(L-R) US Senior White House policy adviser Stephen Miller, former-Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, former-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, former-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence and former-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly attend a joint news conference with President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the East Room at the White House February 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
Like the frog in boiling water, Americans may not realize that democracy is over and the country has descended into fascism until it is too late. In this interview, David Neiwert tells Truthout what’s new about the so-called “alt-right” and in what ways it’s a continuation of American white supremacy. The author of Alt-America also outlines how Donald Trump won over the support of far-right groups and gave their worldview a place in the White House.
Mark Karlin: Is the term “alt-right” a rebranding of a fringe white supremacist movement that has been in place for decades or should it be recognized as a distinct entity?
David Neiwert: It’s definitely a rebranding of white supremacist thought, but it is much more than just that — it’s an entire rewiring of the movement and an expansion of it as well, which is why simply calling them “Nazis” isn’t accurate. This isn’t your grandfather’s Klan. It’s been rewired to not only take advantage of technology and its rapid changes, but to leverage them as weapons. It’s also been remade…