten for a reason, and some I just didn't know that much about at all.
There was one paragraph that sums up the whole book for me :
"Ladies and Gentlemen: In Amercian public life there is an alternative dimension, a mental space beyond fact or logic, where the rules of evidence are replaced by paranoia. Welcome to Alternative America---Alt-America, for short."
It goes on to list what Alt-America believes such as... Obama not an American citizen, a Muslim who is a terrorist and with Clinton is part of the New World Order to impose global government.
Global Climate Change is a hoax.
These same global elites want to gut the second amendment to take all the guns away.
Our current government is really illegal.
Prejudice and oppression against white people now is greater than ever.
Minorities, especially blacks and illegal immigrants are sucking up taxpayers dollars through welfare programs while homeless veterans go hungry.
Illegal immigrants, especially Latinos, are in with liberals and Democrats to overwhelm the country with welfare-dependent parasites to vote liberal agenda.
You have to be so stupid or so racist to believe any of this nonsense! But, Trump got elected and the weak majority in Congress are doing his bidding. What a shame for the once mighty America. Taken down by a bunch of fools! May the 2018 elections bring some sanity to the country if Mueller hasn't restored order by then! Wonderful book to remind us of what happened and why.
There was one paragraph that sums up the whole book for me :
"Ladies and Gentlemen: In Amercian public life there is an alternative dimension, a mental space beyond fact or logic, where the rules of evidence are replaced by paranoia. Welcome to Alternative America---Alt-America, for short."
It goes on to list what Alt-America believes such as... Obama not an American citizen, a Muslim who is a terrorist and with Clinton is part of the New World Order to impose global government.
Global Climate Change is a hoax.
These same global elites want to gut the second amendment to take all the guns away.
Our current government is really illegal.
Prejudice and oppression against white people now is greater than ever.
Minorities, especially blacks and illegal immigrants are sucking up taxpayers dollars through welfare programs while homeless veterans go hungry.
Illegal immigrants, especially Latinos, are in with liberals and Democrats to overwhelm the country with welfare-dependent parasites to vote liberal agenda.
You have to be so stupid or so racist to believe any of this nonsense! But, Trump got elected and the weak majority in Congress are doing his bidding. What a shame for the once mighty America. Taken down by a bunch of fools! May the 2018 elections bring some sanity to the country if Mueller hasn't restored order by then! Wonderful book to remind us of what happened and why.
March 25, 2019
Fascism And Our Future
The above title is taken from the final chapter of this book. It is a fitting heading to be paired with our current politcial climate, and I say "our" political climate as - despite being from London, UK - I can thoroughly agree that when America sneezes, the world catches pneumonia (forget the cold).
The content of this book surprised me, and I'm struggling as to how to recommend this to others. I first saw it in a Waterstones bookstore and nearly froze on the spot, as it seemed my answer to finding THE book on what happened last November might finally be in my sights. I love a good book that analyses fringe movements, and this looked like the deal breaker for understanding how those movements came to power in 2016. After reading Alt-America, I have to say, this isn't that book. Perhaps that will come further down the line (if we're all still here).
In general, I must recommend anything that analyses Neo-Fasicsm in its 21st century form, and by default extension, this book falls firmly into that category. The ideology has been dormant, but never dead, and the author of this book David Neiwart makes it crystal clear in the final chapter of Alt-America that the United States has been incredibly lucky so far that a truly charismatic, authoritarian leader hasn't risen to lead the tide of right wing populism that's been fermenting in the nations underbelly since the 1990's.*
Which leads us to this books purpose. As mentioned, It's hard to recommend this in one particular way, and I believe anyone who's already looked into this specific topic won't find anything majorly new here. As such, this has to be recommended to those outside the States, as at its bare minimum, Alt-America is one Hell of a dive into insanity for the uninitiated outsider (and this is coming from myself who keeps a pretty good eye on fringe groups from a few sources).
Neiwert traces the beginnings of the Alt-America we have today from the 90's Militias, to the post 9/11 conspiracy mill era, into the tea party shenanigans (good God what a nightmare) and finally Trump, as well as the rise of the Alt-Right. It's a well researched book, which sees the author making good connections from chapter to chapter, leading the reader through the decades, to arrivd at a solid understanding as to how we ended up in the mess we have today. As a result, It's not hard to see how much resentment was bubbling beneath the surface of America's society, just waiting for the right figure to unite all the various extremist factions into one cohesive unit (although that seems to be collapsing right now, which isn't necessarily a good thing).
My only criticism lies in a lack of analysis from Neiwert throughout each chapter. He basically logs each decade and moves to the next without much input. He saves opinion for the end in a half-baked recommendation as to how to proceed from here. It becomes rather contradictory considering he spends most of the book clearly and purposefully displaying expertly just how powerful this movement has become; how brainwashed so many people have become. On one hand he recommends a peaceful protest in opposition to Trump and his posse, with ways in which to discuss alternatives with those supporters on his side in dissolution with their lives, whilst on the other hand thoroughly agreeing that extending a hand to those who seek violence from the extremeties of the right as a pointless exercise. Obviously I'm not quoting directly, but the conclusion was slightly confusing seeing as where does one part begin, and one part end? It goes without saying that it's certainly difficult to know who has been truly lost down the rabbit hole (30 years of disinformation will do that to the rust belt) and who can be convinced their political path is not the one to take. However, it was hardly a deal breaker for me when reading this.
I'll leave the reader with a quote from the book I found particularly chilling:
It would be really great if that death spiral doesn't come to fruition.
*Of course the extreme American right goes further back than that decade, but in terms of understanding Trumps rise to power, the author makes a clear distinction in the book with the 90's as a strong starting point for his analysis.
The above title is taken from the final chapter of this book. It is a fitting heading to be paired with our current politcial climate, and I say "our" political climate as - despite being from London, UK - I can thoroughly agree that when America sneezes, the world catches pneumonia (forget the cold).
The content of this book surprised me, and I'm struggling as to how to recommend this to others. I first saw it in a Waterstones bookstore and nearly froze on the spot, as it seemed my answer to finding THE book on what happened last November might finally be in my sights. I love a good book that analyses fringe movements, and this looked like the deal breaker for understanding how those movements came to power in 2016. After reading Alt-America, I have to say, this isn't that book. Perhaps that will come further down the line (if we're all still here).
In general, I must recommend anything that analyses Neo-Fasicsm in its 21st century form, and by default extension, this book falls firmly into that category. The ideology has been dormant, but never dead, and the author of this book David Neiwart makes it crystal clear in the final chapter of Alt-America that the United States has been incredibly lucky so far that a truly charismatic, authoritarian leader hasn't risen to lead the tide of right wing populism that's been fermenting in the nations underbelly since the 1990's.*
Which leads us to this books purpose. As mentioned, It's hard to recommend this in one particular way, and I believe anyone who's already looked into this specific topic won't find anything majorly new here. As such, this has to be recommended to those outside the States, as at its bare minimum, Alt-America is one Hell of a dive into insanity for the uninitiated outsider (and this is coming from myself who keeps a pretty good eye on fringe groups from a few sources).
Neiwert traces the beginnings of the Alt-America we have today from the 90's Militias, to the post 9/11 conspiracy mill era, into the tea party shenanigans (good God what a nightmare) and finally Trump, as well as the rise of the Alt-Right. It's a well researched book, which sees the author making good connections from chapter to chapter, leading the reader through the decades, to arrivd at a solid understanding as to how we ended up in the mess we have today. As a result, It's not hard to see how much resentment was bubbling beneath the surface of America's society, just waiting for the right figure to unite all the various extremist factions into one cohesive unit (although that seems to be collapsing right now, which isn't necessarily a good thing).
My only criticism lies in a lack of analysis from Neiwert throughout each chapter. He basically logs each decade and moves to the next without much input. He saves opinion for the end in a half-baked recommendation as to how to proceed from here. It becomes rather contradictory considering he spends most of the book clearly and purposefully displaying expertly just how powerful this movement has become; how brainwashed so many people have become. On one hand he recommends a peaceful protest in opposition to Trump and his posse, with ways in which to discuss alternatives with those supporters on his side in dissolution with their lives, whilst on the other hand thoroughly agreeing that extending a hand to those who seek violence from the extremeties of the right as a pointless exercise. Obviously I'm not quoting directly, but the conclusion was slightly confusing seeing as where does one part begin, and one part end? It goes without saying that it's certainly difficult to know who has been truly lost down the rabbit hole (30 years of disinformation will do that to the rust belt) and who can be convinced their political path is not the one to take. However, it was hardly a deal breaker for me when reading this.
I'll leave the reader with a quote from the book I found particularly chilling:
" Alt-America has always functioned as a refuge for people who reject factual reality, a place where they can convene and reassure one another of their fabricated version of how the world works. From its beginnings in the 1990's as an alternative universe with its own set of “facts” to its growth during the early part of the new century through the spread of antigovernment conspiracism, through its evolution into the mainstream of conservatism through the Tea Party, and finally its ultimate realization as a political force through the ascension of Donald Trump, Alt-America’s primary usefulness has been as a ready tool for right-wing authoritarianism. The army of followers was already fully prepared by 2015, when Trump picked up their waiting scepter.
It was also the real-life manifestation of Robert Altemeyer’s “lethal union” of right-wing authoritarian followers with a “social-dominame-oriented” authoritarian leader: that moment, Altemeyer says, when “the two can then become locked in a cyclonic death spiral that can take a whole nation down with them.”
It would be really great if that death spiral doesn't come to fruition.
*Of course the extreme American right goes further back than that decade, but in terms of understanding Trumps rise to power, the author makes a clear distinction in the book with the 90's as a strong starting point for his analysis.
July 15, 2018
I am stupefied at the level of participation in the Trump campaign from across the country by militias, white nationalists, and christian identity groups! I knew it was bad, but certainly not to the extent the author has revealed. A scary but excellent read.
October 11, 2017
After a really strong introduction, I was excited about this comprehensive review of the modern political right in North America. Neiwert's thesis is that the right-wing groups and movements of today's USA have formed a perception of American society that is entirely detached from reality – a sort of alternate-universe version of the country – which he calls 'alt-America'. The beliefs that characterise alt-America were, Neiwert argues, consolidated and brought into the mainstream by Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, resulting in his victory.
Neiwert tracks the evolution of this new, more aggressive breed of conservative politics from homegrown militia groups and conspiracy theorists through to Gamergate and Dylann Roof. Unfortunately, while I did feel I learned something, the book is often a victim of its own thoroughness. A summary of events such as the Ruby Ridge and Bundy standoffs would, I think, have sufficed, but instead we get blow-by-blow accounts of several of these sieges that feel like they drag on for hundreds of pages. The subjects of the chapters aren't clearly defined, and although the narrative is roughly chronological, it often jumps around. With such sprawling subject matter, a more rigid structure would have been helpful.
I also think this is the most poorly edited review copy I’ve ever come across. I don’t normally mention minor errors in ARCs – they're par for the course – but this wasn’t the usual case of a few spelling mistakes. There are lots of instances in which the point being made is completely unclear; quotes are framed in such a way that it’s impossible to tell who’s being quoted or even what they actually said; information is repeated – we might be told about the background of a right-wing website or group 3 or 4 times in different chapters. This makes for a very confusing reading experience, exacerbating what already feels like an overloaded narrative. An appendix containing a list of major players and organisations would have been beneficial here.
A better book I've recently read about the 'alt-right' is Angela Nagle's Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right. I'd recommend that as a smart, snappy, unbiased guide to the state of online discourse, and its political context, around the time of the 2016 presidential election. This, of course, has a much broader scope than Nagle’s book, and it goes beyond the headline-grabbing figures and trends that readers will already be aware of – the alt-right figureheads; the Tea Party; the KKK endorsing Trump; the memes – and delves much deeper into the recent history of the radical right, tracing the roots of today's movement back to developments during the Clinton and Bush eras. This alone makes it worth at least a skim-read. However, I think the definitive book on modern US right-wing politics has yet to be written.
I received an advance review copy of Alt-America from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
Neiwert tracks the evolution of this new, more aggressive breed of conservative politics from homegrown militia groups and conspiracy theorists through to Gamergate and Dylann Roof. Unfortunately, while I did feel I learned something, the book is often a victim of its own thoroughness. A summary of events such as the Ruby Ridge and Bundy standoffs would, I think, have sufficed, but instead we get blow-by-blow accounts of several of these sieges that feel like they drag on for hundreds of pages. The subjects of the chapters aren't clearly defined, and although the narrative is roughly chronological, it often jumps around. With such sprawling subject matter, a more rigid structure would have been helpful.
I also think this is the most poorly edited review copy I’ve ever come across. I don’t normally mention minor errors in ARCs – they're par for the course – but this wasn’t the usual case of a few spelling mistakes. There are lots of instances in which the point being made is completely unclear; quotes are framed in such a way that it’s impossible to tell who’s being quoted or even what they actually said; information is repeated – we might be told about the background of a right-wing website or group 3 or 4 times in different chapters. This makes for a very confusing reading experience, exacerbating what already feels like an overloaded narrative. An appendix containing a list of major players and organisations would have been beneficial here.
A better book I've recently read about the 'alt-right' is Angela Nagle's Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right. I'd recommend that as a smart, snappy, unbiased guide to the state of online discourse, and its political context, around the time of the 2016 presidential election. This, of course, has a much broader scope than Nagle’s book, and it goes beyond the headline-grabbing figures and trends that readers will already be aware of – the alt-right figureheads; the Tea Party; the KKK endorsing Trump; the memes – and delves much deeper into the recent history of the radical right, tracing the roots of today's movement back to developments during the Clinton and Bush eras. This alone makes it worth at least a skim-read. However, I think the definitive book on modern US right-wing politics has yet to be written.
I received an advance review copy of Alt-America from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
October 18, 2017
ALT America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump, written by investigative journalist and reporter David Neiwert who has studied political science for decades. This highly informative and expertly researched book defines the powerful forces that shape and define the ALT political movement-- its vision, agenda and ideology.
The history and rise of ALT politics began in the 1990’s with the gun enthusiastic far right “Patriots”. Eventually the movement would turn into the “Tea Party” fringe of the Republican Party. On June 15, 2015, Donald Trump began his presidential campaign blasting the incompetent political leaders that allowed our great nation to be beaten down by foreign trade. What was really apparent was his bigotry towards Latinos and other minorities in his boastful, arrogant, unapologetic narrative.
By 2015, domestic acts of terrorism had spiked considerably, the vast majority of these acts were committed by American right wing extremists. The most damaging was the attack and bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Most Americans identify terrorism with radical Islam or Al Qaeda, associated with 9/11. Neiwert pointed out that the Justice Department does not officially report or record acts of domestic terror committed by neo-Nazi’s, environmental extremists, militias, war groups or other isolated madmen.
The unusual views of the ALT include: Barack Obama is a secret Muslim conspiring with terrorist radicals to impose sharia law on Americans. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and a vast majority of politicians are a part of the elite that favor a New World Order and global government. Global Climate Change is a hoax, and a large amount of other conspiracy theories where white people are targeted by those who favor minorities that “suck away” taxpayer dollars and bring crime and disease to the USA. They favor a border wall that Donald Trump has proposed to keep them out.
The powerful prejudice against racial and ethnic minorities including the LGBT population and religious minorities are the backbone of the ALT agenda. The white supremacists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, xenophobes, misogynists and paranoid conspiracy theorists were embraced by Donald Trump, drawn from the fringe, and into mainstream politics. However, when a barrage of the anti-Semitic hate mail and messages appeared on social media, Trump remained strangely silent.
**With thanks and appreciation to Verso Books via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.
The history and rise of ALT politics began in the 1990’s with the gun enthusiastic far right “Patriots”. Eventually the movement would turn into the “Tea Party” fringe of the Republican Party. On June 15, 2015, Donald Trump began his presidential campaign blasting the incompetent political leaders that allowed our great nation to be beaten down by foreign trade. What was really apparent was his bigotry towards Latinos and other minorities in his boastful, arrogant, unapologetic narrative.
By 2015, domestic acts of terrorism had spiked considerably, the vast majority of these acts were committed by American right wing extremists. The most damaging was the attack and bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Most Americans identify terrorism with radical Islam or Al Qaeda, associated with 9/11. Neiwert pointed out that the Justice Department does not officially report or record acts of domestic terror committed by neo-Nazi’s, environmental extremists, militias, war groups or other isolated madmen.
The unusual views of the ALT include: Barack Obama is a secret Muslim conspiring with terrorist radicals to impose sharia law on Americans. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and a vast majority of politicians are a part of the elite that favor a New World Order and global government. Global Climate Change is a hoax, and a large amount of other conspiracy theories where white people are targeted by those who favor minorities that “suck away” taxpayer dollars and bring crime and disease to the USA. They favor a border wall that Donald Trump has proposed to keep them out.
The powerful prejudice against racial and ethnic minorities including the LGBT population and religious minorities are the backbone of the ALT agenda. The white supremacists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, xenophobes, misogynists and paranoid conspiracy theorists were embraced by Donald Trump, drawn from the fringe, and into mainstream politics. However, when a barrage of the anti-Semitic hate mail and messages appeared on social media, Trump remained strangely silent.
**With thanks and appreciation to Verso Books via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.
August 23, 2019
Neiwart covers the last couple of decades with the rise of the alt-right: the militias, white nationalist groups, etc. He takes us to mid-2017, so Charlottesville is not included here, but that alt-right rally fits well into the context he provides in these pages.
The Patriots, David Duke, Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulis, Glenn Beck, Bannon, and many others appear in this book. He charts the infusion of all these white power, militia, and conspiracy believers (New World Order) to mainstream politics. This is my big takeaway.
There is a lot in this book, and I know I will be reaching for this one for a long time. It's an important book.
The Patriots, David Duke, Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulis, Glenn Beck, Bannon, and many others appear in this book. He charts the infusion of all these white power, militia, and conspiracy believers (New World Order) to mainstream politics. This is my big takeaway.
There is a lot in this book, and I know I will be reaching for this one for a long time. It's an important book.
November 30, 2017
I toyed with even posting a review of this book. Not because I hated it, I actually agreed with most of the points of view. But, I didn't want a bunch of blinkered, lonely, psychopathic keyboard warriors filling up my comments. I'm not an activist or a politician and I am not looking to engage in spitting conversation about Trump, or how hard done by poor white people are, or how ISIS want to turn the world Muslim. I'm here to tell you broadly what is in the book and what I felt about it. That is all. If you want to rage, head off to some other page because, with me, you'll just get my love and prayers, or a block notice.
This book is an analysis of the rise of the Alt-Right in America and Trump's part to play in its sudden prominence. It's very detailed and researches key events in America which began to turn the tide, well before Trump decided it was a great idea to give the Presidency a crack. This book is weighty and throughout the well-paced timeline, cut down into chapters of key events, explains how these came together to bring us the America we have today. It is a historical, social and political report of the rise and disturbing popularity of the Alt-Right we know today, from one of Americas best analysts on the far right movement, David Neiwart.
What I found most interesting was the psychology behind some of these characters, who wield such power within the walls of The White House. If a fact is presented and unliked, it's fake news, or simply didn't happen. Conspiracy theories become truth and mainstream. There is an alternative universe in which these people live and to be honest, what I took out of this book is that calling these supporters kooks, conspiracy theorists, or lunatics will only goad them into escalating acts of violence and vitriol. Education instead of brainwashing surely is key. Take your mind back to a time where you've had a point of view which has been shot down or laughed at publicly, it's unlikely you conceded your point of view and merrily changed your mind. It's more likely you dug your heels in, had a row and maybe didn't talk to that person again.
I also took from these pages the negative and yet powerful impact social media has. People are fed more of what they like and share, which then becomes forced on them with cleverly targeted sponsored posts and detailed algorithms. Facebook thinks it's a good thing to show you more of what you like and when this happens, the world for that person grows smaller and the balance of opinions is lost. Human contact is also lost and it becomes very easy to dehumanise another person on the internet through a screen, making it easier to hurl abuse.
How did it get this bad? How can it improve when, today, at the time of posting this very review Trump flippantly retweeted a British far-right twitter account with unverified videos of Muslims attacking people, demonstrating his support for the far-right and sharing their messages with millions of Americans.
For me, these horrendous acts of terror cast upon people of ALL races, religions and colour are abhorrent and will never ever be a solution for peace, only for implosion and war. This book was interesting to me to understand just what happened and how America came to be today, but ultimately it just made me feel incredibly sad and worried about the America of the future.
This book is an analysis of the rise of the Alt-Right in America and Trump's part to play in its sudden prominence. It's very detailed and researches key events in America which began to turn the tide, well before Trump decided it was a great idea to give the Presidency a crack. This book is weighty and throughout the well-paced timeline, cut down into chapters of key events, explains how these came together to bring us the America we have today. It is a historical, social and political report of the rise and disturbing popularity of the Alt-Right we know today, from one of Americas best analysts on the far right movement, David Neiwart.
What I found most interesting was the psychology behind some of these characters, who wield such power within the walls of The White House. If a fact is presented and unliked, it's fake news, or simply didn't happen. Conspiracy theories become truth and mainstream. There is an alternative universe in which these people live and to be honest, what I took out of this book is that calling these supporters kooks, conspiracy theorists, or lunatics will only goad them into escalating acts of violence and vitriol. Education instead of brainwashing surely is key. Take your mind back to a time where you've had a point of view which has been shot down or laughed at publicly, it's unlikely you conceded your point of view and merrily changed your mind. It's more likely you dug your heels in, had a row and maybe didn't talk to that person again.
I also took from these pages the negative and yet powerful impact social media has. People are fed more of what they like and share, which then becomes forced on them with cleverly targeted sponsored posts and detailed algorithms. Facebook thinks it's a good thing to show you more of what you like and when this happens, the world for that person grows smaller and the balance of opinions is lost. Human contact is also lost and it becomes very easy to dehumanise another person on the internet through a screen, making it easier to hurl abuse.
How did it get this bad? How can it improve when, today, at the time of posting this very review Trump flippantly retweeted a British far-right twitter account with unverified videos of Muslims attacking people, demonstrating his support for the far-right and sharing their messages with millions of Americans.
For me, these horrendous acts of terror cast upon people of ALL races, religions and colour are abhorrent and will never ever be a solution for peace, only for implosion and war. This book was interesting to me to understand just what happened and how America came to be today, but ultimately it just made me feel incredibly sad and worried about the America of the future.
April 27, 2018
A screed that starts off promising, potentially giving us a history of the militia movement and its links with the alt-right. Unfortunately it rapidly descends into hysterical opining that equates Fox News with virulent white nationalism. Terrible journalism. George Hawley, while not perfect, is vastly better.
March 25, 2019
If the way things are going doesn't bother you, you might need to pay closer attention. This book traces the evolution of extreme and reactionary right-wing movements in the U.S. The author offers insight into the world these people and groups live in, and offers ideas for those who oppose their rhetoric to stand up to it.
January 20, 2018
This was an outstanding, insightful, analysis of the evolution of the alt right in America and its relation to Donald Trump. It is a frightening, yet necessary read.
November 9, 2017
I wish Alt-America were fiction, I would like it so much better if it were telling the story of what happened in another multi-verse, but it’s all terribly true and so it is depressing. However, if we want a just and decent society, we have to look at reality no matter how sad, depressing, and frightening it may be.
David Neiwert has spent decades reporting on rising extremism on the right. When the rhetoric of talk radio became increasingly violent, he coined the term eliminationist to avoid calling them fascist since many of them were not fascists in ideology, just using fascistic communication styles and means. In this book, he notes that the various movements among the right have coalesced into the alt-right, weaving together true fascists and neo-nazis with white nationalists, misogynists, racists, and dominion theologists into a movement that threatens democracy and our system of pluralistic government.
Since I follow the news and Neiwert’s blog closely, many of the events in this book were familiar, but even for me, there were many eye-opening things. Of particular interest for me was how the media narrative often erases the political motivation of mass killers. Even when they have political tracts, books, and their own manifesto, if they are white, they are often reported as troubled and singular, their motives found in mental illness rather than in response to stochastic violent incitement. When Sarah Palin tweeted, “Don’t retreat, RELOAD” she was playing with fire and she knew it, she was appealing to those who applauded Michael Douglas in Falling Down and make millions for vigilante films.
I think Alt-America is an important book, but dang, is it depressing. The alt-right is coalescing several different extremist movements united by a sense of grievance, a taste for violence, and a love of authoritarianism. They are gaining power.
I wish there were more information on how to combat the alt-right and rising extremism. Neiwert is right that conversations are where we must start and includes some advice on how to start and what to avoid. This is useful.
What disappointed me was his acceptance of caricatures of liberals that are generated from the right, you know the elitist latte-drinking, merlot-sipping elites who despise the ignorant hayseeds. I know they exist. They are called the Real Housewives and some of them are Republicans, too. But demographically, conservatives are whiter and wealthier than liberals. So who is more likely to be elitist? He also talks about the neglect of rural areas, though the Democratic Platform was full of programs to help rural America and one of the first things slated for cuts from Trump’s budget is the subsidy for high-speed internet in rural America.
I also would like to know what he thinks about the philosophical dilemma of tolerating the intolerant. When does speech go from protected first amendment speech to unprotected yelling fire in a theater speech? Are universities obligated to give a platform to hate speech? After Richard Spencer’s recent speech in FL, three men fired at protesters. Can the argument be made denying him a platform because he is dangerous?
Nonetheless, these are minor flaws in a strong and important history that everyone needs to read. Neiwert is scrupulous about using the terms Nazi and fascist, but when reading this book, I could not help thinking that the Nazis did not start out with concentration camps, they started out with firing teachers.
I was provided an e-galley of Alt-America by the publisher through NetGalley
Alt-America at Verso Books
David Neiwert Author Site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
David Neiwert has spent decades reporting on rising extremism on the right. When the rhetoric of talk radio became increasingly violent, he coined the term eliminationist to avoid calling them fascist since many of them were not fascists in ideology, just using fascistic communication styles and means. In this book, he notes that the various movements among the right have coalesced into the alt-right, weaving together true fascists and neo-nazis with white nationalists, misogynists, racists, and dominion theologists into a movement that threatens democracy and our system of pluralistic government.
Since I follow the news and Neiwert’s blog closely, many of the events in this book were familiar, but even for me, there were many eye-opening things. Of particular interest for me was how the media narrative often erases the political motivation of mass killers. Even when they have political tracts, books, and their own manifesto, if they are white, they are often reported as troubled and singular, their motives found in mental illness rather than in response to stochastic violent incitement. When Sarah Palin tweeted, “Don’t retreat, RELOAD” she was playing with fire and she knew it, she was appealing to those who applauded Michael Douglas in Falling Down and make millions for vigilante films.
I think Alt-America is an important book, but dang, is it depressing. The alt-right is coalescing several different extremist movements united by a sense of grievance, a taste for violence, and a love of authoritarianism. They are gaining power.
I wish there were more information on how to combat the alt-right and rising extremism. Neiwert is right that conversations are where we must start and includes some advice on how to start and what to avoid. This is useful.
What disappointed me was his acceptance of caricatures of liberals that are generated from the right, you know the elitist latte-drinking, merlot-sipping elites who despise the ignorant hayseeds. I know they exist. They are called the Real Housewives and some of them are Republicans, too. But demographically, conservatives are whiter and wealthier than liberals. So who is more likely to be elitist? He also talks about the neglect of rural areas, though the Democratic Platform was full of programs to help rural America and one of the first things slated for cuts from Trump’s budget is the subsidy for high-speed internet in rural America.
I also would like to know what he thinks about the philosophical dilemma of tolerating the intolerant. When does speech go from protected first amendment speech to unprotected yelling fire in a theater speech? Are universities obligated to give a platform to hate speech? After Richard Spencer’s recent speech in FL, three men fired at protesters. Can the argument be made denying him a platform because he is dangerous?
Nonetheless, these are minor flaws in a strong and important history that everyone needs to read. Neiwert is scrupulous about using the terms Nazi and fascist, but when reading this book, I could not help thinking that the Nazis did not start out with concentration camps, they started out with firing teachers.
I was provided an e-galley of Alt-America by the publisher through NetGalley
Alt-America at Verso Books
David Neiwert Author Site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
June 16, 2019
Journalist David Neiwert does an excellent job in tracing the growth of rightwing, racist extremist groups that now are categorized under the umbrella term alt-right: 3 Percenters, Oath takers, Tea Party supporters, "Patriots," KKK, Neo-Nazi etc. He shows how these groups have been nourished by right-wing media and largely ignored by mainstream media for years. This turning a blind eye by mainstream media meant that in 2016 when Trump won election, many were taken by surprise, including the polls and pundits. He demonstrates the ways in which the internet functioned as a forum through which previously isolated groups could make connections with like-minded groups. In short, he painstakingly details how these groups developed and evolved since the 1990s.
But one critical question remains largely unanswered: What is the underlying motivation for why these groups at this particular moment in time have garnered such momentum? Does ideology, as the author suggests, alone suffice to explain this mainstreaming of hate, intolerance, and racism? Does a charismatic personality, such as Trump, on whom right-wing groups can pin their hopes and hates offer a sufficient explanation? Is the so-called "authoritarian" personality an adequate explanation? I find myself unconvinced, especially given the author's failure to consider the role of economic variables, i.e. the growing divide between the haves and the have nots in our society and how this chasm also informs an individual's educational, cultural, and psychological experiences.
But one critical question remains largely unanswered: What is the underlying motivation for why these groups at this particular moment in time have garnered such momentum? Does ideology, as the author suggests, alone suffice to explain this mainstreaming of hate, intolerance, and racism? Does a charismatic personality, such as Trump, on whom right-wing groups can pin their hopes and hates offer a sufficient explanation? Is the so-called "authoritarian" personality an adequate explanation? I find myself unconvinced, especially given the author's failure to consider the role of economic variables, i.e. the growing divide between the haves and the have nots in our society and how this chasm also informs an individual's educational, cultural, and psychological experiences.
May 24, 2020
Alt America the party of fantasy and radical ideals a movement of hate, bigotry, fear and paranoia. All of these things paved the road for trump and his proto-fascist movement.
I found this book really informative and detailed from the early 90s right till now the slow step by step towards this extreme political push. The one alarming topic was the domestic white terrorism and the lack of acknowledgment towards it.
Alt America is a great book that gives the reader a strong perspective of the current issues of the United States and a brief glimpse into the potential future of America this is one book you should read!
I found this book really informative and detailed from the early 90s right till now the slow step by step towards this extreme political push. The one alarming topic was the domestic white terrorism and the lack of acknowledgment towards it.
Alt America is a great book that gives the reader a strong perspective of the current issues of the United States and a brief glimpse into the potential future of America this is one book you should read!
June 30, 2019
Shout-out to the Government of Ethiopia - thanks for switching off the internet yet again, I am getting through so many books these days!
‘Alt-America: The rise of the radical right in the age of Trump’ (VERSO, 2017) is an impeccably researched and quite alarming account of far-right extremism is the US over the past 20 years or so.
The book provides a rather detailed report on the ebbs and flows of what used to be the far right fringe of neo-nazis, ultra-nationalists, white supremacists, Patriots movement and militias who became quite organized during the Clinton administration in the late 1990s but then went somewhat quiet under Bush junior before resurfacing with a vengeance during the first Obama presidency in the form of the Tea Party in early 2009 which for the first time brought much of the nutty and conspiratorial far right ‘fringe’ into the conservative mainstream. (The book covers the period 1990s till Tea Party in over 200 pages so this summary doesnt do the book any justice).
The Tea Party was a merger of far right paranoid conspiracy folks (Truther, Birther, 9/11 etc) with mainstream Fox news anti-stimulus and anti-big government conservatives, an important ‘milestone’ in the ongoing radicalization of the conservative mainstream.
Around the same time, now with the internet in full swing, saw also the emergence of the ‘alternative right’ (alt-right) white nationalism rewired for the 21st century, waging a struggle against the ‘white genocide’ and the tyranny of the liberal elites’ ‘cultural marxism’, and oppressive political correctness (feminism, multi-culturalism, gender equality etc) to defend ‘traditional values’ (masculinity, white identity etc). A particularly nutty and paranoid movement referred to as identitarianism in the European context (overlapping with xenophobic and anti-immigrant right-wing populism).
From the beginning, Trump felt quite at home in this bizarre alternative universe of liberal conspiracies against the freedom defending white man. This was a growing movement waiting for a charismatic leader which it found in Trump who then played a leading role in mainstreaming the alt right and far right fringes into an ‘alt-america’ where an ultra-nationalist fringe element has taken over the Republican party in 2016.
The last chapter discusses in how far this alt-america constitutes fascism or proto-fascism and while Trump himself may not be a classic fascist ideologue, there are very clear signs of a creeping fascism in the US.
While the book provides a great overview of the US’s far right ideological underbelly, the analysis does not take into account the massive economic changes (rising inequality etc) that took place over the past decades which is a massive missed analytical opportunity.
Especially the elites’ response to the global financial crisis 2008 and the far right counter reaction in the form of the Tea Party in 2009 would have been an important part of the analysis of the relationship between fascism and capitalist crises.
Alas, you can’t have it all.
‘Alt-America: The rise of the radical right in the age of Trump’ (VERSO, 2017) is an impeccably researched and quite alarming account of far-right extremism is the US over the past 20 years or so.
The book provides a rather detailed report on the ebbs and flows of what used to be the far right fringe of neo-nazis, ultra-nationalists, white supremacists, Patriots movement and militias who became quite organized during the Clinton administration in the late 1990s but then went somewhat quiet under Bush junior before resurfacing with a vengeance during the first Obama presidency in the form of the Tea Party in early 2009 which for the first time brought much of the nutty and conspiratorial far right ‘fringe’ into the conservative mainstream. (The book covers the period 1990s till Tea Party in over 200 pages so this summary doesnt do the book any justice).
The Tea Party was a merger of far right paranoid conspiracy folks (Truther, Birther, 9/11 etc) with mainstream Fox news anti-stimulus and anti-big government conservatives, an important ‘milestone’ in the ongoing radicalization of the conservative mainstream.
Around the same time, now with the internet in full swing, saw also the emergence of the ‘alternative right’ (alt-right) white nationalism rewired for the 21st century, waging a struggle against the ‘white genocide’ and the tyranny of the liberal elites’ ‘cultural marxism’, and oppressive political correctness (feminism, multi-culturalism, gender equality etc) to defend ‘traditional values’ (masculinity, white identity etc). A particularly nutty and paranoid movement referred to as identitarianism in the European context (overlapping with xenophobic and anti-immigrant right-wing populism).
From the beginning, Trump felt quite at home in this bizarre alternative universe of liberal conspiracies against the freedom defending white man. This was a growing movement waiting for a charismatic leader which it found in Trump who then played a leading role in mainstreaming the alt right and far right fringes into an ‘alt-america’ where an ultra-nationalist fringe element has taken over the Republican party in 2016.
The last chapter discusses in how far this alt-america constitutes fascism or proto-fascism and while Trump himself may not be a classic fascist ideologue, there are very clear signs of a creeping fascism in the US.
While the book provides a great overview of the US’s far right ideological underbelly, the analysis does not take into account the massive economic changes (rising inequality etc) that took place over the past decades which is a massive missed analytical opportunity.
Especially the elites’ response to the global financial crisis 2008 and the far right counter reaction in the form of the Tea Party in 2009 would have been an important part of the analysis of the relationship between fascism and capitalist crises.
Alas, you can’t have it all.
February 10, 2019
oo yeah finishing a book
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 2, 2018
I thought it would be interesting to try to keep up with the literature on the altright as it comes out, which is made a little easier given that few printed books have been written on it yet (and that it's impossible to do more than try to keep up with the more relevant online pieces on the same subject). One downside of this is all of them, so far, appear to be rather hastily-assembled and not as well thought-out as one would like.
Dave Neiwert is a long-time watcher of the far-right for left-liberal circles, whose earlier work I haven't gotten around to reading. I know he's written about militias and about talk radio before, and both take up much of "Alt-America," which places the altright squarely in a right-populist tradition that goes back... and here, things get vague. Neiwert does a good job going through the actual narrative of the 21st century far right in America, but he is very light on historical or political analysis of why these things happened the way they did. He does little to place the far right and the "Alt-America," a whole different worldview/culture he posits but does not really flesh out, in any kind of context. Where the other most prominent book on the alt-right, Angela Nagle's "Kill All Normies," is thesis-heavy (it's all vague-left culture warriors fault) and narrative-light, Neiwert's work is the reverse. Arguably it's somewhat more useful- it's nice to have all those dates and events in one book. But it should be possible to have both.
A lot of the analysis he does provide is basically psychological- authoritarian types and social dominaters, etc. I don't dismiss this as much as I used to but there needs to be something more- if nothing else to explain why these psychological types are so prominent now. And this weakness of analysis extends to what's always the worst part of any of these types of books (not just ones about the right, either), the "what do now" section. If you're referencing Harry Potter as a role model for how to deal with pretty much any political issue, and worse yet citing Rowling's works as great literary examples of empathy, you're kind of on the wrong track.
I get the feeling that this is where we're gonna be at for books on the new far right for a while. They'll suffer from the inevitable weaknesses of books about fast-moving contemporary movements (books about the altright's more ambitious reactionary cousins in ISIS had the same issues a few years ago) and more from the way that these altright people make any decent type anxious and angry in a way that always comes out in the writing. And so we'll wind up with very basic narrative explainers (Neiwert) or with inter-left ax-grinding using the altright as a prop (Nagle) or alarmism and often enough simple gawking at the weirdos over on the far right (most internet pieces). It's a shame, because I think there's some interesting historical dynamics that this whole thing illuminates, but that can be a hard sell for publishers, I suppose. ***
https://toomuchberard.wordpress.com/2...
Dave Neiwert is a long-time watcher of the far-right for left-liberal circles, whose earlier work I haven't gotten around to reading. I know he's written about militias and about talk radio before, and both take up much of "Alt-America," which places the altright squarely in a right-populist tradition that goes back... and here, things get vague. Neiwert does a good job going through the actual narrative of the 21st century far right in America, but he is very light on historical or political analysis of why these things happened the way they did. He does little to place the far right and the "Alt-America," a whole different worldview/culture he posits but does not really flesh out, in any kind of context. Where the other most prominent book on the alt-right, Angela Nagle's "Kill All Normies," is thesis-heavy (it's all vague-left culture warriors fault) and narrative-light, Neiwert's work is the reverse. Arguably it's somewhat more useful- it's nice to have all those dates and events in one book. But it should be possible to have both.
A lot of the analysis he does provide is basically psychological- authoritarian types and social dominaters, etc. I don't dismiss this as much as I used to but there needs to be something more- if nothing else to explain why these psychological types are so prominent now. And this weakness of analysis extends to what's always the worst part of any of these types of books (not just ones about the right, either), the "what do now" section. If you're referencing Harry Potter as a role model for how to deal with pretty much any political issue, and worse yet citing Rowling's works as great literary examples of empathy, you're kind of on the wrong track.
I get the feeling that this is where we're gonna be at for books on the new far right for a while. They'll suffer from the inevitable weaknesses of books about fast-moving contemporary movements (books about the altright's more ambitious reactionary cousins in ISIS had the same issues a few years ago) and more from the way that these altright people make any decent type anxious and angry in a way that always comes out in the writing. And so we'll wind up with very basic narrative explainers (Neiwert) or with inter-left ax-grinding using the altright as a prop (Nagle) or alarmism and often enough simple gawking at the weirdos over on the far right (most internet pieces). It's a shame, because I think there's some interesting historical dynamics that this whole thing illuminates, but that can be a hard sell for publishers, I suppose. ***
https://toomuchberard.wordpress.com/2...
May 28, 2021
3.5 stars
A great look at the evolution of far-right groups from Waco and Ruby Ridge through the beginning of the Trump presidency. That being said it's not a straight history - Neiwert weaves in asides about why someone would want to be an authoritarian, why other people would want to follow an authoritarian, and theory about fascism as a whole.
Not a bad place to start reading about fascism in the here and now. For more thoughts, as well as other books about the subject, check out my video So You Want to Read About Fascism.
A great look at the evolution of far-right groups from Waco and Ruby Ridge through the beginning of the Trump presidency. That being said it's not a straight history - Neiwert weaves in asides about why someone would want to be an authoritarian, why other people would want to follow an authoritarian, and theory about fascism as a whole.
Not a bad place to start reading about fascism in the here and now. For more thoughts, as well as other books about the subject, check out my video So You Want to Read About Fascism.
December 21, 2019
This is a sobering read. Neiwert does a good job of drawing the line from patriot militias to online neoNazis to the so-called "alt-right". It's alarming to read because it is ongoing as we speak, but it's a valuable read to understand the context in which this alt-reality has developed. It's a well structured book, and builds on each incident to show how different branches of the far right influenced each other and pushed each other further and further extremes.
October 26, 2018
Neiwert explores how the American far-right has been growing since the 1990's and how that growth and influence has been accelerated by the presidency of Donald J. Trump. It's useful for insights into the nature of such groups, but the analysis is marred by the shrill leftist partisanship of the author. That said, it's a good overview of "alt-right" networks, personalities, and history. As a thumbnail sketch of a social movement, I'd recommend it. I'm far less likely to recommend some of the progressive assumptions that form key vectors of Neiwert's reasoning, such as his endorsement of the notion that all forms of discrimination are equivalent.
March 2, 2022
Donald Trump didn't create right wing hate-mongers. But he legitimized them. The rise, from the sewers, of militia groups & like-minded 'patriots' has coincided more or less with the emergence of the Tea Party movement. This book concludes the year after Trump won the 2016 election, during which he insisted that there were "good" people on both sides of a Nazi vs anti-Nazi clash. Now, a year after he had the 2020 election 'stolen' from him, Nazi groups have demonstrated openly in Texas & the Republican Governor cannot find the courage, or desire, to condemn them. Thankfully, I'm not an American citizen, but I fear that the 2024 Presidential election could catapult that country into a morass of hate & violence, irrespective of whether Trump wins or 'loses'. Sickening.
July 21, 2018
Thin—feels like a slightly stretched out Vanity Fair or Politico article—but has a clever conceit: it rolls out the timeline of various “alt right” and white supremacist events alongside the timeline of the rollout of Drumpf. The feeling that Trump is unleashing New Racism in America as a massive viral marketing campaign is...well, obviously not literally true but inescapable. To see how QUICKLY we have gone to hell in a handbasket since the salad days of Obama’s sanity is alarming as a motherfuck.
November 23, 2017
This is an important book, one that should be read by all that are concerned about the current state of American politics (read: the Trump White House) . Neiwert does an excellent job of documenting the ascent and mainstreaming of the far-right over the past two and a bit decades. He also teases out the linkages between what is a diverse array of ideologies, movements, and organisations, and shows how these are all unified through a Trump presidency. His Afterword offers a sensible, though no less passionate warning about the potential rise of 'fascism' in America and suggests some possible ways to combat the far-right. Most importantly, Alt-America stresses the connections between domestic, right-wing terrorist attacks and the gradual proliferation and legitimization of a dangerously deluded alt-right worldview (or series of worldviews). This, more than anything else, is what makes the book essential reading.
Neiwert could have explored the social, economic, and political conditions driving the populist-right in greater depth. He touches upon them sporadically throughout the book and in the Afterword, but much more could have been said about what is making some of these extremist ideas attractive to not just the far-right (or the basket of deplorables) but also to plenty of conservative middle-Americans. But then this kind of analysis is perhaps best left to the likes of Thomas Frank and Bethany Moreton. Moreover, Neiwert could have said something about the long history of what Richard Hofstadter called the 'paranoid style in American politics'. The Alt-Right for sure thrives on a completely distorted and paranoid conception of the world, but they are by no means the first to do so. As Hofstadter argued some 50 years ago, there has been a long-tradition of lunacy in the United States. Addressing this would have strengthened the analysis by showing the intellectual traditions underpinning the Alt-right (though, to be fair, the John Birch Society is mentioned several times.
Nonetheless, Alt-America is a fascinating and vital account of the rise of the far-right. It should be read even if only for the comprehensive survey of rightest extremism from Ruby-Ridge to Trumpism. Really, though, it needs to be read so people can see the link between the fascist right and the populist right.
Neiwert could have explored the social, economic, and political conditions driving the populist-right in greater depth. He touches upon them sporadically throughout the book and in the Afterword, but much more could have been said about what is making some of these extremist ideas attractive to not just the far-right (or the basket of deplorables) but also to plenty of conservative middle-Americans. But then this kind of analysis is perhaps best left to the likes of Thomas Frank and Bethany Moreton. Moreover, Neiwert could have said something about the long history of what Richard Hofstadter called the 'paranoid style in American politics'. The Alt-Right for sure thrives on a completely distorted and paranoid conception of the world, but they are by no means the first to do so. As Hofstadter argued some 50 years ago, there has been a long-tradition of lunacy in the United States. Addressing this would have strengthened the analysis by showing the intellectual traditions underpinning the Alt-right (though, to be fair, the John Birch Society is mentioned several times.
Nonetheless, Alt-America is a fascinating and vital account of the rise of the far-right. It should be read even if only for the comprehensive survey of rightest extremism from Ruby-Ridge to Trumpism. Really, though, it needs to be read so people can see the link between the fascist right and the populist right.
May 28, 2018
This is a comprehensive introduction to the contemporary far-right with an emphasis on the construction of an "alternative reality" through right-wing media. The book is strongest in the discussion of the militias and white separatist movements that have been the author's special area of focus for many years. The sections on the Montana Freedmen, sovereign citizens, Three Percenters, and the long story of the Bundy family are probably the best accounts that you will find in a contemporary book on these groups. Neiwert persuasively explains ideological, rhetorical and actual connections between members of that militant right, the Tea Party, and what is now "mainstream" conservative media. The book's coverage of the online "alt- right" is less in-depth, but overall, the book's tracing of contemporary Trumpism back to the 1990s militias make it very valuable and unlike a lot of other recent "hot" books on the contemporary right.
January 18, 2019
Any idea this will be a balanced look at racial politics is dispelled by the cover, which features cartoon KKK hoods.
The book is heavily left-biased in its presentation of the rise of the 'far right.' For example, it mentions Trump and his supporters' hypothetical refusal to accept the 2016 election result (if he had lost) and belief in conspiracy theories. I'm on p 310, so perhaps he will go on to mention the Left's ACTUAL refusal to accept the result, and its conspiracy about 'Russian collusion.' We'll see.
The description of right wing authoritarians on p 230 ( '...prone to extreme self righteousness, aggressive, highly dogmatic, with poor reasoning abilities') applies just as much, if not more, to the left these days.
There's little mention of left wing extremism, anti white racism, etc. For that, go and read Jim Goad's 'Whiteness: the Original Sin.'
'Alt America' has some value as a survey of recent events, as long as you realise the heavy bias involved.
The book is heavily left-biased in its presentation of the rise of the 'far right.' For example, it mentions Trump and his supporters' hypothetical refusal to accept the 2016 election result (if he had lost) and belief in conspiracy theories. I'm on p 310, so perhaps he will go on to mention the Left's ACTUAL refusal to accept the result, and its conspiracy about 'Russian collusion.' We'll see.
The description of right wing authoritarians on p 230 ( '...prone to extreme self righteousness, aggressive, highly dogmatic, with poor reasoning abilities') applies just as much, if not more, to the left these days.
There's little mention of left wing extremism, anti white racism, etc. For that, go and read Jim Goad's 'Whiteness: the Original Sin.'
'Alt America' has some value as a survey of recent events, as long as you realise the heavy bias involved.
January 27, 2018
A Madame Tussaud's rogues gallery of American right wing wackos emphasizing their xenophobia, racism, love of conspiracy theories, nostalgia for a non-existent past, love of personal weaponry, & conviction that it is they who are the patriots & protect the constitution despite the fact that they're woefully ill-informed about its content. At the end, a discussion of the advent of Donald Trump who is not a genuine full-fledged member of the alt-right but is their savior & will have to do until one comes along. These are scary people & they don't seem to be going away any time soon.
February 17, 2018
I feel as though I am the choir being preached to in this book, and this fact made me increasingly uncomfortable as I read. Maybe there would be some value in the blow-by-blow recounting of events for those who don't follow American politics, or far in the future, but much of this book was descriptions of things I remember because they just happened.
I don't think the analysis was particularly strong either, making this a book of limited use overall. I was planning to spend a while on political reading, but this start has soured me on the idea.
I don't think the analysis was particularly strong either, making this a book of limited use overall. I was planning to spend a while on political reading, but this start has soured me on the idea.
February 5, 2018
A very extensively researched book which doesn’t tell us much we shouldn’t already know. However, it’s useful to be reminded of the present toxic state of America with a president who gives his tacit support to right wing terrorists. It is also useful to be shown, with clear evidence, just how much more prevalent extreme right wing white supremacist terrorism has been since 9/11 than Islamic terrorism.
This is a timely warning of just how perilous a state US democracy is in.
This is a timely warning of just how perilous a state US democracy is in.
April 23, 2018
Just finished this one. Very good, especially the discussion of fascism at the end. It would be a good book for a study group on the topic. It has a left-progressive viewpoint, and the details and stories of the far right serve to awaken people to its danger.
November 5, 2017
An unsettling and deeply terrifying but also unputdownable history of the far right's development in America across the past few decades.
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