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A review by jasperburns
The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics by Michael Malice
5.0
I have always found Michael Malice a fascinating individual. He is a provocative, yet thoughtful, troll and anarchist. For most, he may be abrasive and unlikable, and I do not agree with much of his personal politics. Yet I respect that he makes novel and interesting arguments. His reading of the audiobook seemed more measured in tone than most of his ad-libbed podcast appearances.
In this book, he differentiates “New Right” from the more controversial “Alt-Right." The New Right are those individuals defined by opposition to leftist hegemony and progressive ideology. The Alt-Right, in contrast, are those like Richard Spencer who trade in race-based identity politics. The lines between these blur at times, but the distinction is a useful one.
It's easy to conflate them, not just because of their names but also because their actions can be similar. The Alt-Right might make racist and anti-Semitic remarks because they are in fact bigots. The New Right might do the same because it triggers outcries from social justice warriors and leftists who they vilify. It’s an interesting nuance of motivation that separates the two of these groups. A member of the Alt-Right might wave a Nazi flag because they believe the Nazi credo. A member of the New Right, even if philosemetic, might wave one to trigger leftists. Rather than stand for something in particular, it seems as if they stand wholly in opposition to the left and political correctness. They stand against what they call the "Cathedral," the superpower formed by the left's dominance in academia, media, and culture. They do not want to be told what to think or how to act.
It’s easy to attempt to write them off as thus being racist, sexist, bigot, homophobes. Not because they necessarily are, but because they often act like it. Milo Yiannopoulos was a poster boy for this behavior, slurring many identity groups while himself being a gay man with a black boyfriend. It does beg the question, what makes someone bigoted, what they think or how they act? This is a harder question than it may seem on its face.
But why do this? Why live to trigger people? It is easy to imagine that members of the New Right must be sociopaths, living for the sake of hurting others. This is not an unfair accusation, but an incomplete one. From their perspective, provocative behavior is a political move. Bad behavior is a tactical method in an attempt to achieve strategic goals. If the "Cathedral" yanks society leftward, they think measured rhetoric is not enough yank back. Strong, emotional counterattacks yield more fruit. Enthusiastic vigor won Donald Trump the presidency, as it were.
When you avoid the most extreme members of the movement, it becomes easier to empathize. Many of the New Right have legitimate grievances against the abundances of political correctness. It does seem true that the terms “racist,” “sexist,” “bigot,” “homophobe” have been used so often and so gratuitously as to have lost their meaning. The incoherence around gender theory has proved mind-boggling. More people on the left seem to virtue-signal than ever care to be virtuous. Disgusted by the excesses of the left, New Right trolls seek to expose it to the point of absurdity.
When you journey to the far edges of the New Right, it becomes easy to see the danger of the vitriol. Their forums become breeding grounds for bullies. The most caustic dogma can even beget mass shooters, as seen in the recent El Paso shooter. This is where the fringe bleeds into the racist Alt-Right, and any culture that inspires such vile acts must be condemned. Yet the New Right is not a single organization, but a collection of many individuals. Not all Muslims are Jihadist terrorists, and not all New Right members are dangerous mass shooters.
Throughout the book, Malice traces the evolution of this whole subculture, and he does so from within. As an anarchist, he has been exposed to many ideological facets of the movement. As an author and pundit, he has met and interviewed many of the important characters. I was thoroughly entranced throughout the entire book and felt like I learned a lot. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Liberals can learn how their excesses inspire New Right anger. Conservatives can learn why their party is being usurped, and how its creating excesses of its own.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.
In this book, he differentiates “New Right” from the more controversial “Alt-Right." The New Right are those individuals defined by opposition to leftist hegemony and progressive ideology. The Alt-Right, in contrast, are those like Richard Spencer who trade in race-based identity politics. The lines between these blur at times, but the distinction is a useful one.
It's easy to conflate them, not just because of their names but also because their actions can be similar. The Alt-Right might make racist and anti-Semitic remarks because they are in fact bigots. The New Right might do the same because it triggers outcries from social justice warriors and leftists who they vilify. It’s an interesting nuance of motivation that separates the two of these groups. A member of the Alt-Right might wave a Nazi flag because they believe the Nazi credo. A member of the New Right, even if philosemetic, might wave one to trigger leftists. Rather than stand for something in particular, it seems as if they stand wholly in opposition to the left and political correctness. They stand against what they call the "Cathedral," the superpower formed by the left's dominance in academia, media, and culture. They do not want to be told what to think or how to act.
It’s easy to attempt to write them off as thus being racist, sexist, bigot, homophobes. Not because they necessarily are, but because they often act like it. Milo Yiannopoulos was a poster boy for this behavior, slurring many identity groups while himself being a gay man with a black boyfriend. It does beg the question, what makes someone bigoted, what they think or how they act? This is a harder question than it may seem on its face.
But why do this? Why live to trigger people? It is easy to imagine that members of the New Right must be sociopaths, living for the sake of hurting others. This is not an unfair accusation, but an incomplete one. From their perspective, provocative behavior is a political move. Bad behavior is a tactical method in an attempt to achieve strategic goals. If the "Cathedral" yanks society leftward, they think measured rhetoric is not enough yank back. Strong, emotional counterattacks yield more fruit. Enthusiastic vigor won Donald Trump the presidency, as it were.
When you avoid the most extreme members of the movement, it becomes easier to empathize. Many of the New Right have legitimate grievances against the abundances of political correctness. It does seem true that the terms “racist,” “sexist,” “bigot,” “homophobe” have been used so often and so gratuitously as to have lost their meaning. The incoherence around gender theory has proved mind-boggling. More people on the left seem to virtue-signal than ever care to be virtuous. Disgusted by the excesses of the left, New Right trolls seek to expose it to the point of absurdity.
When you journey to the far edges of the New Right, it becomes easy to see the danger of the vitriol. Their forums become breeding grounds for bullies. The most caustic dogma can even beget mass shooters, as seen in the recent El Paso shooter. This is where the fringe bleeds into the racist Alt-Right, and any culture that inspires such vile acts must be condemned. Yet the New Right is not a single organization, but a collection of many individuals. Not all Muslims are Jihadist terrorists, and not all New Right members are dangerous mass shooters.
Throughout the book, Malice traces the evolution of this whole subculture, and he does so from within. As an anarchist, he has been exposed to many ideological facets of the movement. As an author and pundit, he has met and interviewed many of the important characters. I was thoroughly entranced throughout the entire book and felt like I learned a lot. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Liberals can learn how their excesses inspire New Right anger. Conservatives can learn why their party is being usurped, and how its creating excesses of its own.
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.