Fascists Among Us: online hate and the Christchurch massacre

by Jeff Sparrow

The first book since Christchurch to trace the massacre’s fascist roots and what it represents.

The massacre of more than fifty worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, shocked the world. The murders were not random. They expressed a particular ideology, one that the alleged perpetrator described as ‘fascism’.

But what does fascism mean today — and what kind of threat does it pose? Jeff Sparrow traces the history of the far right, showing how fascists have adapted to the new politics of the twenty-first century. He argues that the mosque killer represents a frightening new phenomenon — decentralised right-wing terrorism that recruits by committing atrocities, feeding on itself, and spreading from country to country.

Burgeoning in dark places online, contemporary fascism exults in violence and picks its targets strategically. Today, it is Muslims; tomorrow, it will be Jews or gays or Asians. Even the widespread despair generated by climate change is being harvested to weaponise young men with the politics of hate.

With imitative massacres already occurring around the world, Christchurch must be a wake-up call. This book makes a compelling, urgent case for a new response to an old menace.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Social, Psychology, Australia, Sociology

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2019

About the author

Writer, broadcaster, nogoodnik.

Reviews

[Jazmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but not as in depth as I would have liked. A political and cultural history of fascism would have been really helpful, since I don’t think Hitler invented it, nor do I think he was proposing new ideas regarding race and nationhood, and a glossary would’ve been great. There was just so many different online groups and their slang/terminology to keep a hold of. Also so many fascist shit heads to keep track of! Would’ve been nice to have a chart or something.
I cackled when he described Blair Cottrell as an amateur body builder. That was just *chef’s kiss.*
A more helpful conclusion, I think, would’ve involved a more comprehensive discussion regarding deradicalisation. I don’t know how to talk to Nazis, and it would’ve been nice to hear from experts on how we can stop them. But I think he made some salient points about journalism and reporting on fascism: we can’t pretend it’s not a problem and we can’t not report on it since that seems to add fuel to the fire of the false martyrdom online racists perceive themselves to be. It just would’ve been nice to include more voices in the solution part of the conclusion, as I wasn’t convinced by the author’s strategy nor even entirely clear on what he was proposing.

[iloveallbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4chan exploding van

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a bit silly, naïve and pointless to refer to the Christchurch mass shooter as Person X throughout the entire book and merely leads to the Streisand Effect, especially when you make a point of repeatedly quoting from his manifesto and giving him a bigger platform by writing a book about him, but it was possibly just some misguided attempt at virtue signalling. Its rendered all the more ridiculous by the fact that he then goes onto name check a succession of other little known fascists?...thereby glorifying Brent Tarrant, sorry Person X by making him the only one significant enough to gain a code name with a sinister X.

Pseudonyms aside Sparrow has actually written a really strong book, he gets into some meaty territory and tackling modern day ideas of fascism from a number of angles, from politics to the notoriously undemocratic, unaccountable culture which has flourished beyond reason thanks to the likes of FB (now Meta etc) to create the perfect platform for extremism to link up and thrive in. As for Person X, it’s not so much about the banality of evil as the banality of the banal.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First full nonfiction book of the year looool!

But overall I really liked the points brought up, especially the comparisons to Hitler as well as Australian far right groups. Helped me identify new areas of interest and more research for me to do :)!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, sharp debrief on the reaction to the Christchurch mosque shootings. Note: many of the author's cited statistics were soon out-of-date.

[Ann Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting with much for me to think about.

[Maz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a ground breaking or seminal work on fascism, but if you feel like this is something you want to learn more about this is a decent start

[Tim Spalding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and concise documentation of the rise of modern fascism and lone-wolf attacks in our modern era. The analysis in this book is both startling and enlightening, as you are lead through the amalgamation of factors that lead us to the pinnacle of this cancerous ideology, the Christchurch massacre.

Starting by highlighting the similarities between anti-Semitic sentiments during ww2 and modern islamophobia post-9/11, sparrow shows how history was doomed to repeat itself in many ways, through political and media narratives as well as within the scummy back alleys of the internet.

However, the crucial difference in our modern age is the unpopularity of fascism as a political movement and it’s inability to firmly establish party activity. After firm contest to fascist rallying by anti-fascists, society has begun to re-affirm the alt-right as the loser assholes they truly are, making it more unpopular than ever to be an outright fascist. It’s not “cool” to be constantly outnumbered and fail in public.

However, the flip side to this is that the violence and war so craved by the tenets of fascism have now evolved into these lone wolf attacks, which have become the de-stabilising force that these people crave to creat. How we let people fester into these beliefs leaves for much critical reflection on where our society is heading.

There is a lot to learn in a short time with this book, which I love. It could be more in depth, but you get a lot of bang for your buck here.

Note to self, accelerationism and eco-fascism were ideas I had never heard of before but were interesting to learn about.

[Scribe Publications]

This short but incisive book builds to a stirring and well-argued conclusion ... What Sparrow does so eloquently ... is overtly link fascism, historically and theoretically, with political violence. b>FOUR STARS
Kelsey Oldham, Books + Publishing

With conceptual clarity and meticulous research, Jeff Sparrow has produced an indispensable guidebook to the intellectual and political sewers from which the Christchurch mass murderer emerged. Sparrow understands the role social media has played in the rebirth of fascism. He also understands that ideas matter.
Robert Manne, emeritus professor of politics and vice-chancellor's fellow at La Trobe University

Part history lesson, part detective story, part deep-dive into an online swamp, Fascists Among Us is essential reading for anyone who wants to take a stand against hate.
Scott Ludlam

Jeff Sparrow charts the ideological underpinnings of fascism with uncommon clarity, demonstrating the importance of confronting the truth rather than retreating from its horrors. Read. This. Book.
Sisonke Msimang

Lit with insight and urgency. Read it, just read it.
Chloe Hooper

Sparrow’s analysis is poignant and confronting, yet avoids being voyeuristic or disrespectful.
Ellen Muller, ArtsHub

[Scribe Publications]

This short but incisive book builds to a stirring and well-argued conclusion ... What Sparrow does so eloquently ... is overtly link fascism, historically and theoretically, with political violence. FOUR STARS
Kelsey Oldham, Books + Publishing

With conceptual clarity and meticulous research, Jeff Sparrow has produced an indispensable guidebook to the intellectual and political sewers from which the Christchurch mass murderer emerged. Sparrow understands the role social media has played in the rebirth of fascism. He also understands that ideas matter.
Robert Manne, emeritus professor of politics and vice-chancellor's fellow at La Trobe University

Part history lesson, part detective story, part deep-dive into an online swamp, Fascists Among Us is essential reading for anyone who wants to take a stand against hate.
Scott Ludlam

Jeff Sparrow charts the ideological underpinnings of fascism with uncommon clarity, demonstrating the importance of confronting the truth rather than retreating from its horrors. Read. This. Book.
Sisonke Msimang

Lit with insight and urgency. Read it, just read it.
Chloe Hooper

Sparrow’s analysis is poignant and confronting, yet avoids being voyeuristic or disrespectful.
Ellen Muller, ArtsHub

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Are you a fascist?” he asks himself rhetorically. “Yes,” he says in response, “for once the person that will be called a fascist, is an actual fascist.” He then adds, “I am sure the journalists will love that.” - Manifesto of "Person X," as quoted by Jeff Sparrow in Fascists Among Us

As I was working on this review, news hit of another fascist terrorist attack inspired by the Christchurch massacre by yet another young white man radicalized online, making this book feel even more urgent. In Fascists Among Us, Australian journalist Jeff Sparrow writes a concise, informative account of the murderous political ideology behind the horrific Christchurch massacre in 2019 and following acts of terrorism, providing important insight into the motivations and goals of these men. Far from being a lone unhinged gunman, Sparrow illustrates the coherent, if odious, far-right agenda “Person X” hoped to accomplish through this act of terrorism.

Despite the use of this euphemistic placeholder for the terrorists’ name, Sparrow makes a good case for how deemphasizing his name allows us to focus on the horrifying contents of his chilling manifesto, which was written to inspire his fellow fascists. This is a critical task, especially now. Sketching out a short history of fascist thought since the 1940s, Sparrow parses out the background of the ideas espoused by Person X in his manifesto released online, including his interest in pre and post WWII British fascist Oswald Mosley, his interest in “Eco-Fascism,” and especially his virulent Islamophobia.

After 9/11, the social acceptability of anti-Muslim sentiment has made a convenient smoke screen for fascists to mask their extremism and draw in those with a more mainstream bigotry, Islamophobia. Following this, Sparrow makes Person X’s genocidal goals clear as he lays out his ideology and belief in the “Great Replacement Theory,” a belief that white people in “white countries” like Australia, New Zealand, and the US, are being “outbred” by immigrants, a plot being perpetrated by a nefarious “them,” who Person X makes clear is to be understood as “The Jews.” Even as Person X chose Muslims to begin his war against “the Great Replacement,” his followers in Poway, El Paso, and now Buffalo targeted Jewish, Latinx, and Black communities with the exact same logic. Most disturbingly, Sparrow makes clear how far even mainstream right wing media, from Fox News to Trump himself, have come to echo Person X’s Great Replacement rhetoric, leaving the “them” as an ambiguous elite.

Discussing the role of the internet in radicalizing Person X, Sparrow illustrates how white nationalists excelled at spreading their discourse online through the ironic play common in online spaces, while also facing frustration in bridging the gap between the digital world and an offline political project. Finally, in one of the most interesting sections, Sparrow discusses the obscure Australian fascist scene that radicalized Person X, and how even the tiniest, most seemingly inconsequential fascist groups can spawn deadly terrorism, aided in unmoderated online communication connecting people across far distances in Australia and the US alike. Thankfully, Sparrow ends the account on a hopeful note, detailing how anti-fascist activism can counter at least some of this fascist organizing, following the success of those opposed to Mosley’s own activities in the UK of the 1940s. By challenging bigotry and racist thinking of all kinds, online and off, one can negate the radicalization drawing angry young men into their company, discouraging their attempts their recruitment.

Offering both a disturbing analysis of just how deep the violent reactionary extremist thinking of those like Person X has infiltrated the mainstream right, as well as some practical strategies to fight their advance throughout the world, Fascists Among Us is a valuable and accessible introduction to these sobering topics.

[R1CEC4KE · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written and well-researched book overall. I found Sparrow's investigation on the role of the internet and social media in the dissemination of fascist ideology and the acceleration of rage murder culture particularly insightful.

That being said, this doesn't merit more than three stars for a few reasons. Even though it is clear that Sparrow is writing from a politics-centred view, the historical accuracy regarding the origins of fascism is quite weak - at multiple points in the book Sparrow attributes the ideology to Hitler and the Nazis in the 30s, which is just... wrong. Every time he made this insinuation, the argument he was making alongside it seemed all together weaker. I respect that the Nazi rise to power was more dramatic and interesting than the Fascist rise to power in Italy more than decade before, but failing to mention the Italian fascists at all seems a bit strange and unprofessional for a piece as well-researched as this.

Beyond that, I found it hard to keep up with all the different names of people and organizations being introduced. The presence of some sort of glossary or index might have been nice. But that's more me being picky than anything.

It was a good read, would recommend to others with an interest in the topic.

Edit - I wanted to fact check my review to confirm my allegation about Sparrow's origins of fascism, so I reread the chapter. While he does mention the Italian Fascists, and identifies a difference between lowercase and uppercase fascism and Fascism, this difference is ambiguous and what he denotes as fascism is really spruced-up Nazism (hence my critique still holds some merit, though not as much as before)

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated by the far-right and how people can buy into their poisonous ideology. As a current affairs journalist, I spent a good part of my career studying this phenomenon and met more than my fair share of far-right extremists. If anything, the situation is far worse now than ever, with internet forums and social media helping to spread the virus that is far-right ideology.

Jeff Sparrow, using the Christchurch massacre and its perpetrator as a starting point, has investigated the phenomena of far-right terror and the new breed of so-called lone wolf attackers (though he explicitly debates the usefulness and efficacy of the term) that have been radicalised by the darker recesses of the far-right internet and social media sites.

This is a short book, a primer if you will, but it’s surprisingly comprehensive. It takes a concise, but deep dive, into the history of far-right ideology, before going onto a discussion of places like 4chan and 8chan, which cultivated the culture of shitposting and redpilling, where it’s often difficult to know who is being serious and who is not.

To the author's credit, he also examines lesser known (though just as important) aspects of far-right ideology, such as how the far-right have embraced ecology and people's increasing concern with the environment, and imbued it with their own hatred of foreigners and refugees.

This is a very good book and well worth a read. It can be read in just one sitting, which is no bad thing as it’s more likely to be read by a greater number of people as a result.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but timely book-length essay that ties together the various tendrils of the fascist movement, analysing how they have used and manipulated internet platforms over the past 15 or so years to congregate, pursue their political goals — with varying levels of success — and grow their number. Focusing primarily on Australia but with reference to antecedents and equivalents overseas, Sparrow uses the perpetrator of the Christchurch massacre (and his meme-heavy, Extremely Online manifesto) as the primary vector through which to analyse what is actually quite a splintered landscape of groups that do their recruitment — and infighting — online. Perhaps assumes too much for a casual reader (or even a moderately politically informed one) to fully grasp the breadth of online hate and how it all fits together, so consequently it sometimes gestures broadly towards a connection without fully articulating it, but the book's strongest arguments occur when Sparrow specifically identifies instances of support for right-wing extremist groups by members of parliament, the police or other institutions. It remains shocking that elected members of Australia's parliament have attended rallies organised or attended by neo-Nazis, fascists, skinheads and violent extremists — many of whom have connections to New Zealand's worst mass murderer.

[O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Education is the most important element of combatting the rising prevalence of far right politics in so-called 'day-to-day' media, it doesn't take a political analyst to see that the extreme right are finding themselves emboldened to be more 'mask off' with the more controversial elements of their agendas and there are many elements as to why. This book discusses the fringest right wing elements and how they increasingly boldened and encouraged by a a media that platforms the discussion points of racists and sexists. It is an incredible beginners text to the topics it discusses, the kind of text that you could hand to the most politically uncertain and they would come out with a clear understanding of one of the most prominent issues of our current age.

This is not a text for those of us that are informed, but as a small recap on the habits of developing fascism- both in the present day and historically, this text is highly readable and completely accessible. This makes it a read perfect for recapping the last few years increasingly alienating level of extreme gun violence and extreme online hate.

The only major flaw with the text, which is entirely fit to purpose, is it has a slightly dated read on Trump that didn't count for his explosive final days in office; I can almost imagine addendums to the book being added to address this issue in later editions.

[Christina Hannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly eye-opening to the politics and ideology of fascists online, especially in regards to that of the Christchurch shooter and their manifesto.

Sparrow pulls that manifesto apart and notes what they referred to, who they admired and broke down the politics between fascist groups online in things like the Optics War.

This book goes into great detail revealing the talking points of modern day fascists and neo-nazis by explaining why some decided to take up Eco-awareness in order to promote genocide to curb overpopulation of everyone they view as corrupt and the enemy. It also points out how they use memes and internet slang to hide on boards like 8chan and communicate with each other anonymously. It also talks about the fascist community in Australia and while they’re much smaller than the ones overseas, they’re still clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.

Overall, this is a fantastic and enlightening book for anyone who wishes to learn more of fascists and how they act online in order to radicalise and almost dare each other to outdo the last person.

[Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been interested in mass shootings, and I remember when the Christchurch massacre actually happened: I even remember seeing the 8chan post as it was still up, and seeing the livestream. Harrowing stuff, to be sure; and so, I had to pick this up.
I read it last year and am only recently rereading it. It's an incredibly interesting book, and it goes over contemporary Australian fascism. Since I'm getting more and more fascinated by fascism because of sites like 4chan and 8chan, it's a good insight into my homeland's fascist community. It, from what I remember, didn't have much -- if any -- leftist propaganda, either.

Great book. I do NOT recommend it if you were somehow affected by the Christchurch massacre, perpetrated by 'Person X' (as he's called in Fascists Among Us).
However, I DO recommend it if you're into online culture, fascist history (starting from the 1920s onward), Australian contemporary fascism and fascist groups, and the Christchurch massacre.

4/5.

[E Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Cantabrian who was in the CBD at the time of the shootings, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this. But I’m really glad I did. We saw play out in real life the human side of this, saw and felt the pain, fear and concern at how it had happened. But reading the underlying ideology of the shooter offers a whole new level of understanding. (If it’s even possible to truly understand).
I’ve often worried at the level of hate and distrust we see in the world today, and this gave some insight into the way it spreads. The book is well written, and something we can really learn from. Although sadly I don’t think it will stop the spread of disinformation and hate we see filtering from the internet into the real world.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read. Sparrow does a great job of describing the rise of online fascist groups and how they attempt to spread their ideas and influence their members into violence and hate.

Luckily, for society at large, it’s easier to be mean from behind a screen and the majority of these online haters don’t often come out from behind them and are content to spread their rage and anger against perceived threats through social media platforms and the dark web. This book is an eye opener and is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the politics of fear and hate. Highly recommended.

[Ayesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting insight into not just the Christchurch Massacre but fascism in a modern context, which has become all the more ubiquitous with the use of the Internet in the 21st century. It is a bit silly to refer to Brenton Tarrant as ‘Person X’ and then quote his manifesto and name drop a bunch of other right-wing, nationalist figures, but other than that Sparrow is thorough on the subject and it serves as a brief entry point for academic analyses on fascist subcultures.

[Isobel Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5. A good read if you want a primer on fascism's evolution from Hitler to Christchurch, or a better understanding of the aims of modern fascism. However, it was shorter than I expected and I wish it had explored the culture of online fascists more deeply, viz. the language, memes, personality types, etc.

[Stephtacular · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little bit short with not enough detail for my liking I would love to have seen this book expanded with more information and details. Just felt too fleeting.
Felt like something you could read in the weekend Age. I think it's made some really interesting arguments but just needed more. Worth while reading though.

[Katie Snell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like 3.5 stars. This is an interesting book and I learnt a lot about fascism and the current extreme right wing behavior that is gaining traction around the world. I did feel it was a bit rushed - probably to get it out while people were still thinking about Christchurch. I would like to read something more detailed and researched in this area.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear, engaging and insightful piece about modern fascism in Australia and its influences and origins internationally. Not a huge tome, but not intending to be - this is a stepping stone into understanding, and is deeply referenced to enable further reading. The kind of short read you could easily recommend to politically engaged family & friends.

[Eddie Davila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparrow presents a compelling argument and smartly identifies the nexus between twenty-first century fascism and online forums and social media. Moreover, Sparrow highlights how mainstream media and both domestic and foreign policy greatly influence fascism.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it useful, particularly the chapter on eco-fascism and accelerationism. The main weakness of it is that it positions Islamophobia as the new anti-Semitism, which then downplays current anti-Semitism. Would recommend giving it a read.

[Izzy White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book even if it was a little short and reading it made me feel like I was back at uni. Would have liked it to be a wee bit longer as it felt like there was more to go into?? Nether the less, I learnt some interesting stuff from this book-, like Eco-fascism is kinda wild.

[Kieran Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what produced the Christchurch massacre, what the murderer hoped to achieve, and what his example is likely to inspire.

[Lucy Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is undeniably important.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Accessible and important. This is essential reading for anybody with a social conscience.