Arier, Patriarchen, Übermenschen: Die extreme Rechte in den USA
[Aryans, Patriarchs, Supermen: The far right in the USA]
by Matthew N. Lyons
translated into German by Gabriel Kuhn
Unrast Verlag, 2015
88 pages
ISBN 978-3-89771-130-3
To order: click here

Description:

The U.S. far right of today is a relatively new phenomenon. Fifty years ago, rightist movements were focused on protecting old hierarchies and fighting communism. But in the 1970s, a new far right began to take shape, in reaction to legal victories of the civil rights and women’s movements, expansion of the welfare state, decline of U.S. global power, and other big changes. Breaking with the right’s traditional role as defenders of established institutions and elites, rightists in significant numbers began to reject the legitimacy of the U.S. political system.

Today’s far rightists have a contradictory relationship with the established order. They reflect deeply rooted American social hierarchies (such as white racial oppression) and political traditions (such as Christian-based activism), but they aim to secede from the USA or overthrow it. Neonazis want a nation free of Jews and people of color, Christian right hardliners advocate a totalitarian theocracy run by heterosexual men, Patriot movement groups want to give free rein to capitalist individualism, and smaller groups want to empower elites based on “merit” or “moral development.” The far right defends social privileges, but in a distorted way also speaks to the sense of disempowerment many people face.

This book summarizes the far right’s emergence, beliefs and activities, interactions with other political forces, and impact. It highlights connections with old far right traditions (such as antisemitic conspiracy theories) and new innovations (such as white separatism and the strategy of leaderless resistance).

 

Available on this website / verfügbar auf dieser Website:

• Bibliography (die Bibliografie)
• Quellenverzeichnis (list of citations)

The list of citations is in German (like the book), but the bibliography is in English (like the works cited).
Das Quellenverzeichnis ist auf Deutsch (wie das Buch), aber die Bibliografie ist auf Englisch (wie die zitierten Werke).

 

Reviews:

Birgit Gärtner, “Extreme Rechte in den USA” (Unsere Zeit, 21 August 2015)