Race, Power, And Fear The Sociological Foundations of White Supremacy

Chapter 1

Introduction

White supremacist ideology is a configuration taken to the extreme of right-wing politics within which a vast number of groups with different facets are included. White supremacy could be delineated as a type of racism based on the view that the white race is superior to all individuals from other ethnic groups. Another fundamental point is the belief that those belonging to the white power movement should impose themselves politically, economically, and socially on the race labeled as non-white. This term is frequently linked to one of the most famous groups in US history, the Ku Klux Klan and other organizations of this mold. The ideological rhetoric is based on absolute superiority in daily life. This dichotomous conception, on the one hand, presents the superior race - the white - as the good, while, on the other hand, the evil is depicted by the inferior - non-white - population.

Consequently, this view is one of the pillars leading to constructing a parallel world, which is achieved in three ways. The first component is sports, mixed martial arts, as an expression of violence that depicts the idea of being in a world characterized by conflict. Hence, the purpose of the activity is to be ready to go to war and defend oneself from the world around. The second mode is through brawling, which is full of symbolism. Finally, as mentioned before, the third characteristic of this scenario is the creation of this continuous tension towards the groups perceived to be the enemy. Thus, the construction of this parallel world guides to reinforcing the spaces and contexts in which white supremacist groups can feel freer to express their ideology and are also the places where it is supported, the so-called free spaces. In particular, the media in the mid-1980s increasingly labeled right-wing extremist organizations as white supremacists. This designation has characterized the movement's rhetoric based on five cornerstones. First, it is possible to identify a theological belief that whites from Western Europe are descendants of the biblical tribes of Israel. Another critical element in the dialectic is the Aryan race, which is considered first and more important hierarchically than other ethnic groups. Furthermore, another aspect of the narrative is the belief in a conspiracy on the part of the global Jewish community and a deep appreciation for Nazi ideology.

In conclusion, historically, a view is taken that the world is ending, and blame is placed on everything that leads to the increase of non-white races. White supremacist groups may choose to exercise their ideology through isolation in autonomous communities, as is the case in Elohim city, or violent acts, also classified as terrorism, to achieve direct contact with political authority or eliminate enemies. The conspiracy theories that are used to define the targets by these organizations also vary according to the assailant's target. Generally, Jews were the protagonists until the 9/11 attacks, when later, with the rise of ISIS, Muslims assumed a primary role. Moreover, immigrants from countries of origin are defined as non-white and are also among the main enemies. The theory that induces this view is that there is a risk of the extermination of whites in contemporary society. With the cyber revolution, white supremacist ideology has not been confined to a specific continent or state. However, it has reached transnational levels of radicalization through sharing extremist ideals and attack strategies. Globalization has facilitated the expansion of such rhetoric, which is becoming increasingly complicated to detect and combat. The narrative leads to an increasingly violent threat from the white power movement using the solid historical roots of racism. Consequently, their virulent activities become cultural conflicts. Among the various aims of this group can be found the idea of subverting traditional democratic institutions and the norms derived from this system. These aims have been evident over the past two decades in which these groups not only perpetrate violent attacks but have increasingly connected with traditional political institutions through populist rhetoric. As a matter of fact, in 2008, the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States led to the proliferation of actions by white supremacists pouring frustration into the next US president, Donald Trump, who is close to what can be considered the white nationalist ideological