Historical White Supremacist Leaders

The American state of Illinois is where George Lincoln Rockwell was born. Rockwell, however, did not grow up radicalized. He was a talented student who read Western philosophy frequently. He maintained his passion when, after his application to join Harvard had been rejected, his father enrolled him at Hebron Academy in Maine. He revised his views on religion in light of what he had studied. It wasn't just a set of principles that one had to adhere to. It was a manner of life that represented the foundation of civilisation (Newton 15). These ideas forced Rockwell to pursue philosophy even more ardently, enrolling at the Brown University in Rhode Island as a philosophy major. Here, he formed views that were against equality of people, rejecting the proposal that all people had the same potential in life.

During that time, he was not radicalized enough to join the War effort on the Nazi side. Rather, he enlisted in the Navy where he served until the war’s end, though he later saw action in the Korean War. After some false starts including serving as a painter, Rockwell established a new publication for Army wives in which he furthered his ideas against integration, and for racial separation. His radicalization continued as he identified himself more firmly with Hitler, keeping related paraphernalia at his home. His journey culminated in the formation of the American Nazi Party in 1959 (Gallagher 10).

Over the next few years, Rockwell set out to establish the American Nazi Party as a real alternative for white supremacists. He engaged in several high profile activities during that time, including his opposition to the Freedom Riders in 1961. He attempted to engage in his own ride, named the Hate Bus, with a vehicle emblazoned with Nazi signage. The plan did not work out as intended however, and Rockwell had minimal impact on the Freedom Riders’ march (Ridgeway, 70). His activities continued until he was killed in 1967 by a former member of his organization. Prior to his death, Rockwell had been trying to reform the party, moving from the fringes of the far right to becoming more mainstream. Though he still supported white supremacy, he abandoned the Swastika and toned down his rhetoric. After his death, his movement splintered. Before his death, he changed the name to National Socialist White People’s party. His legacy was the inspiration of other alt-right movements and individuals in the future. Among these was David Duke, the future Grand Wizard of the KKK.

Both Rockwell and Duke have advanced conspiracy theories which term the integration of races as a Jewish conspiracy which is aimed at causing chaos and thereby strengthening their grip on power. Both believed that within Christianity they could advocate for voluntary segregation and secure traditional Christian family values. However, while Rockwell never found any political success, Duke was able to do so in the process becoming a prominent politician in the South. It was partly due to his modification of views to reflect American realities, rather than basing his ideology solely on what Hitler – or European – inspired thought.

David Duke

David Duke is a former Louisiana State Assembly representative, who is more widely known as having served as a Grand Wizard of the KKK. David Duke was born in Oklahoma, but his formative years were spent in Louisiana. It included his time at the Louisiana State University. Duke was inspired greatly by the ideas of William Luther Price. At the same time, Duke aligned his thoughts with others in the South who did not support segregation, wanting an extension of the status quo.

From his days in University, Duke was renowned as a racist agitator, who was fond of dressing in KKK regalia and Nazi military uniforms. At the same time, Duke formed the Knights of the KKK, rising through the ranks to become one of the senior most members of the Klan. His time at the Klan came to an inglorious end when he was convicted of swindling funds meant for the Klan, earning a jail term in the process. Duke later entered politics by toning down his racist rhetoric, for a brief term in the Louisiana assembly that has variously been termed as one of no consequential (Ridgeway 1995). Recently, Duke was in the news again, after being reported to have endorsed Donald Trump for the President of the United States. Though Duke downplayed the reported endorsement, he did say that he sees Trump as someone who would help in helping the course of the white supremacists.

Duke is today known merely as a former leader of the KKKK. He has tried to reform his political views, in the process gaining more followers. However, his message has remained stridently anti-Semitic, blaming Jews for everything from the Holocaust to the Federal Reserve Bank, homosexuality, American news media, and even as the owners of Hollywood (Martin 41). When compared with one of his predecessors, Eldon Edwards, duke’s political inclination is mild. Edwards advocated for the maintenance of segregation in its strictest form, regardless of what the people themselves felt. Unlike Duke, Edwards had a far broader appeal with Americans and did not align himself with the political worldview that Adolf Hitler espoused.

Eldon Edwards

Eldon Edwards was born in the Deep South. Growing up in Georgia gave Edwards the radicalization environment he needed to become a full – fledged member of white supremacy movements. Segregation was still intact, but it was increasingly under strain from mainstream politics (Martin 22). Besides his work as a Grand Wizard of the movement, Edwards was an auto making factory worker in Atlanta. The experience must have given him the platform he needed to meet and radicalize disenfranchised members of the society who saw themselves as the primary victims of desegregation.

Throughout the Southern United States, Jim Crow rules had been enacted after Reconstruction in the second part of the 19th century. The rules prevented African Americans from voting, and also made it impossible to attend the same schools and hospitals as white people. With desegregation, there would be more competition for limited resources in a region which was historically poorer than the rest of the country. Edwards was able to use the rage to establish a faction of the KKK which would become among the biggest in the South. At its height, the organization had 50000 members spread across 9 states (Kema 31). Besides his opposition to desegregation, Edwards was an ardent anti-communist, who saw the communists as being given too much freedom in the US, while his organization made up of the true inheritors of America, the white people were systematically suppressed (Ridgeway 122).

At the point of death in 1960, Edwards had not revised his political views. He was ever more firmly focused on extending white dominance in American affairs at the expense of any other racial group. However, these potent views are still alive and kicking today, in the form of Rocky Suhayda. Suhayda succeeded Matthias Koehl as the president of the American Nazi Party. Koehl had taken over the party after the death of Rockwell, rebranded it, before finally reverting to the old outlook. The party bequeathed to Edwards is smaller and has a far less political appeal, but it has not stopped Suhayda from making the same arguments that Edwards made close to 70 years ago. For Richard Butler however, these views were more different in that he was more focused on using Christianity to buttress his claims of racial superiority (Ridgeway, 20).

Richard Butler

Richard Butler was one of the most well-known leaders of American white nationalist groups in the US. As a founding leader of the AryanNations, Butler had easy access to publicity deftly using it to his own advantage. Butler was born in Colorado and raised in California. While it is not clear where or when Butler became radicalized,research shows that he ended up becoming one of the most articulate and successful leaders of the Neo-Nazi movement (Ronczkowski 6).

After serving in the military, and serving as a military analyst in three continents, Butler opened his compound in Idaho. Here, he formed the Aryan Nations, a group whose ideology was a blended mix of Christianity and Nazism. He held strong views about race and the issue of Jewish, as a global powerful force which was working to sow discord and continue its domination of the world (Ridgeway 26). Over time however, Butler lost his appeal. He was faced with a succession of legal action against him for the actions of his followers losing a large part of his prestige and property. His reputation suffered more when he was exposed trying to travel with a famous porn star. He died the following year. Unlike Johnny Clary and David Duke, who later renounced or modified their views, Butler did not waver.

Johnny Clary

Johnny Clary, who was born in 1944, has given interviews to the effect that he was brought up in an openly racist family. While his father was a Catholic, he saw to it that Johnny knew about his disdain for African Americans and other racial groups he deemed inferior (Ronczkowski 20). At the same time, Clary grew up in a highly unstable environment, where his father committed suicide, and he found himself out on the street by the time he was 14.

Having become one the foremost leaders of the Klan, Clary was also a powerful poster boy, as a famous wrestler. During the time however, Clary was coming of age. He was becoming more aware of the movement of which he was a member. While he had joined the movement out of desperation, Clary soon had to contend with the issue of whether he agreed with the group’s message of hate against other races. He duly changed his views, becoming a Pentecostal Christian and disowning KKK philosophy (Dawinder 22). He thereafter undertook extensive tours around the world, aiming to preach against racism and related ideologies. He died in 2014, the only member of the list to have renounced their views regarding race.

Comparison with Modern Leaders

Richard Spencer

Richard Spencer is one of the best-known leaders of White supremacist in the US. He has advocated for a white homeland, as Eldon Edwards had demanded. He has also called for peaceful ethnic cleansing so that European culture of White Americans is maintained at all costs which draws extensively on the ideas of David Duke (Ryan 6). However, while these seem to be the main agenda, analysts have pointed out that Spencer is more focused on anti-Semitism. He sees as the single most dangerous threat to European domination of America, as the Jews strengthen their hold over the country's economic and political discourse. In a break with all the others perhaps apart from Johnny Clary, Spencer calls not for segregation or subjugation of other races, but the establishment of a country that is wholly populated by White people.

Steve Bannon

SteveBannon is however a different proposition to the others. As a leader with political clout in current American politics, Bannon has mainly made his name as the force behind Breibart News. The news website is viewed as promoting anti-Semitic, xenophobic and sexist views (Steven 8). Analysts have singled Bannon out for criticism for successfully making these views more acceptable once more. Despite the previous statement, his rhetoric is much more guarded in reference to race and religion, when compared to Spencer, Duke and earlier white supremacists. Steve Bannon is one of the few leaders of the Alt – right who have successfully scaled the heights of power. His presence in the Trump administration has also emboldened white supremacists who see Trump as being their representative, as put by Richard Spencer (Cook 2016).

The traditional leaders of the far right and white supremacy can all be seen as being more ideologically driven, than pragmatic. As a result, they may have failed to see the changing times and the shrinking constituencies. However, Rockwell was able to see the expansion of his followers, and can therefore be seen as being charismatic. None of the leaders could be termed as being transformational, due to the temporary nature of their ideas and movements.

The modern leaders are however more pragmatic. It is difficult to see them openly propagate the virulent racism that marked Nazism and other movements. There is also a higher need for achievement and power.

Question 2

The John Birch Society

The John Birch Society was founded in 1958 by ultra conservatives who were dedicated to opposition against communism and other things they saw as being against the future of the United States as the Founding Fathers had envisaged it (Dawinder 11). According to the society, issues such as the Civil Rights Movement were a creation of the communists. At the same time, they believed that in abolishing segregation, the Act was unconstitutional, since it had made a law which contravened individual states' rights. The society has become more radical over time. The movement opposes NAFTA, the UN, and other trade or political arrangements which in any way suggest a one world government (Ridgeway 60).

The John Birch Society has not used the overt racist language that groups such as the KKK and American Nazi Party use. The organization has been more focused on staying within the mainstream political narrative, while still propagating an agenda that has all the characteristics of a white supremacist organization (Ronczkowski 17). For instance, its opposition to the Civil Rights Act was founded on a technicality for which it was prepared to ignore the good that the Act promised. The society also advocated opposed the issues such as affirmative action, which was instituted to help people who had been under centuries of oppression to advance which were viewed as a wealth redistribution scheme. Over time, the group’s influence has waned, making a nondescript organization at the moment.

Front National

Organizations in the mould of JBS have been well established in the West for long. The Front National is one of the organizations devoted to far right politics. In Europe, segregation and integration are not the main focus points of far right politics. Rather, the organization focuses on the limiting of immigrants entering France. According to the FN, immigrants may ultimately change the outlook of France from a Christian and “French nation, to a multicultural mosaic (Kema, 29). The leader of the movement, Marine Le Pen, has focused more on the preservation of the French way of life. The American organizations are however more focused on rolling back the gains made by initiatives such as the civil rights act. Despite such issues, modern resurgent movements such as the FN are able to participate in mainstream politics, something which the resurgent chapter has been unable to do (Steven 18).

Just like the JBS and others, the FN has changed greatly since its inception in the 1970s. At that time, the organization was dedicated to the same ideals that may be termed as racist propaganda. However, the organization has come to become more concerned with the direction France is taking in the world, and especially within the European Union. Such a position can be compared with what the JBS has been advocating for in calling for the US to pull out of trade agreements and even the United Nations.

Golden Dawn

The Golden Dawn is a political party in Greece that has also called for a limitation in immigration, especially from Muslim countries. The organization has also faulted the European Union as being too unfair on Greece, while praising Nazi and fascist leaders of the past. The organization however differs from the FN and JBS in some other ways. Its primary concern is the Greeks (Williams 34). The organization wants to unite all Greeks within a Greater Greece, while in the process expelling other people such as Turks in what was formerly Constantinople and parts of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania. It however shares a common outlook with the JBS and FN regarding globalization, seeing it as a threat to the integrity of their respective societies and cultures.

American Freedom Party

The American Freedom party is a far-right political party in the United States which promotes white nationalism. At the same time, the party is openly anti-Semitic. It has taken a hard line against what it sees as a Jewish conspiracy against the white race in America (Ryan, 18). It also sees actions by President Obama as being aimed at diluting the power of white people in the country. The party has engaged in electoral politics in several elections despite rebranding and increased efforts to attract support from the masses, the organization has posted a very bad showing, mostly coming last with a minimal number of the vote (Ridgeway 130).

Comparison

The organizations which are discussed above have their own identities. They are united by the stated aim of maintaining European domination in their courtiers, or expanding it where possible, such as the Golden Dawn. While the FN modified its views on Jews in an effort to gain more votes, others remain stringent in their view on the conspiracy, as they see it (William, 41). According to these parties, whites are under attack by Jews who control economics and politics, meaning that the masses are at their mercy. They also advocate for the purity of the race that should be maintained of that people of European descent remain pure and true adherents of the Christian faith.

The different movements are, however, designed by geography and local circumstances. The organizations may be opposed in their views on Islam and people from other countries. However, their position on Europeans are not uniform. For instance, The Golden Dawn has issues about other Slavic people, only prioritizing the Greeks as the constituency.

For its part, the FN has become a proponent of a France that is inclusive, only that the people should make an effort to adopt French culture. It sets it aside from the others, in the process making it more politically tolerable and able to gain members beyond its constituency.

Question 3

Posse Comitatus

Posse Comitatus was started by white people who viewed the changes happening in the United States as a form of anti –white conspiracy. The group was founded on defective Christian theology. According to the organization, White people are the true Israelites. However, the Jews have formed an Alliance with Satan to destroy them using bodies such as the IRS and the Federal Reserve (Martin 69). The United States has officially termed the movement as a terrorist organization.

According to the Posse, the founders of the United States intended the country to be a Christian country. The primary role of the government was to promote the Christian faith. Above the county, there was no higher government authority (Ronczkowski 32). The organization was mostly popular among southern settlers. These southerners were struggling to make ends meet. The quickly saw the IRS and other such organizations as the enemy. They were quick to see the governments the enemy, which had to be opposed at all costs. They therefore saw their savior in the Posse. Over time however, people moved on, moving from farming and generally getting tired of the ideas that the Posse espoused (Steven 80). Afterwards, the Posse became weaker and weaker, especially as it was becoming increasingly important to maintain a protest organization for so long (Gus 88).

In the place of the Posse Comitatus, the patriotic movement was one of the offspring. The organization is a loose coalition of rural groups and militias, which hold the same views as the Posse. The militia and associated groups decry what they see as the erosion of the American Constitution by politicians. In the process, the original makeup of the nation has beendiluted, making the union weaker and making the poor more vulnerable. While it one had more than 800 affiliated groups, it is currently in decline, with minimal influence on local and national political discourse (Margret 17). The group operates from various places in the American south.

The Michigan Militia also owes its origins to the Posse. The militia was formed by a former army officer (Williams 20). The organization is privately organized as it attempts to protect against the encroachment of individual rights by the federal government. Due to infighting and government pressure, the group has since become defunct (Ridgeway 143).

Another group which was formed from the original Posse was the Militia Montana. The group was formed as a result of what the group saw as an attempted enslavement of the American population by trade agreements and the new world order. The 14thamendment as well as affirmative action aimed at helping reduce marginalization suffered by some people is seen as racist, and should therefore be resisted (Margret 102). Armed insurrection against the government is allowed in the constitution. It is permitted through the second amendment. The amendment gives people the right to bear arms and protect themselves, even if it may turn out to be the government. The militia was formed by John Trochmann and the group operates from Montana.

Question 4

New Right-Wing Activists

The National socialist movement leader, Jeff Shoepp is one of the most prominent far-right politicians in the US. The NSM is known for its crude propaganda and attempts to sow discord among the races while promoting American supremacy. According to Shoepp (15), the Constitution of the United States was written by white men only. It is therefore clear that it was only written for the white people. The leader has time and again referred to Hitler (Kema 71). He has promoted the donning of IS uniforms by members of his party, so as to honor white men who have died trying to resist the Jewish conspiracy that still threatens to enslave the white man. According to Jeff, he aims to ensure that the struggle of the Fuhrer was not in vain.

Due to the aggressive stance of the party, Jeff has grown to become among the most prominent Neo-Nazi leadersin the world. The party leader has been ridiculed for his imitation of Hitler. However, he has other sources of inspiration, including David Duke, Butler, Eldon Edwards and other white supremacists before him (Ronczkowski 52). As with the groups which have sprouted from the demise of the Posse, the party makes the news when it engages in violence which has seen their leader convicted of burglary several times. It has also led to the enhanced publicity the group enjoys.

Shoepp has been successful in the eyes of his followers at least, of being an able defender of white peoples’ rights against threats by the liberals and other races. Through his help, the United States is destined to be a country in which Jews no longer call the shots and the US truly becomes a white man’s country once again.

Rocky Suhayda is the leader of the American Nazi party having taken over from the committed hitlerist Matthias Koehl. Rocky is a person who has had long and extensive links with the far right. The politician has in fact indicated that he represents a chapter of the KKK in Livonia. It has helped in strengthening his credentials among other white supremacists as a committed person to the cause they fight for (Ryan 67). Rocky is also renowned for his long history in the struggle. As far back as 1976, Rocky was a member of the National White People’s Party. He also has links with other far right groups in America and abroad.

Like Shoepp, Rocky has been critical of the lack of commitment shown by members of his own party and their affiliates in pressing ahead with their course. He especially speaks of the violence that other terrorists have been able to apply in their quest to promote their courses. He has made special mention to Osama Bin Laden, and the September 11 attacks.

Rocky Suhayda is considered one of the most seasoned far right people in the United States. He has been in the struggle since the days of Rockwell, in part explaining his success in keeping the ANP afloat despite its growing irrelevance in far right circles (Ronczkowski 68). Rocky has not seen the need to deviate in any way from the ways of Koehl, despite the lack of followers and negative publicity that his cause has attracted over the years.

The current leaders of the Alt right increasingly find themselves limited in their ability to propagate their ideas. There is more coverage, with more little space for extremism, whether coming from the right or the left or other religions and persuasions. Nevertheless, occasional political developments may reenergize the movements, but only for a while. They are firmly in the past.



Works Cited

Dawinder, Sidhu. “Spatial Terrorism.” Fordham Urban Law Journal, vol. 41, 2013, p. 6-72.

Gallagher, Lippard. Race and Racism in the United States: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic. Greenwood, 2014.

Kema, Irogbe. “United States Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq: A Hindrance to Combating Global Terrorism.” Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table, vol. 1, 2011, pp. 5-98.

Margaret, McKeown. “Challenges and New Frontiers: National Courts as the Frontline of International Law.” American University International Law Review, vol. 32, 2017, pp. 8-124.

Martin, Gus. Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. Sage, 2003.

Newton, Michael. The Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi: A History. Mcfarland & Company, 2013.

Ridgeway, James. Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads, and the Rise of a New White Culture. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1995.

Ronczkowski, Michael. Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence Gathering, Analysis, and Investigations. CRC Press, 2004.

Ryan, Nick. Into a World of Hate: A Journey among the Extreme Right. Routledge, 2004.

Steven, Witt. “World Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to the Post-9/11 Era.” Reference & User Service Quarterly, vol. 52, 2012, pp. 3-66.

Williams, Gan, and Wiseman, Thomas. “A Simple Model of Optimal Hate Crime Legislation.” Economic Inquiry, vol. 49, 2011, pp. 10-74.

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