So Who and What is the "Alt-Right?"

So I'm personally just catching up with who and what the "alt-right" or "Alternative Right" is, trying to understand the racist and White supremacist charges I'm hearing, and wondering if there's any truth to it or if it's just another strawman/bogeyman for the masses. Apparently it is and it's not. And by that I mean, the "alt-right" includes anyone on the right that isn't part of the mainstream right -- like the White Nationalists, but also like Libertarians, and the fiscal conservatives/social liberals, etc. And, yes, this "alt-right" moniker is now being used to discredit (if not outright smear) all of them. That may or may not be the purpose, but it has the same end result.

Here's what I found for anyone else wondering...

According to Wikipedia's "Alt-Right" page:

The alt-right is a loose group of people with far right ideologies who reject mainstream conservatism in the United States.[1][2] The writings of the group are largely Internet-based and are found on websites such as 4chan and 8chan, where anonymous members create and use Internet memes to express themselves.[3][4][5] It is difficult to tell how much of what people write is serious, and how much is intended to provoke outrage.[6][7] Members of the alt-right use social media like Twitter and Breitbart News to convey their message.[8][9]

As opposed to the now-defunct website "Alternative Right":

Alternative Right is an Identitarian website created by Richard Spencer and Colin Liddell[1][2] in 2010 and the later "New Alternative Right" webzine, edited by Liddell and Andy Nowicki, that was created when the first website was shut down in 2013.[3][4] Richard Spencer's Alternative Right was hosted at AlternativeRight.com and funded by NPI America before Spencer shut it down, saying it was too much work to manage.

And "NPI America" is the National Policy Institute of America, which describes itself as --

NPI is an independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world. It was founded in 2005 by William Regnery and Samuel T. Francis, in conjunction with Louis R. Andrews.

So, yeah, that sounds pretty much like racism and White something... not sure if it's nationalism or supremecy, but it's something and I don't like it.

But the Wikipedia article also goes on to report -- and this is important:

'Alt-right' is a recently coined umbrella term, with no clear criteria of membership yet agreed upon.[27] The movement has been associated with multiple ideologies from American nationalism, neo-monarchists to men's rights advocates and people who oppose mainstream conservatism.[28][29]

So "alt-right" really boils down to all kinds of folks who embrace/self-identify the "right" label, but not mainstream conservatism -- and that includes a whole lot of folks, good, bad and fugly.

Wikipedia does attribute the origins of the alt-right term to the founder of the Alternative Right website referred to above, Richard Spencer:

In November 2008, Paul Gottfried addressed the H. L. Mencken Club about what he called "the alternative right".[30] In 2009, two more posts at Taki's Magazine, by Patrick J. Ford and Jack Hunter, further discussed the alternative right.[31] The term, however, is most commonly attributed to Richard B. Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute and founder of Alternative Right.[7][32]

Hillary began the public talk and accusations against Trump on the campaign trail in late August:

In Nevada, Clinton took on the alt-right by name, singling it out as an "emerging racist ideology."

All of this takes on new significance because of one Steve Bannon on Trump's transition team, who previously ran the Breitbart website after Breitbart himself died, which ran their own article identifying with and singing the praises of the alt-right:

An Establishment Conservative’s Guide To The Alt-Right

Of course they don't claim those deemed racists and nationalists -- what they call the "1488ers" -- as part of their movement:

Anything associated as closely with racism and bigotry as the alternative right will inevitably attract real racists and bigots. Calmer members of the alternative right refer darkly to these people as the “1488ers,” and for all their talk of there being “no enemies to the right,” it’s clear from the many conversations we’ve had with alt-righters that many would rather the 1488ers didn’t exist.

These are the people that the alt-right’s opponents wish constituted the entire movement. They’re less concerned with the welfare of their own tribe than their fantasies of destroying others. 1488ers would likely denounce this article as the product of a degenerate homosexual and an ethnic mongrel.

Why “1488”? It’s a reference to two well-known Neo Nazi slogans, the first being the so-called 14 Words: “We Must Secure The Existence Of Our People And A Future For White Children.” The second part of the number, 88, is a reference to the 8th letter of the alphabet – H. Thus, “88” becomes “HH” which becomes “Heil Hitler.”

So here's what I get from all this: The alt-right began as a general term to label those who deviated from traditional or mainstream conservative positions and polices, but today the term is used predominantly to describe the racist/White nationalist/supremacist faction... and it is claimed that Bannon is part and parcel of that faction, and therefore so is his boss, Trump. Bannon claims otherwise.

Here are several articles that go into various aspects of the claims from various angles:

Breitbart: An Establishment Conservative’s Guide To The Alt-Right

Mother Jones: Here's Why It's Fair—and Necessary—to Call Trump's Chief Strategist a White Nationalist Champion (This article refers back to the Breitbart article quite a bit, so reading the Breitbart article first might help understand this article)

BBC: Trump’s shock troops: Who are the ‘alt-right’?

Daily Caller: What Is The Alt Right?

Clinton is attacking the 'Alt-Right' -- What is it?

What’s the alt-right? A primer

You are going to find out. Christian women gave the whole country to them.

The short answer is that Alt-Right is a term that was coined and co-opted by a PC/Liberal/Clinton Biased Media to neuter and silence any person or group that spoke against the mainstream narrative. Those that spoke ugly truths and not pretty lies were are a massive threat and to demonise them into outliers (where have we seen that tactic before) and Deplorables was an attempt to discredit any thought or speech that might have stood against the New Liberal Agenda. It failed.

a reply to: MOMof3

And if feels so good....

It's a group the DNC made up as a boogeyman for their supporters.

I actually agree with most of their ideas..

But what they're fighting for is a lost cause. If the founding fathers were soo against diversity and assimilation, they should've picked their own cotton and left the Africans alone..

Reep what you sow..

a reply to: CulturalResilience

That's a pretty good summation of it all. When I tracked down Hillary's comments -- thus beginning the recent attacks against the "Alt-Right," I couldn't help but think this was her Hail Mary pass...

It's an amalgamation of anyone who isn't 'mainstream right'.

You could say, the left is 'alternative right', grouping the lefties in there would shut them up about it.

a reply to: Tucket

Most people on the Right are not really against "diversity and assimilation" as you say. What they are against, is diversity without "assimilation".

a reply to: Middleoftheroad

That's pretty much true. The "Alternative Right" was a genuine White nationalist website. The "Alt-Right" is a clever play on words, but apparently intended to confuse the two and give legitimacy to the phrase "alt-right" coined by the left.

originally posted by: Tucket
I actually agree with most of their ideas..

I'm not sure that's possible.

The alt-right comprises many people with many ideas, so it's not possible to agree with "most of their ideas" because there are too many diverse people and ideas therein.

Based on your further comments, I would say that you agree with most of the ideas of the White Nationalists in the alt-right.

originally posted by: joemoe
a reply to: Tucket

Most people on the Right are not really against "diversity and assimilation" as you say. What they are against, is diversity without "assimilation".

You may be right...but

I refer to the Richard Spencer type person....the "alt right."

These people are clearly against diversity, immigration etc..

Gee wiz I guess that makes me an alt-right person too . Oh well.

a reply to: Boadicea

First time I heard the term was when Hills went on her deplorables rant, so, you know, the vibe it's giving me is like some continuously morphing bundle of convenience for Hillbots who wish to pigeon-hole a non-Hillbot as an intolerant bigoted xenophobic anti-LGBT racist pro-Trump heathen, as well as whatever else I've forgotten to mention.

originally posted by: Middleoftheroad
It's a group the DNC made up as a boogeyman for their supporters.

No. Sadly, it is not:



ETA: Here is a link to the leading Alt-right website: www.radixjournal.com...

a reply to: Sublimecraft

I think that's when most folks heard about the "alt-right." I think that was the point. I don't know but I believe the assumption was that folks would start googling "alt-right" and find the racist and other "ist" associations and run in fear to the ballot box to cast their vote for her. Hillary's final Hail Mary pass. It didn't work.

But I do believe this will be the wide brush used to tar the masses during Trump's presidency.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: Middleoftheroad

That's pretty much true. The "Alternative Right" was a genuine White nationalist website. The "Alt-Right" is a clever play on words, but apparently intended to confuse the two and give legitimacy to the phrase "alt-right" coined by the left.

The alt-right is basically nonsense. I'd be confident in saying 90+% of Trump supporters just want actual laws to be enforced and not ignored for specific groups. Taxes lowered, smaller government, less federal regulation, and are completely sick of the PC mentality his country has adopted in the past 8 years.

The white nationalist or supremacy or whatever they want to claim today is nonsense. Both parties have their crazy supporters.

a reply to: DJW001

I started watching the video, but as soon as I realized it was going to be 24 minutes of listening to a self-identified White Nationalist (if not White Supremacist), I just couldn't do it. I have no doubt he would lovelovelove to be the face and name of the "Alt-Right." I'm sure he loveloveloves this attention. But I'm not going to give it to him.

And I'm also absolutely positive that Hillary and her now minority party would lovelovelove for everyone to believe that a White Nationalist is the only face and name of the "Alt-Right." But I'm not going to give her/them that satisfaction either.

The "Alt-Right" comprises many different peoples, ideas and viewpoints. It cannot be confined to a White Nationalist.

originally posted by: DJW001

originally posted by: Middleoftheroad
It's a group the DNC made up as a boogeyman for their supporters.

No. Sadly, it is not:

ETA: Here is a link to the leading Alt-right website: www.radixjournal.com...

I already added my 2 cents and don't feel like debating with someone who believes everything they read online.

a reply to: Middleoftheroad

The white nationalist or supremacy or whatever they want to claim today is nonsense. Both parties have their crazy supporters.

Exactly. That's what everyone needs to understand.

This is just one more way the minority party will demonize their opposition going forward -- and the people.