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Rise of the Extreme Right
A detailed examination of the right-wing extremism Australia is facing right now, from the Lowy Institute.
ASIO says right-wing extremism now makes up half its case load, and that it anticipates a terrorist attack on Australian soil within the year. There has been a 250% increase in right-wing terrorism globally. So what exactly is right-wing extremism and how is its potential for violence growing? Why is it a global problem? How does it threaten democracy and what should we do about it? Rise of the Extreme Right will answer these questions while situating Australia within the global threat landscape.
ASIO says right-wing extremism now makes up half its case load, and that it anticipates a terrorist attack on Australian soil within the year. There has been a 250% increase in right-wing terrorism globally. So what exactly is right-wing extremism and how is its potential for violence growing? Why is it a global problem? How does it threaten democracy and what should we do about it? Rise of the Extreme Right will answer these questions while situating Australia within the global threat landscape.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
22 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 17, 2023
Khalil has expertly put together a remarkably accessible publication that definitely wades through the complex weeds and reeds of Extreme Right politics and comes out on the other side with a sense of profound clarity and well-ordered narrative.
Given the support of The Lowy Institute, Rise of the Extreme Right's citations are first-rate, and the bibliography facilitates a breadth of further reading where appropriate. Although many 'modern politics' books of this sort are regrettably reliant on hyperbole, alarmism and vagueness, Khalil is instead succinct and specific . She does not dither or dramatise: Writing matter-of-factly, Khalil's authorial voice comfortably asserts its expertise without insisting upon itself.
Despite the challenges inherent to such complex subject matter as this, Khalil effortlessly illustrates her multitude of points via a sharp collection of global case-studies. I was particularly impressed with her interrogation of the religious Right's resurgence in Australia. Additionally, the (almost-mandatory) Trump analysis was well-managed, composed with an acute awareness of the information surplus already existing in this field. I was also pleasantly surprised by the explorations of the Extreme Right's growth in South East Asia. Given that conversations around this particular subject centre on 2016 Trumpism and European populism, this inclusion was a welcome one.
Critically, Rise of the Extreme Right can, in my view, be understood and appreciated by both academics and the uninitiated alike. VCE politics students might find it just as useful as middle-aged armchair analysts. At once introductory and comprehensive, Rise of the Extreme Right will likely prove a valuable document of the present political zeitgeist for years to come. Brava.
Given the support of The Lowy Institute, Rise of the Extreme Right's citations are first-rate, and the bibliography facilitates a breadth of further reading where appropriate. Although many 'modern politics' books of this sort are regrettably reliant on hyperbole, alarmism and vagueness, Khalil is instead succinct and specific . She does not dither or dramatise: Writing matter-of-factly, Khalil's authorial voice comfortably asserts its expertise without insisting upon itself.
Despite the challenges inherent to such complex subject matter as this, Khalil effortlessly illustrates her multitude of points via a sharp collection of global case-studies. I was particularly impressed with her interrogation of the religious Right's resurgence in Australia. Additionally, the (almost-mandatory) Trump analysis was well-managed, composed with an acute awareness of the information surplus already existing in this field. I was also pleasantly surprised by the explorations of the Extreme Right's growth in South East Asia. Given that conversations around this particular subject centre on 2016 Trumpism and European populism, this inclusion was a welcome one.
Critically, Rise of the Extreme Right can, in my view, be understood and appreciated by both academics and the uninitiated alike. VCE politics students might find it just as useful as middle-aged armchair analysts. At once introductory and comprehensive, Rise of the Extreme Right will likely prove a valuable document of the present political zeitgeist for years to come. Brava.
March 18, 2024
5 stars but I hated it. Not a happy ending! (Present day reality)
Amazingly well researched and presented, unfortunately it is not good news to be reported…
I really do recommend everyone to read this though - it’s not a super long read and its so full of really really important info on current trends and facts in global politics.
Explains social, cultural, political and personal origins of the trends were seeing globally rn towards right wing extremism, namely crises and insecurity such as climate change, covid lockdowns, etc, increasing inequalities in wealth, and the breeding ground of globalised technologies and social media, leading to radicalisation and loss of faith in democracy.
Full of statistics and info, perfectly cited and referenced (over 400 well formatted references) to back it all up and provide further reading.
Alarmingly similar to strategies on far left by dumb people (looking at you Socialist Alternative), although as the book clearly explains with statistics, the current problem-people in all practical senses are the right wing not the left wing in terms of oppressive abuse of political power, hate crimes and terrorism. Still interesting to note the horse-shoe crossovers (also talks about like climate-change anxiety / ecological pressure inspired right wing terrorism in the book), etc.
Amazingly well researched and presented, unfortunately it is not good news to be reported…
I really do recommend everyone to read this though - it’s not a super long read and its so full of really really important info on current trends and facts in global politics.
Explains social, cultural, political and personal origins of the trends were seeing globally rn towards right wing extremism, namely crises and insecurity such as climate change, covid lockdowns, etc, increasing inequalities in wealth, and the breeding ground of globalised technologies and social media, leading to radicalisation and loss of faith in democracy.
Full of statistics and info, perfectly cited and referenced (over 400 well formatted references) to back it all up and provide further reading.
Alarmingly similar to strategies on far left by dumb people (looking at you Socialist Alternative), although as the book clearly explains with statistics, the current problem-people in all practical senses are the right wing not the left wing in terms of oppressive abuse of political power, hate crimes and terrorism. Still interesting to note the horse-shoe crossovers (also talks about like climate-change anxiety / ecological pressure inspired right wing terrorism in the book), etc.
February 4, 2023
this exact study carried me all the way through stage two politics. thank you lydia khalil
January 12, 2024
A fantastic primer on the extreme right, that has only become more relevant as time has passed. Well researched, readable, and chilling. A compelling read.
January 29, 2023
There has been a 320 percent increase in right-wing extremism globally from 2016 to 2021. As of 2021, right-wing extremism now makes up half the caseload of ASIO, and the German government has identified it as 'the greatest threat to security in our country'. This clear and concise book provides an urgent wakeup call to a growing problem in the post-covid world.
My favourite chapter discusses the contested term of 'right-wing extremism'. It is a nebulous term that includes everything from white supremist groups, fascists, neo-Nazis, and anti-government militia. The key that links these groups together is the rejection of democratic politics in favour of revolutionary violence. They uphold individual rights and freedoms over the government's power to enforce liberal concepts of equality and group protections.
Conservative politicians have objected to the label 'right-wing extremism' due to a fear that they would be tarred by the same brush (no such outcry occurred regarding the broad-brush label of 'Islamic extremism'). The result is that Australian law enforcement is not allowed to identify extremist groups as 'right-wing'. Rather, they are to be officially recognised by the generic term 'ideological extremists' (as opposed to 'religious extremists'). This perpetuates a misunderstanding of what right-wing extremism is. Indeed, right-wing extremists utterly reject the values of mainstream conservatism.
This politically imposed misunderstanding undermines the ability of law enforcement to fight right-wing extremism. First, it draws a false equivalence between the threats posed to society by left-wing and right-wing extremists. Second, ideological extremism versus religious extremism is a false dichotomy. Third, categorising extremist groups as 'right-wing' helps to identify connections between like-minded groups.
Another interesting point the author made is the discussion surrounding the normalisation of right-wing extremist content online. The chaotic nature of online spaces makes it difficult to determine what is extremism and what is just trolling. Known as Poe's Law, without a clear indicator of a person's intent, a parody of an extreme view can be interpreted as a sincere expression. Therefore, humour offers an effective way to increase the acceptability of extremist positions. The uptick in time spent online due to government mandated pandemic lockdowns served to increase exposure and sympathy to such extremist views.
I felt this book was far too short for such a complex subject (although that reflects the word limits imposed by the publisher). That said, in the short space assigned, the author did a fantastic and engaging job of providing a quick overview of the growing societal problem of contemporary right-wing extremism.
My favourite chapter discusses the contested term of 'right-wing extremism'. It is a nebulous term that includes everything from white supremist groups, fascists, neo-Nazis, and anti-government militia. The key that links these groups together is the rejection of democratic politics in favour of revolutionary violence. They uphold individual rights and freedoms over the government's power to enforce liberal concepts of equality and group protections.
Conservative politicians have objected to the label 'right-wing extremism' due to a fear that they would be tarred by the same brush (no such outcry occurred regarding the broad-brush label of 'Islamic extremism'). The result is that Australian law enforcement is not allowed to identify extremist groups as 'right-wing'. Rather, they are to be officially recognised by the generic term 'ideological extremists' (as opposed to 'religious extremists'). This perpetuates a misunderstanding of what right-wing extremism is. Indeed, right-wing extremists utterly reject the values of mainstream conservatism.
This politically imposed misunderstanding undermines the ability of law enforcement to fight right-wing extremism. First, it draws a false equivalence between the threats posed to society by left-wing and right-wing extremists. Second, ideological extremism versus religious extremism is a false dichotomy. Third, categorising extremist groups as 'right-wing' helps to identify connections between like-minded groups.
Another interesting point the author made is the discussion surrounding the normalisation of right-wing extremist content online. The chaotic nature of online spaces makes it difficult to determine what is extremism and what is just trolling. Known as Poe's Law, without a clear indicator of a person's intent, a parody of an extreme view can be interpreted as a sincere expression. Therefore, humour offers an effective way to increase the acceptability of extremist positions. The uptick in time spent online due to government mandated pandemic lockdowns served to increase exposure and sympathy to such extremist views.
I felt this book was far too short for such a complex subject (although that reflects the word limits imposed by the publisher). That said, in the short space assigned, the author did a fantastic and engaging job of providing a quick overview of the growing societal problem of contemporary right-wing extremism.
October 13, 2022
It feels like some of this stuff (especially after living in Canberra over last summer...) is intuitive but it is so much worse than I thought. Excellent, engaging overview of the extreme right and how Australia ties in with the rest of the world.
August 17, 2024
Sobering and terrifying - particularly in the dawn of Trump's resurgence.
"Countering right-wing extremism requires nothing short of a renewal of global democracy."
"Countering right-wing extremism requires nothing short of a renewal of global democracy."
October 1, 2023
There were so many moments here (the recognition that QAnon is a revival of mediaeval antisemitic blood libels about Jews and witches drinking babies’ blood; the tracing of modern Hindu nationalism back to the man who murdered Gandhi, and further back to Nazism; the catalogue of terrorist incidents which are not given that name because they are perpetrated not by Islamists but by “Christians”, and because right wing extremism relies on a loose affiliation of copycat mass-murderers, not on a detectable organisation; the total implication of politicians across the world in enabling this lethal attack on democracy) that are “At last, somebody is spelling it out clearly” moments.
But the real climax of it comes, for me, when she points out the ultimate irony about all these ultra-nationalist, “anti-globalist” agendas: all of them are influenced by each other, whether Buddhist nationalist (not, alas, an oxymoron) perpetrators of genocide in Myanmar, a mass murdering Australian in Christchurch, a killer of Jews in an American synagogue, an insurrectionist culturally appropriating a pair of (historically nonsensical) Viking horns in the Capitol, or just an anti-masker pissing on a war memorial in Melbourne. In other words, all of them are completely, utterly globalised even though they hate globalisation - a loose, floppy, Covid-spreading, scapegoat-blaming conspiracy in plain sight.
The complexity of the sentences I have just written is deliberate: it’s all one big, pathetic, hopelessly intertwined (and, unfortunately, civilisation-destroying) shemozzle.
Had to use a Yiddish word there to finish. Hitler ist kaput.
But the real climax of it comes, for me, when she points out the ultimate irony about all these ultra-nationalist, “anti-globalist” agendas: all of them are influenced by each other, whether Buddhist nationalist (not, alas, an oxymoron) perpetrators of genocide in Myanmar, a mass murdering Australian in Christchurch, a killer of Jews in an American synagogue, an insurrectionist culturally appropriating a pair of (historically nonsensical) Viking horns in the Capitol, or just an anti-masker pissing on a war memorial in Melbourne. In other words, all of them are completely, utterly globalised even though they hate globalisation - a loose, floppy, Covid-spreading, scapegoat-blaming conspiracy in plain sight.
The complexity of the sentences I have just written is deliberate: it’s all one big, pathetic, hopelessly intertwined (and, unfortunately, civilisation-destroying) shemozzle.
Had to use a Yiddish word there to finish. Hitler ist kaput.
April 20, 2024
A great basic primer on extreme right movements in the 21st century, including Trump and QAnon, and the rise of Australian extremism during COVID-19 lockdowns/vaccine mandates.
No steps to solutions in this book: it ends with, "Countering right-wing extremism requires nothing short of a renewal of global democracy," but I guess how we actually affect that must be found in another book!
Personal note: I am a Kiwi. Seeing the Christchurch terrorist's name in print is very, very strange. We don't publish his name, we don't speak his name. He should not be remembered. We remember his victims instead, all 51 of them.
No steps to solutions in this book: it ends with, "Countering right-wing extremism requires nothing short of a renewal of global democracy," but I guess how we actually affect that must be found in another book!
Personal note: I am a Kiwi. Seeing the Christchurch terrorist's name in print is very, very strange. We don't publish his name, we don't speak his name. He should not be remembered. We remember his victims instead, all 51 of them.
December 11, 2023
5/5 geezers and quite possibly the most frightening book I have recently read.
Extensively sourced, Lydia Khalil outlines the threat that far right extremism poses to our inclusive and egalitarian living and investigates the causes and symptoms.
The book doesn’t rely on sensationalism but rather provides fact to provide reason to the current political climate. A spur of the moment pickup for me, but a book I’m glad to have grabbed.
Extensively sourced, Lydia Khalil outlines the threat that far right extremism poses to our inclusive and egalitarian living and investigates the causes and symptoms.
The book doesn’t rely on sensationalism but rather provides fact to provide reason to the current political climate. A spur of the moment pickup for me, but a book I’m glad to have grabbed.
February 10, 2024
A great examination into the rise of the extreme right not just into Australia but around the world. It's shows how it is never a torrential downpour that breaks the democratic dam but a slow trickle employed by political opportunistic ppl hoping to control those they release for thier own political gain and the break down of equality that extremist can use to fuel their goals
November 4, 2022
Well, this is terrifying.
June 28, 2023
Vitally important reading.
August 16, 2023
essential (though dread-inspiring) contemporary analysis
October 25, 2023
Very interesting and clearly well researched i like the formatting, makes it ab easy read but i did struggle for a bit getting through some of it
April 28, 2024
I learned so much from this book. I feel like everyone who has an interest in keeping America a democratic nation should read this book.
June 30, 2024
Super readable, deeply researched and clear-eyed look at this disturbing rise over recent years. Good to read something like this with an Australian focus.
January 30, 2025
Good accessible analysis of how the world had gotten to the point of the general public defending Elon musk publicly doing a Nazi Salut
December 7, 2022
A highly informative and quite scary read - very approachable language and a good way to learn more about what is happening politically right now with right-wing politics. Would recommend for folks who want to know more about extremism and are comfortable with (light) academic language.
September 22, 2025
An increasingly relevant insight into the rise of rightwing extremism from an Australian perspective.
I particularly appreciated Khalil's articulation of the spectrum of rightwing ideology from moderate conservatism to the extreme right, and how they overlap and depend on each other in a symbiotic relationship.
The book is well written and engaging, and can easily be re-read.
I particularly appreciated Khalil's articulation of the spectrum of rightwing ideology from moderate conservatism to the extreme right, and how they overlap and depend on each other in a symbiotic relationship.
The book is well written and engaging, and can easily be re-read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews