Meditations on Critical Race Theory and 21st Century Anti-Communism
In recent months, there have been ongoing public discussions about Critical Race Theory (CRT).[i] With Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts backing a resolution to combat the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the state’s universities, and other states responding to crowds of parents and protestors calling for the ‘removal of CRT from schools’, it may be difficult for the layman to understand where the explosive protests surrounding CRT have come from. This article will explain some of the history regarding the modern application of CRT, arguing that the contemporary discourse surrounding CRT invokes right-wing propaganda and political messaging, whose roots lie in the anti-communist ‘red-baiting’ techniques of the twentieth century. It will also explore how anti-CRT discourse is currently used to argue against any measures to further ‘inclusion’ and ‘diversity’ in academic spaces which, by in what spacesteaching an alternative to mainstream right-wing discourses, directly threaten the status quo. Put simply, […]
The Alt Right: Trump, Terrorism and the Digital Age: Part Two
The globalizing effect of the internet and its influence in contemporary politics has undoubtedly contributed to the rise of the Alt-Right in the 21st century. Abetted by this influence, Donald Trump initially appeared as a joke candidate – his lack of political experience and penchant for scandal are well-documented – so it seemed he stood little chance against Clinton’s lengthy political career. However, when Trump embraced extreme right-wing sentiments – denouncing immigration, feminism, and instead addressing what some white Americans considered their critical concerns (including elevating and maintaining the economic position of white people) , the Alt-Right embraced him. Alt-Right forums, as will be explored, rallied support for Trump, and in return, prominent Alt-Right figures like Steve Bannon have since had significant impact on the first term of his administration . The result has been the mainstreaming of the Alt-Right in civil and political discourse. The further digitalisation of white […]
The Alt Right: Trump and Terrorism in the Digital Age (Part One)
In November 2016, former real-estate millionaire and reality television personality Donald J. Trump was announced as the 45th President of the United States. During the Presidential campaign, Trump faced off against Hillary Clinton, the intended Democrat successor to Barack Obama. However, Trump usurped Clinton after an unexpected surge of support came from what Clinton termed “…the basket of deplorables—the racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it” [1]. In acknowledging, and denouncing, the emerging Alternate Right – Clinton unknowingly bolstered their campaigns in support of Trump, as scholar Niko Heikkilä writes: “Rather than serve as a nail in the ideology’s coffin, Clinton’s speech instead catapulted the Alt-Right from obscurity into the national spotlight and its supporters could not have been more thrilled” [2]. Only a year later, in August of 2017, it became clear that Trump’s Presidency had legitimised the growing faction of ‘deplorables’; the Unite the Right rally in […]