Quote from: Flee on March 25, 2018, 11:41:43 AM

Quote from: Aether on March 24, 2018, 10:02:10 PM

Quote from: Flee on March 24, 2018, 09:23:12 PM

Quote from: Aether on March 23, 2018, 04:56:39 PM

Can I just ask you what you believe the alt-right really is as a movement?

It's hard to define because it lacks a central platform and doesn't really have an established program or leadership. But if I had to make an attempt, I'd say it's a reactionary anti-movement consisting primarily of younger people (15-40) who are resisting the left / liberal / progressive mindset but also feel they're out of touch with the established and traditional conservative platform. I think it's "alt(ernative)" in two ways. One, it's different in the way it operates. The alt right embraces internet culture, social media subgroups and online anonymity to reach a large audience without relying on traditional methods like membership registration and centralized platforms. While there's no real leaders, the movement relies heavily on the voices of community figureheads who steer and influence followers on platforms like youtube and twitter.

Two, the alt right espouses a different ideology than other conservative / right wing movements. As an explicitly reactionary counter-movement, it's more radical and regressive than traditional conservatism. Due to it being such a vague group without a concrete goal or defined stance on many issues, it consists of a wide variety of people. Still, I think there's some views that are either integral to or extremely common in the movement. It's highly populist, anti-immigration, anti-globalism, anti-multiculturalism and against anything perceived as political correctness or the mainstream media. It's usually transphobic, islamophobic and often anti-semitic, and frequently associates with white supremacist and identitarianist views. It's anti-feminist, regularly homophobic, often misogynist and very nationalist. It's an enormous propagator of fake news and misinformation, thrives on filter bubbles and echo chambers, and pushes a very divisive narrative against "the other" that lacks nuance, honesty and intellectual rigor. While I sometimes do happen to agree with them on certain things, I can't stand the movement. It's hypocritical to its core as it's as much of a giant snowflake as the SJWs it opposes, and it too usually values emotions over facts and reason. It's shameful and, again, embodies so much of what I think is wrong with our (digital) society these days.

Alright this gives me a better idea of what you believe. Just know that the alt-right is becoming completely synonymous with white-nationalism so take care when you choose to label someone as a part of it. There are many people out there who are populist, anti-political correctness, anti-establishment, etc. that are not white identitarians by any means.

I abhor political correctness, for instance, but I am an individualist and also abhor collectivist ideology, white identitarianism included. There are some that would label me alt-right simply for taking a stance against political correctness, ergo associating me with white nationalists even though I would stand against them as well.

I believe the concept of alt-right has muddied the perception of what the right actually is, and this has contributed a great deal to the increasing polarization of western society.