T N. what an excellent review, chris.

K D. I agree 100% - the only thing I'd add is that this focuses on deluded white racism - it's fairly easy to spot. We mustn't forget that other versions also exist in most countries - I have seen racism / tribalism in Africa / Far East / Middle East / Europe / Balkans - and I guess down to the football terraces of Europe and the gangs of our inner cities. It seems to be part of the human condition - mainly, but not exclusively, among young men.

Chris O. The Aryan movement goes beyond simple anti-black racism and skinhead hooliganism, though it's true that skinheads are a substantial part of the white supremacist community. Aryans seek nothing less than the genocide of all non-whites and Jews, frequently regarding Hitler as a great man, the holocaust as a Jewish lie, and believing themselves to be descendants of the only race fit to live on the planet. The extermination of Jews may be avoided as a sensitive topic when these people are recruiting, the emphasis being placed on their anti-black activities and beliefs, but look at what they actually say, on their own forums, and to each other, and their own websites, such as jewwatch.com. Their primary enemy is "ZOG", the Zionist Occupied Governments, which are themselves tools of "the international Jew".

The study of American white supremacists entitled "American Swastika" indicates that women, as much as men, are creating little racists to follow in their parents' footsteps. Men are the ones seen and heard, because it's a group in which women choose and are expected to maintain traditional roles of childbearing and housekeeping. So they're hidden, by and large, but they're there and keen to have lots of white babies to maintain what they imagine is a different race.

It's true that people of many countries have beliefs about their own races and others, but this is an order or two above and beyond those prejudices. While genetic testing shows that "race" itself is an illusion, here is a group of people who will not be content with anything less than racial extermination. And increasingly, so I've read, they are being encouraged to appear mainstream, to cover their racist tattoos, grow out their hair, and get conventional well-paid jobs so that they can build the next generation of hatred in safety. With respect, I disagree that this is merely a part of "the human condition". The vast majority of humanity will have nothing to do with it.

K D. I disagree. In the West we focus on Nazi and fascist racism, as the horrors of 60 to 70 years ago are still fairly fresh and are well documented. Our family, social and community ties with the crimes are relatively close. This is perfectly understandable. I have visited Dachau and it is truly chilling.

I, however, cannot see much difference in the Nazi crimes and the willingness of Christians to slaughter Muslims in the Balkans, Arabs to slaughter Kurds, Arabs to slaughter Africans, Japanese to slaughter Chinese, White Australians to slaughter Aborigines, White Americans to kill blacks, Hutu’s to slaughter Tutsis, Acholi ‘Christians’ to slaughter Ugandans, Bamar to slaughter Karen, Hindus to slaughter Muslims, Muslims to slaughter Hindus, Germans to slaughter Herero, Sunni to slaughter Shia, Al Qaeda to fly planes into American skyscrapers… Some of these were very recent – some were longer ago – what is the difference – maybe that the majority of the victims, with the exception of 9/11, were not ‘Caucasian / Europeans’ and the horrors were only covered relatively briefly in our press and media?

I was in Sierra Leone last year – having the wrong tribal markings and tribal background had meant death or the removal of one, two, three or four limbs with a machete just a couple of years before. Agreed, Germany took mass slaughter to an industrial scale possibly only rivalled by Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and a few others in scale / population / efficiency terms. They all had some mumbo-jumbo crazy ‘reasons’ behind their actions – trumped up genetic / racial / religious / political / mob frenzy / fear / revenge / protecting their community / control reasons. Why differentiate? In my opinion, if one single innocent person is facing death, mutilation, rape, torture or incarceration purely because of their location / ethnic background / sex / sexuality / skin / nose shape / tattoo / language / parentage / schooling / clothing / religion / political beliefs it is the same type of offence against humanity as the Nazi crimes of the 1930s and 1940s.

Yes, some women participate. Some ignorant, misinformed or brain-washed mothers pervert their children. However, on the streets, when you see a mob with weapons and bloodlust seeking out victims to kill, maim, rape and torture it is more usually men – white men, black men, yellow men, brown men who have decided that it is acceptable to hurt and kill other humans. I have not personally seen LA gangland violence – but the justification of killing someone who is wearing the wrong colours or shoe laces is no more or no less crazy than the Nazis. Fundamentally, it is the same crime against our common humanity. As for numbers, I have come to the belief that the crime against the individual is the same as the crime against the million. Every one of the million is an individual. It is a million crimes, each of the same weight, each as important as the other. For judicial purposes society has to prosecute Charles Taylor, Foday Sankoh, Adolph Eichmann and Pol Pot for ‘crimes against humanity’ – but that is a convenience for brevity and all the individuals are also ‘humanity’. I reckon the Catholic or Protestant kid shot in Belfast for going to the wrong church is a victim of the same crime. It is all hate.
Yes, ‘white supremacists’ are very unpleasant and it is absolutely right to publicise, monitor and campaign against them. Unfortunately, in world terms, they are only one of so many groups of crazies inciting the ignorant to hatred. All equally bad. It is good that ‘The vast majority of humanity will have nothing to do with it.’ Where it gets very scary is when in any locality a substantial minority (not necessarily a majority) go along with it – and the rest just sit and watch – sometimes because they have some sympathy with the ‘cause’, more usually because they are scared to speak up.

I also have a lot of sympathy with the ‘scared to do anything’ group. It is easy to be brave when we are far from the threat, insulated by distance and living in a generally law abiding society. I have been on streets where ‘security checks’ were groups of well armed, indoctrinated, racist, undisciplined, excitable, fearful, yet full of bulls*** bravado and bloodlust children (I’d guess from memory most aged 10 to 18?) It is a very, very frightening place to be. Challenging such groups can cost you your life. Change the skin tone and put them in brown shirts with swastikas – the fear and results are just the same.

Chris O. Well said.