The long read: Working for Hope Not Hate, I infiltrated an extremist organisation, befriended its members and got to work investigating their political connections

This is a long article (excerpts from a book apparently) but it’s interesting.

Basically the author, a man with Jewish heritage, makes a fake persona and joins far-right groups. He’s assisted by the group Hope Not Hate.

What do you think of the far-right? One of the interesting points that is made in the article a few times is that some far-right adherents, met by the author, seem to want friendship more than anything else. At least that’s the author’s view.

  • MarxMadness@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    Leaders in the far right conceal their true nature to present a more acceptable version to potential voters, donors and sometimes their own members. One prominent eugenicist who works in Westminster admitted this tactic after I’d befriended him. “Everyone puts on the mask,” he said…

    Among the rank and file members of far-right organisations, I was struck by their loneliness. In discussion groups, in city pubs, at secret meetings in the countryside, many of them spoke about feeling like outcasts.

    These people don’t want “friendship more than anything else.” If you want friendship you play a sport or join a pub trivia team – you don’t join a eugenics fanclub. The only reason you join a eugenics fanclub is if you’re a fan of eugenics.

    Of course, these fascists can’t find friends among most people because most people find their beliefs reprehensible, so they have to constantly lie (“everyone puts on the mask”) to avoid being ostracized or worse. But that is their fascist politics causing their loneliness, not their loneliness leading them to fascist politics.

    • realconor@feddit.ukEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      the reason they “are looking for eugenics fanclubs” are because they were ostricised when they were looking for “mildly conservative fanclubs”