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Ctrl-Alt-Delete: An Antifascist Report On the Alternative Right
This book addresses the origins and rise of the so-called “alt-right,” the fascistic movement that grabbed headlines in the months leading up to the 2016 election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. It is due back from the printers in February, but is available for pre-order now.
The first essay, Matthew Lyons’s “Ctrl-Alt-Delete,” is a thorough survey of the origins of the alt-right, a look at its constituent parts and beliefs at the present time, as well as observations about how its future relationship with the Trump administration may play out. Of particular interest, Lyons draws attention to the importance of sexism and misogyny within this movement, to its long-term “metapolitical” strategy, as well as to the tensions between the disparate groups that have found their home under its banner.
Lyons’s essay was already in the works prior to the developments of 2016, part of a broader study of anti-systemic far right movements in the United States. That book, Insurgent Supremacists, is due out from Kersplebedeb and PM Press in 2018. Given the rapid developments of the past few months, however, it was felt important to make his chapter on the alt-right available as soon as possible – therein lies the origin of this publication.
Supplementing “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” is an essay written by comrades from the Its Going Down website, “The Rich Kids of Fascism.” This is a view from activists currently involved in opposing both the far right and the state, on the streets. As its title would imply, "Rich Kids" focuses on the elitist class politics of the alt right, and how that sets it apart from other far right phenomena like boneheads or militias. Looking at the alt-right’s fortunes over the past few years, IGD show the role played by both the media, and white racist fears about the ongoing struggles of Black people and immigrants, in feeding this threat.
A third text, “Black Genocide and the Alt-Right,” unpacks much of what terms like “white nationalism” and “race realism” imply in the American context. Anti-black racism constitutes a baseline for far right politics, and the alt-right is no exception, despite the utopian pretensions of some of their more high-brow thinkers (when they’re not dropping n-bombs and celebrating the murder of black youths, that is). This text is just a brief reminder of what these things mean.
Finally, “Notes on Trump,” by Bromma, serves not so much as a counterpoint, as a contextualization. Not directly addressing the alt-right itself, Bromma’s Notes posit that the election of Trump and the rise of the far right are not simple accidents of history, nor the result of some single failure on our side or success on theirs, but are conjoined expressions of a deep shift within the world economy. As he argues, “What’s coming into view, semi-hidden underneath the frenzied soap opera of reactionary populism, is that the tide of globalization has crested and started to recede.”
The alt right in one expression of this reactionary moment. We must oppose them, but also prepare ourselves to oppose what might come next. Understanding one’s enemy can only help in this regard, and indeed a thorough understanding of an opposing political force can also help us prepare for future far right iterations.
That is why this book is being offered now. A tool for work that needs doing. Let’s get started.
The first essay, Matthew Lyons’s “Ctrl-Alt-Delete,” is a thorough survey of the origins of the alt-right, a look at its constituent parts and beliefs at the present time, as well as observations about how its future relationship with the Trump administration may play out. Of particular interest, Lyons draws attention to the importance of sexism and misogyny within this movement, to its long-term “metapolitical” strategy, as well as to the tensions between the disparate groups that have found their home under its banner.
Lyons’s essay was already in the works prior to the developments of 2016, part of a broader study of anti-systemic far right movements in the United States. That book, Insurgent Supremacists, is due out from Kersplebedeb and PM Press in 2018. Given the rapid developments of the past few months, however, it was felt important to make his chapter on the alt-right available as soon as possible – therein lies the origin of this publication.
Supplementing “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” is an essay written by comrades from the Its Going Down website, “The Rich Kids of Fascism.” This is a view from activists currently involved in opposing both the far right and the state, on the streets. As its title would imply, "Rich Kids" focuses on the elitist class politics of the alt right, and how that sets it apart from other far right phenomena like boneheads or militias. Looking at the alt-right’s fortunes over the past few years, IGD show the role played by both the media, and white racist fears about the ongoing struggles of Black people and immigrants, in feeding this threat.
A third text, “Black Genocide and the Alt-Right,” unpacks much of what terms like “white nationalism” and “race realism” imply in the American context. Anti-black racism constitutes a baseline for far right politics, and the alt-right is no exception, despite the utopian pretensions of some of their more high-brow thinkers (when they’re not dropping n-bombs and celebrating the murder of black youths, that is). This text is just a brief reminder of what these things mean.
Finally, “Notes on Trump,” by Bromma, serves not so much as a counterpoint, as a contextualization. Not directly addressing the alt-right itself, Bromma’s Notes posit that the election of Trump and the rise of the far right are not simple accidents of history, nor the result of some single failure on our side or success on theirs, but are conjoined expressions of a deep shift within the world economy. As he argues, “What’s coming into view, semi-hidden underneath the frenzied soap opera of reactionary populism, is that the tide of globalization has crested and started to recede.”
The alt right in one expression of this reactionary moment. We must oppose them, but also prepare ourselves to oppose what might come next. Understanding one’s enemy can only help in this regard, and indeed a thorough understanding of an opposing political force can also help us prepare for future far right iterations.
That is why this book is being offered now. A tool for work that needs doing. Let’s get started.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 7, 2017
Lyons does a well researched and written treatment of the Alt Right, and the It's Going Down article does a great supplemental job on the characters involved. The last two articles, while well written and politically insightful, were unnecessary.
January 6, 2018
Consisting of four progressively more radical essays, this ~100 page booklet provides some interesting commentary on how the alt-right entered the picture. The titular piece reads like a blog post, which in fact it originally was. The new terms introduced, like "neo-conservativism" versus "paleo-conservativism," almost feel naked without the blue hyperlink font. However, I was able to follow Lyons' high-level genealogy of the current movement, which draws inspiration from reactionary groups in both US and EU histories.
The essays following Lyons' were less academic in nature and more incendiary. The ordering is a smart choice, as if Lyons sets the historical scene for political activism. However, I was left wanting for more substance in the various calls to action. I wish these ideas were expounded upon and more neatly contextualized in this particular historical moment.
Otherwise, these essays might be more effectively compiled under an alternative title like 'The Antifa Manifesto,' or something like that. I hope that similar essays continue to be published, analyzed, digested, and challenged. They are important voices that should be taken seriously and responded to accordingly.
The essays following Lyons' were less academic in nature and more incendiary. The ordering is a smart choice, as if Lyons sets the historical scene for political activism. However, I was left wanting for more substance in the various calls to action. I wish these ideas were expounded upon and more neatly contextualized in this particular historical moment.
Otherwise, these essays might be more effectively compiled under an alternative title like 'The Antifa Manifesto,' or something like that. I hope that similar essays continue to be published, analyzed, digested, and challenged. They are important voices that should be taken seriously and responded to accordingly.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews