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Title:

Cultural, Economic and Political aspects of White Supremacist Extremsim

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Introduction

Far-right extremism is a spectrum of groups and individuals who frequently disagree with one

another but also share one or more of the following four characteristics. These characteristics

involve exclusionary and dehumanizing beliefs, antigovernment and antidemocratic practices

and ideals, existential threats and conspiracy theories, and apocalyptic fantasies. At its

foundation, far-right ideology is built on exclusionary and demeaning notions of superiority and

inferiority based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. White

supremacism has historically been predominant, though not the only, form of exclusionary

ideology in the United States, making it essential to comprehend the American extreme right.

According to the dominant white supremacist ideology in the United States today, whites will

soon become extinct due to an increasing flood of non-whites who are under the control and

influence of the Jews. The Fourteen Words, which state, "We must safeguard the existence of

our people and a future for our children," are one example of how this fundamental white

extremist worldview is conveyed. Around the middle of the 1800s, racism started to take root in

the US (Michael, 2009). It was once committed to upholding slavery before turning against

equality for African Americans. After slavery was abolished, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) the

notorious historical white supremacist extremist organization in the United States, was formed. A
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group of armed vigilante gangs known as the KKK terrorized Black people who had gained their

freedom by raping, lynching, torturing, and mutilating them. Due to a surge in Klan activity in

the 1920s, there were millions of KKK members in the US. The majority of white supremacists

in the USA don't join organized hate groups; rather, they participate in the movement on their

own (Adam & Vincent, 2017). The white supremacist ideology is way broader than the existence

of a single hate group. These racist groups can be classified as Neo-Nazis, racist skinheads,

"traditional" white supremacists, Identity Christians, white supremacist prison gangs, and other

individuals and groups make comprise the white supremacist movement. White nationalist views

can also be supported or given academic validity by "intellectual" white nationalists ( Aho,

2020). White nationalists participate in a variety of actions to further their philosophy, advance

their interests, or intimidate others who do not agree with them. They also participate in a variety

of social gatherings when white nationalists gather for meals and celebrities. The rise of white

extremism is fueled by some trigger events or longing issues. These issues might involve the role

of mainstream media, homelessness, and the rise of populist leaders in the USA. The recent

incident on Capitol Hill in 2021 has further channeled white extremism in politics and the

mainstream culture of the USA. This study aims to find the grass-root causes and effects of white

extremism in the USA. It uses relevant pieces of evidence to comprehend the cultural, economic,

and political viewpoints of white extremists in the USA. This study aims to determine the main

causes and effects of white extremism in the USA. It analyzes the main causes and effects in the

light of economic, cultural, and political aspects.

Cultural Aspect

The cultural dimension of white nationalism mainly spreads on three tenets of ideology. These

tenets are based on the so-called Fourteen Words, which state, "We must safeguard the existence
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of our people and a future for our children." (Mcdam, Sidney & Charles, 2004). The role of

social media, journalism and T.V shows/film industry is significant that provokes the white

community in committing bad actions.

The main reason behind the spread of white extremism in the USA is the spread of the

idea of 'Great Replacement'. The idea of great replacement pertains to the ideological belief of

the white population that a flood of non-white groups is flooding the American land. The

growing number of these groups is an existential threat to the white population. For example, the

widespread popularity of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was based on the notion of the existing threat

of non-white ethnic minorities. This ideological theory was propagated in the 1800s, containing

almost 180 pages, where it was mentioned that there is a dire need for the white population to

challenge the influx of non-white populations in the USA. The main difference between whites

and non-whites was the underpinning difference in intellectual and survival skills (Lipset &

Raab, 1977). The white population was claimed to be the pioneer of the modern world because

they were mostly the colonial masters of the world. US nationalist groups seem to have been

influenced by the mainstream media in terms of the far-right ideology. The sensationalism of

some white people cases or anti-white laws creates a public uproar against injustice among the

white population. The scholars have called the media sensationalizing of the cases 'White-

woman Missing Syndrome '(Mudde, 2018). This syndrome is sensationalized by the media

whenever a white woman or white person goes missing or dealt with enforcement laws. For

instance, the case of Gabby Petito is a relevant example here. There was a country-wide uproar

against the missing white woman. The white nationalist groups took the stand to search

everywhere and bring the convicts of her murder to justice. The idea of great replacement is also

fueled by the media news whenever there is a huge mobilization of the non-white minority in a
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certain area of American land (Massey, Douglas & Karen, 2012). For instance, the reporting of

Haitian migrants into Texas was sensationalized by some outlets in the media industry. As a

result, the local white population considered this mobilization of Haitian immigrants as a threat

to their natural replacement in Texas. There was a huge public uproar in Texas against the

migration of non-white Haitian immigrants into Texas. As a result, the idea of a great

replacement rose to public attention in 2021 mainly due to the sensationalism of the media on the

prevailing issue.

Another important tenet of white extremism is the safeguard of the white population in

the future. This ideal was extracted from the novel "Turner Diaries" where a violent revolution

overthrows the US government and state machinery to protect the future of its population (Ware,

2019). This idea of white nationalism considers the use of violent means and methods to bring a

prosperous and peaceful future for the children. The white propagandists claim that there is a

vital need to minimize the non-white threats to attain peace for white children. This idea extends

to the economic, political, and cultural sense. In the cultural sense, it extends to protect the norms

and ideologies of white dogma such as intellectual superiority, masterly survival skills, and

progressive thinking (Smith, 2011). For this purpose, the white population needs to consolidate

the traditional ideals of white supremacy among its population and prevent the entry of foreign

thoughts into their homes. For instance, the reaction of white supremacists to the Black-Lives-

Matter campaign was launching a White-Lives-Matter campaign where the original dogma of

white supremacy was used. The role of media journalism was effective in provoking the ideals of

white supremacy and bringing forth extremist thoughts. A research finding analyzed the articles

on Black Live Matter in different newspapers such as Newsman, The Hill, The Washington Post,

and The Heritage Foundation where the names of pro-white Republicans were mostly quoted.
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The minority status reports included the words chaos, terrorism, violence, killings, etc. that

instigated the mainstream white groups to initiate actions for securing their future (Garry &

Rethemeyer, 2022).

Another important ideal of the white extremist ideology is to bring violent change by

segregating the white groups and forming the rest of the ethnic-status groups, to bring peace,

stability, and harmony to the white population. These groups such as Neo-Nazis, Klan members,

etc. increasingly use social media groups where news is circulated without any background

research or credible reference. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Skype Forwards have become usual

techniques to circulate messages among these group members (Piazza, 2015). For instance, an

investigative report on the incident of Capitol Hill 2021 found out that a major reason behind the

attack of pro-trump supporters on the Capitol Hill building was the forwards of the Facebook and

FaceTime messages without any credible source of information. As a result, the attack of white

supporters on the Washington House building was meant to relieve the country of non-white

laws and electorates. As a result, significant damage was done to the historical building of

Capitol Hill and centuries lasting democratic values of the USA. The white extremist groups also

use digital as well as print media documents for publicizing the far-right agenda. Flyer

distribution is a successful tactic for these groups because only one white-nationalist member or

sympathizer is required (targets typically range from 20 to 100 residences or all the cars in a

parking lot) (Plattner & Marc, 2019). But fliers also frequently get a lot of local media attention,

which is subsequently disseminated via social media. The flyers often serve as standard

"recruitment" flyers, even though they are not intended to encourage recipients to sign up as

recruits. However, on occasion, they could choose to focus on a specific topic or population.

Economic Aspects
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The far-right white ideology is also motivated by economic interests. These interests pertain to

the low daily wage, performance of social security programs, and free trade agreements. The

white nationalist governments such as Donald Trump's had taken the hard line toward other

economic partners in the world. The concept of the liberal economy, whose propagator was once

the USA, has reduced to only the principles of economic protectionism and wealth amassing

without any global partnerships with other countries. Therefore, three main effects of white

nationalism such as refusing free-trade agreements, starting trade wars with other counties, and

protectionism are evident in the modern USA.

The white nationalist ideology is always anxious of initiating free trade agreements with

other countries. They claim that the influx of global companies into the American market can

destabilize the local production of American products. Therefore, it is a wise option to adopt the

non-free trade agreements where USA's economy could grow on the given subsidies. The

governments of Ronald Regan adopted the policies of Reaganism where the international market

was kept at an arm's length. The free trade agreements with other nations were limited. Instead,

the taxes were lowered and local consumption was encouraged. It resulted in the limited imports

of the needed technology and products that could be used for the betterment of a common man's

living standard. Similarly, the advent of the Donald Trump regime also adopted the traditional

economic policies of white nationalism. The free-trade agreement such as North Atlantic Free

Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was re-negotiated by Trump's pro-white regime. This agreement

was long agreed upon between the USA and its neighboring partners. However, the renegotiation

halted the successful implementation of the agreements causing a blockade on the economic

integration of the region. This factor also impacted the prosperity levels of local entrepreneurs

who could gain access to the whole North American market. In the same way, the non-white
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groups such as African Americans and Hispanics, etc. did not get enough opportunities in the

labor market. The wealth gap between the white population and the non-white population grew

under the Trump regime. The median household income of non-white households was only 63

percent of the white household (Stepany, 2020). The Trump regime was successful in delivering

the promised growth in economic statistics but the ripple effect of the economic policies was not

felt among the non-white population. A research finding has stated that almost two-thirds of non-

white communities were somehow discriminated, against when applying for an eligible job

vacancy, during the onslaught of Trump's populist agenda. This feeling was also felt in the North

American region where the neighboring countries of the USA felt discriminated against for

getting a lethargic response on the account of the Trump regime. Moreover, the white nationalist

government has always shown a lethargic attitude in the provision of equal gender wage rights to

women. According to an estimate, the median salary in the Trump regime was 106,000 USD for

male officers and only 72,700 USD for female officers. The republican attitude to the gender

wage gap is not laudable (Karen, 2019).

The far-right white nationalist does not believe in the liberal policies of economic

integration. Instream, they prefer the policies of protectionism and locking horns with major

economic partners. This phenomenon was evident in the case of the USA's global trade war with

China where tariffs were imposed on Chinese goods. It was claimed that the country is facing the

issue of China's market clout because USA's local industry is facing a survival challenge. That is

why the US economy needs relief of sigh that can only be obtained by doing a trade war with

China. This factor caused a global turndown in economic integration. The economic gap left by

the USA was to be filled by other countries. The local companies in the USA got a sigh of relief

because the Chinese goods made them less competitive. However, the ripple effect was felt in
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the macro-industries whose assembly units or long supply chains were charged with huge taxes.

Therefore, it was a major blow to the arrangement of foreign goods for the local production of

the USA's major companies. The trade war has also left an impression on the role of the USA's

liberal economy in the international font. USA's leadership in the global arena is irrefutable

because it has led the global economy for centuries. The capitalist structure is almost handled by

USA's strong economy. However, the trade war policies have given carte Blanche to China

which has reconnected the global world with its tentacles. As a result, the USA's economic

protectionism is gradually causing it the global leader in the economic sector. This perspective

was also seen in the economic narrative of the white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux

Klan, Neo Nazis, and Traditional White Supremacists who were opposed to opening windows of

opportunity for the outer world in America. The country should be meant for economic self-

dependency like old America.

The housing crisis is another important cause for white nationalist governments to

build a political narrative. The US needs more than 05 million houses to help the poor, hapless,

and homeless people in finding a residential place. However, the white nationalist government

has always focused on infrastructure development. For instance, the housing crisis during the

Trump regime was worse with more than 10 million homeless people (Nancy, 2020). The regime

policies were meant to give leeway to the investors and landlords where the policy of eviction

moratorium was abolished. Instead, the regime favored the policies of giving legal autonomy to

the landlords. The mortgage services were also given at the disposal of the landlords who could

determine these services under certain conditions. Therefore, the rent payers were given lesser

options for overcoming the housing crisis. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic also

worsened the condition where the homeless people were pushed against the wall. They were
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given less leeway due to the unequal and narrow-minded policies of the white supremacist

government. The white nationalist regimes have favored the elitist policies without regard for

average people but the infrastructure development to make "AMERICA GREAT AGAIN".

Political Aspect

Considering the economic and cultural aspects of white supremacist extremism in the

above paragraphs, it is important to shed light on how this white supremacist extremism has

resulted in political bifurcations. It is important to mention that white supremacy as an ideology

has resulted in severe fragmentation of the US society and has resulted in the reawakening of the

racial problem that has long existed in the USA. This civil destabilization in the country has

increased as a result of white supremacy. The event of George Floyd, a black American who was

tortured inhumanely by the police sheriff depicted the reality that was associated with the

American society that even after centuries, black lives are in instant danger in the country. This

civil destabilization has remained of immediate concern in the past as there were various laws

like black codes that existed in the US society even after the constitutional amendment that all

the US citizens.

Moreover, after the killing of George Floyd, a campaign started all around America

that Black Lives Matter, and the response to this trend in American society, on the whole, was

not welcoming. Although various sections of the US society were raising their voices in the favor

of the Blacks that was not the case with the society on the whole. "Accelerationism is the idea

that white supremacists should try to increase civil disorder — accelerate it — to foster

polarization that will tear apart the current political order" (Byman, 2020). Another important

dimension that is associated with this white supremacy on the political front is that these white

extremists want to derail the political and the democratic American system on the whole. The
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attack on Capitol Hill can be considered a prime example of this behavior that is stemming out of

white supremacist extremism. "As we pursue justice for the Capitol attack, we must not

reinforce policing that criminalizes Muslims and Black and Brown people. The real threat is

white supremacy”. (Zerkel, 2021). Many theorists in the USA believes that this notion of white

supremacy is making it difficult for the American democratic system to strengthen and deliver to

the people. Ironically, white supremacy in contemporary times is witnessing an upward

trajectory.

"Systemic racism' conveys the pervasiveness of racial oppression, but white

supremacy goes further by indicating that there is a rigid nexus of power that protects and

enforces it" (Smith, 2020). Another important dimension of the cultural and economic aspect of

white supremacy is that it is being protected by those who are in power. In the USA, a large

portion of the population is constituted of Black Americans but it is important to mention that in

the history of the USA, there has been only one Black president who was Barack Obama. When

a community is sidelined in this manner, the social fabric of the society, on the whole, is affected

quite negatively. This is what white supremacy is all about it fosters the development of the

white people on the plight of the black people. "Institutionalized white supremacy does not need

individual bigotry to function, because it is a universal operating system that relies on entrenched

patterns and practices to consistently disadvantage people of color and privilege whites". (Smith,

2020)Importantly, although the constitution of the USA states that every individual is equal but

the reality is that blacks have always remained on the backburner in the country and have faced

harsh times in the country on the whole.

Moreover, the role of political parties has remained quite negative in this aspect as the

Republican Party on various occasions has sided with the white supremacists. Although it is not
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the actual position of the party considering the divisions which are present in the US society

republicans historically have remained more favorable to the native American population as

compared to the Democrats which have remained as a party of various ethnicities in the country.

Because of this attitude of republicans, the legislations in the country have also widely favored

the whites in comparison to the blacks which is the prime reason because of why they are quite a

marginalized community in the country. This legislative immobilism is considered an important

aspect of the political division which is present in the USA and this political division has the

economic and cultural reasons for the white supremacist extremism.

Lastly, considering the stochastic terror attacks, "Since 2015, right-wing extremists

have been involved in 267 plots or attacks and 91 fatalities". (Robert O'Harrow Jr., 2021). From

this, it is quite evident that the right-wing or the white supremacists are now using forceful

means to achieve their desired political goals. Importantly, when such kind of attacks takes part

in a society, the social fabric of that society is severely affected and violence increases in the

society which can be seen from the above-mentioned stats as violence has increased in the US

society. Importantly, white supremacist widely believes the notion that they are culturally,

politically, and economically much more advanced and developed as compared to the other

communities and they have the eternal right to do whatever they want to do because they have

the necessary right to do these acts. Because of this mentality, a wide increase in stochastic terror

attacks had been witnessed in the USA since 2015 afterward. The mentality and the mindset of

the white supremacists are quite rigid in their manner because their consideration of other

ethnicities and colored people is at large rigid and it has racial connotations in its foundation.

Drawing upon this particular mindset, there has been a wide range increase in terror attacks and

it continues to do so because the culprits are not always convicted in the manner that they should
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be. Because of this attitude on the part of white supremacists, with the rise in the terror attacks, it

can be said that the future of the USA as a country seems to be in dair-states as the racial hatred

and the violence on the part of this racial hatred is on the rise which is quite dangerous for the

country on the whole.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, far-right ideologies are typically fundamentally opposed to the norms, values, and

beliefs that support democratic practices throughout the world, as evidenced by actions like

promoting authoritarianism, endangering free and fair elections, undermining systems of checks

and balances, or endangering the protection of individual freedom, the rule of law, or freedoms

of the press, religion, speech, and assembly. The white extremist groups in the USA also subdue

the rights of other minorities with a similar mindset. Mainly the white supremacist ideology is

governed by the idea of 'Great Replacement' The "great replacement" idea asserts that a well-

planned, multinational scheme to replace white, Christian, or European populations with

nonwhite, non-Christian ones are being carried out by elites at the national and international

levels, led by Muslims or Jews. Far-right zealots on the far-right fringe of society think that in

addition to the existential threat, there is an immediate danger: a violent end to the world, which

will be followed by a period of restoration and rebirth for white civilization. A subclass of

radicals known as "accelerationists" are motivated to engage in violent behavior by these

apocalyptic ideas. They think that accelerating the path to the apocalypse by growing

polarization, instability, and societal strife as a manner of undermining overall social stability is

the greatest and quickest way to arrive at the ideal stage of restorative rebirth. The role of media

in spreading these ideas is prominent. The depiction of other minorities such as African-

Americans as violent and disturbing forces also causes a sense of vulnerability among the white
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populations. The intellectual white supremacists argue that the existing threat of a non-white

flood of population threatens the future existence of their children. They cite the involvement of

other minorities such as African-Americans and Latin Americans in illegal activities such as

racketeering and organized crimes. The use of social media is preferred by the white supremacist

groups who circulate their ideas among likely-minded people through social media groups.

Moreover, the political thinking of white supremacist groups is challenging the ideas of

democracy and liberalism. The main factor behind this ingress of white extremist ideology is the

advent of populist leaders at the helm of affairs. The 2021 incident on Capitol Hill, where the

pro-trump supporters ransacked the white house, is a glaring example of the political activity of

white supremacists. The idea of white extremists also favors the prevalence of pro-white laws

and regulations in their native electorates. Another important reason behind this ideological

spread in the political mainstream is the propaganda and fake news on the part of some media

cells. These media outlets claim to portray the true image of American society. Instead, they only

propagate the ideas of white nationalism by exercising yellow journalism over the actions of

non-white ethnic minorities. In the same way, the white supremacists enhance their ideology

based on economic deficiencies, such as the increasing homelessness, inflating housing industry,

and the wage gap. The impoverished sections of the white population seek redemption against

market norms by following the cultural, economic, and political dogma of white nationalism.

The only solution to cater to this spreading menace is creating a plural society on democratic

norms where the existence of white nationalist groups is unattainable.

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