Most Americans have seen the bone-chilling images of World War II that show Nazi soldiers marching to war, Adolph Hitler promoting terrorism, and Jews being gassed at concentration camps. However, what most people do not know is that neo-nazism, promoted by neo-nazi organizations, is still found in the United States today. In fact, their numbers are growing. The movement is mostly underground these days, but the norms, values, beliefs, and goals of this subculture are still present in American life. Although it would be nice to discount neo-nazi hate groups altogether, the sad fact is that most of their stances are very similar to those of mainstream Americans. Unfortunately, if one cannot see the warp in their way of thinking, it can become easy to support neo-nazism. By look at how the neo-nazis in America today slightly twist the beliefs of the typical American society, one can truly learn why these organizations are a real danger to the world.
“We demand equality of rights for the American people in its dealing with other nations, and the revocation of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the World Bank, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund” (National Socialist Movement). The above statement is one with which most American-minded organizations would agree. Equality is an important issue in the America mainstream culture. However, this is point two on the National Socialist Movement’s “25 Points of American National Socialism,” a governing doctrine catering to neo-nazi members. Taken out of context, this seems to align perfectly to American values, but if one reads the first point on the list, it is apparent how warped this mindset really is. According to the National Socialist Movement, “We demand the union of all Whites into a greater America on the basis of the right of national self-determination.” In short, the neo-nazi sentiment is equality, but only if you meet certain requirements, like being white and being heterosexual.
Just who are the people who call themselves “neo Nazis?” One has to separate extreme right wing conservatives who have a hatred of minorities and who believe that “liberals” are destroying the “American Way of Life” from these so-called “neo-Nazi” virulence who are using, what the “real” Nazis never did- namely their Constitutional rights for free speech and the right to bear arms.
Despite the wishes and hopes of fair-minded individuals that the American neo-Nazis are rednecks with beer bellies and tattoos and barely escaped high school, like David Duke, as spokesman for the “modern” Ku Klux Klan, the heads of various neo-Nazi groups are basically well spoken, well mannered individuals who try to hide their hatred and contempt for minorities well.
Neo Nazis are well beyond the Skokie (IL) parade which caused such anger and near-rioting several years ago. Now, they attempt some sort of “cultural” meetings and other quasi-cultural get-togethers which lure some unsuspecting people who believe that these meetings are more “cultural” and not at all political or anti-minority. It is important, therefore to remember one fact:
. While there still are some who love to raise their right hands in a “Hitler salute” and even chant “Heil Hitler” there is no way in which these people “feel” or “act” German. They are Americans trying to prevent the sort of ethnic and racial rainbow at the heart of America. During World War II and prior to America’s entry into the war, neo-Nazis and others (including prominent Americans like Charles Lindberg and Henry Ford) were part of what was then called “America First” party. The same idea is embedded ion today’s neo-Nazis. America- a white majority over-lording racial “inferiors” continues to be their goal, although they are attempting not to emulate the German Nazis with riots and death camps.
These neo Nazis are cleverly hiding their purposes, having learned bitter lessons in attempting some “marches., one of which, several years ago, in Skokie (IL) resulted in near riots. Now they offer well-disguised party-like “festivals: “The idea of reaching out to ethnic whites without explicitly pushing neo-Nazism–the wolves-in-sheep’s-clothing strategy–was pioneered by Erich Gliebe, the National Alliance official who took over America’s leading neo-Nazi group after its founder, William Pierce, died last summer. After successfully getting ethnic clubs in his native Cleveland to host a number of controversial speeches, Gliebe hit on the idea of organizing what he calls the European-American Cultural Society… In a 2000 interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pierce expanded on his reasoning. The festivals, he explained, “are an effort to help people develop a sense of ethnic consciousness, ethnic identity” (Potok 22).
It may be a shock to many parents, but their children are now not only targets of organizers of neo-Nazi and so-called “skin head groups”, but the kids are almost eager to join. “In another demographic shift, the bulk of hate activity now bubbles up in the suburbs–among reasonably well-off youth… Twenty years ago, big cities were hotbeds of hate. But as more and more minority families have moved into suburban areas, the prevalence of hate attacks has also increased there–much of it perpetrated by kids. Where the classic profile of a young hater in the 1980s was a blue-collar juvenile angered by economic displacement, the more typical picture now is a teenager raised in a middle-class family in a place where almost everyone is a racial rubber-stamp of himself” (Moser 8). Although there has been little airing of white kids’ complaints, the school success and college admissions that seem to highlight Asians is also a bone of contention. While the idea that neo Nazism portrays- white racial purity- is not hjow kids think about their racial “inferiors”, being given a chance to show off that they are “better” than other races gives them a sort of personal importance often lacking in their school work of even their social life.
Among the causes of this attraction to neo-Nazi and skinhead causes are immigration and a more ethnically and racially integrated school system. White youths now feel not only alienated but also treated worse than the “needy” immigrant, black and Hispanic students. The idea of a “White America” is looked on as something that is really “American.” The fact that many white suburban kids now exist in two-job families also means that, upon returning home, they latch on to Internet web sites which often are neo-Nazi and anti-=Semitic in their goals and contents. To all too many teens and even pre-teens, their heritage – White Americans- doesn’t mean much any longer.
According to writing promoting neo-nazism, heritage is also an important and valued thing. In “SS Race Theory and Mate Selection Guidelines,” the Libertarian National Socialist Green Party writes, “In your children you live on” (29). This is a value with which most Americans can identify. For many, learning about ancestors and passing on knowledge of heritage is very important.
However, again, the neo-nazi mindset again distorts this typical American belief. Rather than enjoying the various heritages present in any person’s past, neo-nazis believe that this weakens the human race. “People close to nature like the Germanics – the farmer, who is rooted in the soil and close to the earth, who feels the call of blood and race – acted from the same instinct over many generations. Only the “overly rational” cultured person believes he can act against nature. That is always to his detriment. If two different races mix, their hereditary traits never merge into a new genetic mass that will be passed on uniformly .We know from the study of heredity that, aside from the coupling of certain genetic factors, traits are inherited individually and independently of each other. At the propagation of such bastards these traits further separate and divide themselves up in various descendants” (“SS Race,” 16).
Furthermore, in the with the 25 points, one can read, “Only members of the nation may be citizens of the state. Only those of pure White blood, whatever their creed, may be members of the nation. Non-citizens may live in America only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member of the nation” (National Socialist Movement).
The values of the neo-nazi subculture also mirror other national values, mainly concerning freedoms and civil liberties. For example, the National Socialist Movement writes, “We demand economic reform suitable to our national requirements; The prohibition of pro-Marxist unions and their supplantation with National Socialist trade unions; The passing of a law instituting profit-sharing in large industrial enterprises; The creation of a livable wage; The restructuring of social security and welfare to include drug testing for welfare recipients; The immediate discontinuation of all taxes on things of life’s necessity, such as food, clothing, shelter, medicine etc. The replacement of the current tax system with a flat-rate tax based on income.”
They also lobby for the right to bear arms, the right for a standardized health care system available to everyone, the preservations of natural reserves and the cleaning of polluted areas, the conviction of criminals, the protection of children, the promotion of proper nutrition and exercise, and even the freedom of religion. However, when reading all of these issues that the neo-nazis support, one can never forget that these liberties only extend to citizens of the United States, and as they see it, only those pure in the white race should be allowed to be citizens. While the superficial messages brought to the surface might be comparable to those issues important to all Americans, at the basis, they preach that these rights should be given only to certain people, in order to makes clear the inequalities among the races in the world. “Racially and ethnically alien people can never become equal even in the same living space and even over long periods of time. The always remain what the are: alien blood which must be kept away from our folk body if it is not to slowly but irretrievably fall to destruction” (“SS Race,” 11).
In 2005, “some of the Neo-Nazis gathered at Yorktown Battlefield dressed in traditional Nazi garb, with brown shirts and swastika arm bands. Many had shaved heads, and called out “Sieg Heil,” a slogan of Nazi Germany. National Socialist Movement leader Jeff Schoep railed against immigrants, calling them ‘putrid scum’ that are ‘pouring over our borders, destroying our culture, and robbing us of our heritage'” (Ahlers, pars.3-4). While is it commonly asserted by neo-nazis that they don’t hate others, just wish for differences to be recognized, the fact of the matter is that the beliefs of Schoep are echoed in the minds of most neo-nazis. Although it starts as simply wishing for separation, this turns into resentment when that separation is not found, which then evolves into hate.
At the core, many neo-nazis want the same basic things as those in mainstream America, but they have a totally different way of achieving these things. While most Americans believe in globalization, the sharing of resources, and peace, neo-nazis instead believe in closing the borders and, essentially, worrying about a single race instead of working to better the entire world. “It is more assertive, and more honorable, for us to simply state the truth behind all of the rhetoric: we wish to preserve ourselves, even if in a mixed Indo-European population like that of the UK, Canada or USA. As Indo-Europeans, we have more in common than not, and while we seek to preserve also our distinct tribes (French, German, Finnish, Scots) we have an interest in our culture continuing through preservation of both our race and our traditions. This is not an unreasonable request, and does not need to be couched in some justification or emotional rhetoric, but needs people to speak up politely and reasonably about it. For the right to achieve its racial aims, it must be honest with itself and focus on this as its task. Any who cannot see why this is important are already without culture, and probably would be happier in the mixed-race republics of the Middle East” (Smith, par.7).
The true contrasting point, then, is how one defines a specific race or ethnicity. While mainstream America largely promotes the breaking of stereotypes, the white supremacy subcultures challenge others to believe that many of these stereotypical characteristics are real. Writes Craig Smith for the Libertarian National Socialist Green Party, “Most “white” – “Indo-European” is a more accurate term – people are considerate, polite, and compassionate. They want nothing to do with what they see as “hate,” because if they are of a healthy nature, they tend not to admit such things into their lives. For this reason, they steer clear of the bigotry, and while we can argue quite convincingly that thanks to postwar US and UK propaganda, they see National Socialism as a “hate” movement when it is not, the fact of the matter is that they are ignorant of this and would not know where to look to even find out the truth” (par. 6).
Neo-nazism is not dead; the belief that it is may be the one thing that is keeping it alive. Most neo-nazi people and organizations in America use other names, like “socialist” or “nationalist” to camouflage the underlying message in anything they do or say-hatred. Although this may not have been the foundation of the belief, the fact of the matter is that hatred is bred through the norms, values, beliefs, and goals of the neo-nazi party in America, and throughout the world, today.
The danger is how closely the messages of the neo-nazi movement promote similar values to those found in American mainstream culture. It’s like looking in a fun house mirror-the vision is simply warped a bit, but it is close enough for one to see one’s own reflection. Neo-nazis promote equality, the study and respect of heritage, and civil liberties, but the difference is that these courtesies are only extended to certain people. These good values are tinted with ethnic hatred, the promotion of stereotypes, and racial labeling. Neo-nazis are afraid that the good things about America will dissolve if not given to the “right” people. Only by studying the ideals of the neo-nazi organizations found in the United States today and the differences to the ideals of mainstream America, can one truly see the danger in allowing these groups to permeate society.
Works Cited
Ahlers, Mike. Neo-nazis Outnumbered at Historical Site.” CNN.com, US Archive. 25 June 2005. CNN. 13 Apr. 2007. .
Moser, Bob: “Age of Rage- Young Extremiosts find new targets and new recruits” Intelligence Report, Summer, 2–4
National Socialist Movement. 2006. America’s Nazi Party-The National Socialist Movement. 12 Apr. 2007. .
Potok, Mark: “In Sheep’s Clothing- Around the country, radical right groups are staging ‘European’ festivals in a bid to draw ethnic whites into the movement” Intelligence Report, Summer, 2003
Smith, Craig. “Racism or Ethnoculture?” Libertarian National Socialist Green Party Library. 9 Feb. 2005. The Libertarian National Socialist Green Party. 12 Apr. 2007. .
“SS Race Theory and Mate Selection Guidelines.” Libertarian National Socialist Green Party Library. No date. The Libertarian National Socialist Green Party. 13 Apr. 2007. .
