From our friend and Ordinary Times contributor Birch Smith an introduction to his new podcast “The Old Gods Podcast”:
The Old Gods Podcast is a series of conversations that looks at declining confidence in the ‘old gods’ of American politics: liberal democracy, free speech, the open society, the free market, and (to a certain extent) the liberal international order. Those beliefs were once understood to be held more or less in common across the political spectrum, and to preserve unity amidst political disagreement. But Americans right, left, and center seem to be losing faith in these ‘old gods,’ exploring and sometimes advocating for illiberal policies or regimes.
Throughout The Old Gods Podcast, we examine the fears, system failures, and lack of intellectual virtue that brought us to this point, what kind of threat those who have lost confidence in the old gods may pose to our society, and sometimes suggest ways forward. The podcast is organized into three main segments: the first three episodes will deal with the political landscape and major actors from the far right to the far left; the next seven episodes will focus on specific ‘old gods’ or issues related to them; and our final two episodes will conclude with a conversation about what could go right – or wrong.
Episode 1: The Far Right
September 13, 2021We discuss the far right, the most credible threat to the old gods. Dan walks us through a brief typology, we discuss the motivation of far right extremism, and how the internal logic of extremism ultimately threatens American society.
Sources:
Wave of 2019 shootings: White Extremist Ideology Drives Many Deadly Shootings
Global Terrorism Index: MEASURING THE IMPACT OF TERRORISM
KKK membership: The State of the KKK in the US | Reports
Traditionalist Worker Party: Traditionalist Worker Party
Nazi accelerationism and “Siege Culture”: Siege Culture After Siege: Anatomy of a Neo-Nazi Terrorist Doctrine
Atomwaffen murders: Deadly shooting ends friendships forged in neo-Nazi group
Murder of Blaze Bernstein: Blaze Bernstein’s killing, 1 year later: How his death has impacted Orange County and beyond
Christian Identity: Christian Identity’s New Role On The Extreme Right
Proud Boys: Who are the Proud Boys? Group mentioned at debate has violent history
member of the Proud Boys
Nick Fuentes and the Groypers: Groyper Army
Militia members at the Capitol: U.S. alleges wider Oath Keepers conspiracy, adds more defendants in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
Who are the Three Percenters? More on the gun-toting group
Oath Keeper planned with Proud Boys, Three Percenters before Capitol attack, prosecutors say
The Turner Diaries: Q&A: Kathleen Belew on The Turner Diaries and Capitol riots
Bundy standoff (2016): 1 killed as feds move in, arrest protest leader Ammon Bundy
Armed occupation of Malheur refuge was ‘dress rehearsal’ for violent takeover of nation’s Capitol, extremist watchdogs say
Examining Extremism: The Militia Movement | Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Base: Virginia Capital on Edge as F.B.I. Arrests Suspected Neo-Nazis Before Gun Rally (Published 2020)
2019 shootings: Police thwarted at least seven mass shootings and white supremacist attacks since El Paso
Portland gunfight: Police Are Looking for “at Least One More Shooter” Who Took Part in Sunday’s Downtown Shootout
1987 May Day riots in Kreuzberg: 20th Anniversary of Kreuzberg Riots: May Day Mellows in Berlin
Paul Gosar/Nick Fuentes: Far-Right Extremist Finds an Ally in an Arizona Congressman
QAnon in Congress: The 36 QAnon Supporters Running for Congress in 2022
How QAnon Conspiracy Theorists Are Winning Local Elections | Time
Qanon Casualties subreddit: Talking to members of “QAnon Casualties,” a Reddit support group for those who’ve “lost” people to the conspiracy
Ben Klassen and the Creativity Movement: Creativity Movement
2021 Census Data: Local Population Changes and Nation’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Roblox: How ‘Roblox’ Became a Playground for Virtual Fascists
Texas abortion case: In Texas, Bad Law and Worse Politics is Symptomatic of the Unhealthy State of Our PolityBibliography/Further Reading
Arie Perliger – American Zealots
Michael Barkun – Religion and the Racist Right
Kathleen Belew – Bring the War Home
Vegas Tenold – Everything You Love Will Burn
Michael German – Thinking Like A Terrorist
J.M. Berger – Extremism
Sam Jackson – Oath Keepers: Patriotism and the Edge of Violence in a Right-Wing Antigovernment Group
Leonard Zeskind – Blood and Politics
I’d hate to be judged by my first attempt at anything, but you should start out with something you know, and they only seem to have a passing grasp of the material. Maybe by episode 3 they’ll bring the picture together?Report