12 Rules For WHAT

We've written a book! Yes, another one politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509545377 It's out right now in the UK and is available for preorder in the US. In this episode, we talk through the second section of the book on the nature politics of the contemporary far right.

We've written a book! Yes, another one https://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509545377 It's out next Monday, 7th February 2022. In this episode, we talk through the first section of the book on the history of far-right ecologism.

We are joined by writer and researcher Ben Lorber to discuss the America First movement, its leader Nick Fuentes and its strategy of entryism into the Republican Party. We talk about why Fuentes has been effective whilst the alt right foundered, what exactly is up with far right congressman Paul Gosar, the collapse of American democracy and more! Check out Ben's article on America First here: https://politicalresearch.org/2022/01/05/we-have-push-envelope

Alex and Sam discuss the failure of political culture to coherently deal with the events of 6th January 2021. What are the contradictions in the liberal and anti-fascist responses? Why was Charlottesville declared exceptional by conservatives but January 6th not? Why does everyone want to be the state now?

Finishing off our last episode of the year with a cheery one, we discuss how the possibility of societal collapse in the coming decades effects our politics today. We discuss different theories of collapse, how the far right conceptualises apocalyse, colonial theories of nature and race and how anti-fascism links in to climate struggles. We also plug our upcoming book on ecofascism pretty shamelessly and preview Sam's new podcast series on Collapse

We talk to writer, scholar and activist Barnaby Raine about the social causes, functions and effects of contemporary anti-Semitism. We also talk about nature of conspiracy, manifestations of left and right anti-Semitism and more! You can read Barnaby's essay Jewphobia Now here: https://salvage.zone/articles/jewophobia-now/ Support the show at our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/12rulesforwhat

We are joined by the guys behind The Empire Never Ended podcast to discuss the Order of the Nine Angles. We cover how real the O9A actually is, the weird history of it's founder, David Myatt, what satanism provides to nazi scenes, the efficacy and ethics of proscription and more! https://www.patreon.com/tenepod You can now get our first book here: https://dogsection.bigcartel.com/product/post-internet-far-right

Sam and Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen talk about Mikkel's new book on 'Late Capitalist Fascism'. What do Guy Debord and George Jackson have to tell us about the fascists we face today? What kinds of capitalist decomposition are giving rise to fascism? Get the book here: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=late-capitalist-fascism--9781509547432

We are joined by Allan Jones of anti-fascist research group Red Flare to discuss new kids on the far right block, Patriotic Alternative. We discuss the the weird history of their leader Mark Collett, how PA dance around their nasty politics, the shift from civic to ethno nationalism on the UK far right, and much more! Buy our new book, its good: https://dogsection.org/press/pifr/

We talk to Jock Palfreeman, anti-fascist and prisoner solidarity organiser about his case and his work inside Bulgarian prisons. We discuss how far-right parties control the prisons, the history of anti-Roma violence, and the wider Bulgarian far right. Support Jock: https://www.patreon.com/jockpalfreeman https://www.paypal.me/jockpalfreeman You can buy our book here: https://dogsection.org/press/pifr/

Ewa Majewska is an author and feminist theorist whose most recent book Feminist Antifascism is out now from Verso. https://www.versobooks.com/books/3820-feminist-antifascism Ewa talks to Sam about resistance, counterpublics, and why feminism must be at the core of anti-fascism. You can get our book from Dog Section Press here: https://dogsection.bigcartel.com/product/post-internet-far-right

We are joined by Mike Makin-Waite, Burnley council officer responsible for race relations in the aftermath of the so-called Burnley 'race riots' in 2001 when the BNP gained council seats for the first time since 1993. We discuss the causes and context of the disturbances in 2001, how the BNP was able to capitalise on white resentment for electoral success, the inital inadequacy of anti-fascist and labour party responses and more. You can get a copy of his book, On Burnley Road from Lawrence and Wishart here https://lwbooks.co.uk/product/on-burnley-road-class-race-and-politics-in-a-northern-english-town You can buy our first book, Post Internet Far Right, from Dog Section Press here https://dogsection.org/press/pifr/

We are joined by Cam Smith and Andy Fleming, writers, researchers, actvists and hosts of the podcast Yeah Nah Pasaran, to disscus the far right and fascism in so called Australia. We discuss the strange connections to US evangelicalism, the recent expose of the National Socialist Network, the historical context of the far right in Australia, it's position as a white settler colony and more! Our book, Post Internet Far Right is OUT NOW, order your copy here: https://dogsection.bigcartel.com/product/post-internet-far-right Check out Yeah Nah Pasaran here: https://www.3cr.org.au/yeahnahpasaran

We are joined by author Dave Renton to discuss his latest book, No Free Speech for Fascists: Exploring 'No Platform' in History, Law and Politics. We discuss the development of free speech in relation to the left, talk about how why 'no platform' developed as a tactic, why its good to stop fascist speech, and more! You can get Dave's book here via Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/No-Free-Speech-for-Fascists-Exploring-No-Platform-in-History-Law/Renton/p/book/9780367720629

In the wake of the tragic shootings in Plymouth we are joined by a returning guest Annie Kelly to discuss her research into digital anti-feminism. We talk about the context and history of anti-feminism online, the dangers of labelling incels as terrorists, the nature of contemporary misogyny and more.

In this episode we are joined by Zosia of human rights monitoring group Channel Rescue for an update on their work, the wider context of far right activism on migrant crossings, the recent antics of Nigel Farage and more! We are organising a workshop for the upcoming anti-university festival. Check it out on the programme and see what else is on here: https://programme.antiuniversity.org/ Support our show by subscriving to our patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhat

We are joined by author and activist Shane Burley to discuss his new book Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse. We discuss the how to define fascism in the contemporary moment, finding hope in the face apocalypse, the career of far right activist Andy Ngo and the very racist history of Portland Oregon. You can order Why We Fight Direct from AK Press or from your local bookshop!

Sam and Blair discuss all things far-right ecology, building on Blair's invaluable work in the field. Blair Taylor is the director of programmes at the Institute for Social Ecology. https://social-ecology.org/wp/ We discuss Blair's chapter in this book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Far-Right-and-the-Environment-Politics-Discourse-and-Communication/Forchtner/p/book/9781138477896

This episode is a special collaboration episode with our Channel Zero network partners in crime, Coffee with Comrades. We talk to Pearson from CwC to discuss the current iterations of reactionary politics, unpack the fascist imaginary, discuss ways to cope with the horrors of staring into the abyssal ugliness of far-right politics, and take some time to chat about some of the themes and topics of the book!

In this episode we talk about feelings, not our own feelings but fascist ones. We ask what kind of feelings drive the far right online, how do they contribute to process of radicalisation and is radicalisation a good framing anyway? We also discuss fascism's relationship to compulsive consumption, specifically porn and indulge a tiny bit of far left, far right equivocation before reaffirming that the far right is still bad actually! This episode is based on the second chapter of our upcoming book with Dog Section Press, Post Internet Far Right. You can pre order your copy of PIFR here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/post-internet-far-right

Alex and Sam talk with two members of the Zetkin Collective, Andreas Malm and Lise Benoist about their new book, White Skin Black Fuel. We discuss Rassemblement national's ecological turn in France, how far right acceptance of the climate crisis is just denial in another form, the attachement of the far right to blocks of capital and the political character of national landscapes. White Skin, Black Fuel is the new book from the Zetkin Collective. It delves into the intersection of the far right and the climate crisis. "In the first study of the far right’s role in the climate crisis, White Skin, Black Fuel presents an eye-opening sweep of a novel political constellation, revealing its deep historical roots. Fossil-fuelled technologies were born steeped in racism. No one loved them more passionately than the classical fascists. Now right-wing forces have risen to the surface, some professing to have the solution—closing borders to save the nation as the climate breaks down. Epic and riveting, White Skin, Black Fuel traces a future of political fronts that can only heat up." https://www.versobooks.com/books/3812-white-skin-black-fuel Preorder our book here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/post-internet-far-right?tk=29140ddd488617a033f53eb8cf854e6421c368d0

In this bonus episode we get our shill on and let you know about our first ever book, pre-orders for which are now open via Dog Section Press. Next Sam reads a section over the book from the chapter The Street, where we discuss how the far right mobilises in the IRL world, with reference to Tommy Robinson and Charlottesville. Pre-order the book here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/post-internet-far-right

Sam goes through the history of Nazi ecologism with its most prominent historians: Peter Staudenmaier. Peter Staudenmaier is Associate Professor of History. His work centers on Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, environmental history, and the history of racial thought. Read more from Peter on fascist ecology here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/janet-biehl-and-peter-staudenmaier-ecofascism-lessons-from-the-german-experience

12 Rules for WHAT sit down with Joshua Citarella to discuss his research into online radicalisation, the far right's own personal hamster wheels, and the question of the final meme of all. https://www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella/posts

We talk to QAnon researcher Annie Kelly about how QAnon has developed in the UK. We discuss the strange variances of UK QAnon, the demographics of the anti-lockdown protests, the appeal of #savethechildren framing and ask how we can situate QAnon in a fast changing political landscape. Annie Kelly is a researcher of antifeminist and far right movements and is a regular contributor to the Qanon Anonymous podcast. Check out Annie’s NYT article on mothers and Qanon here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/opinion/qanon-women-conspiracy.html

Sam talks to Matthew Remski about his research into conspirituality. Conspirituality combines predominantly masculine conspiracy culture with predominantly feminine new age mysticism into a heady style of politics. Why has QAnon managed to mobilise so many people? Why are there suddenly so many right-wing wellness advocates? And where next now Trump's shining star has entered its waning phase? You can find out more about the Conspirituality project here: https://conspirituality.net/ Support us on Patreon in the link here: https://www.patreon.com/12rulesforwhat

We are joined by historian, writer and lefty lawyer Dave Renton to go in depth on the policing bill and Tory authoritarianism. We discuss the nature of authoritarianism from the centre, consider why a 'police state' framing is not the way and ask if we might want to appeal to 'libertarian' Tory back bench MPs. We also briefly discuss our reviews of Dave's last book Fascism: History and Theory, which appeared in ROAR magazine and the Ecologist. Get Fascism here: https://www.plutobooks.com/9781786806512/fascism/ Pre order Dave's upcoming book on no platform here: https://www.routledge.com/No-Free-Speech-for-Fascists-Exploring-No-Platform-in-History-Law/Renton/p/book/9780367720629 See our reviews of Fascism here: https://roarmag.org/essays/studying-the-history-of-fascism-to-cancel-its-future/ https://theecologist.org/2020/nov/04/fascism-history-and-theory

We talk to three creators of Postcards from Cable street, a new anti-fascist RPG zine, about nerd culture, creating anti-fascist RPGs, and fighting back against reactionary elements in nerd culture. We also run through their favourite sections of the zine! Follow them at @cable_from for more information about the project!

Sam and Alex discuss the new Policing Bill in the UK and what it means for anti-fascism. For more information follow @netpol and visit netpol.org You can support this show at https://www.patreon.com/12rulesforwhat where we now have premium episodes going up

Jess Thorne joins us to discuss the life and passing of Stuart Christie, one of the UK's most famous anarchists who is perhaps best known for participating in a plot to assasinate Franco in 1964. We also discuss the radical prisoner support group which Christie refounded, the memorial archive and the value of past struggles in informing our politics today. Jess’s obituary of Christie: https://maydayrooms.org/stuart_christie/ You can give money to the archive fundraiser here: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/stuart-christie-memorial-archive

Alex talks to Simon from Channel Rescue about the organisation's humanitarian work, the hostile environment, migrant solidarity, far right activism around Napier Barracks and Penally Camp, the psychogeography of Dover and what anti-fascists should be doing! Find out more about Channel Rescue's work here: https://channelrescue.wordpress.com/

We talk to author and activist Spencer Sunshine to discuss his latest text 40 Ways to Fight Fascism, the far right after Trump, anti-fascism in the US, the history behind James Mason's SEIGE and more! Read 40 Ways to Fight Fascism here: https://spencersunshine.com/2020/08/27/fortyways/ Find out more about Spencer's work here: https://spencersunshine.com/

Samir sits down with author and academic Samir Gandesha for a wide ranging interview about Indigenous struggles against pipelines, the theory of endocolonialism, fascist resentment and more! Samir Gandesha is an Associate Professor in the Department of the Humanities and the Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. He is also the editor of a new collection of essays on 'Spectres of Fascism', which is available from Pluto: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745340647/spectres-of-fascism/ In this show we start from a discussion of his essay Posthuman Fascism, available here: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/posthuman-fascism BELLA CIAO REMIX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOt1DRWSo4 For an anti-fascist music playlist, see here: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeH-_CKmhIEqmgewpFGqJcL9dsZckJVa_ You can also get information on how to see Samir in discussion with Jodi Dean, Dominiek Hoens, and Klaas Tindemans here: https://www.ritcs.be/sites/ritcs/files/inline-files/Programma_FutureNarratives_digitaal.pdf And watch another interview with him here: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2119735

This week we witnessed unprecedented scenes when thousands of of far right Trump supporters, boogoloos and believers in the Qanon conspiracy stormed the US Capitol, supposedly one of the most secure location in the world, in order to halt the certificaiton of electoral college ballots and stop a Biden presidency. We discuss what happened, how we got to this point, where Qanon goes next as a movement, the deplatforming of Trump, and the contraditions that are developing within the right. Other podcasts worth listening to: Our buddies at the Channel Zero Network recorded an excellent roundtable about what happened https://t.co/e87DFsYjSP?amp=1 Marooncast (also part of CZN)has an excellent episode which you can find here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1414102/7207861 RIP DOOM.

Sam sits down with historian Professor Alexandra Minna Stern to discuss her 2019 book Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate, an intellectual history of the core ideas of the alt right. The interview covers a lot of ground and includes a periodisation of the far right, the idea of a white ethnostate, changes and continuities in the category of whiteness and the prospects of the far right in a post Trump world. You can find out more about the book here: http://www.beacon.org/Proud-Boys-and-the-White-Ethnostate-P1470.aspx Professor Stern is the Carroll Smith-Rosenberg Collegiate Professor in the Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan. She is also the author of the award winning Eugenics Nation: Faults and Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America.

For a Christmas episode we sit down with an expert guest for a wide ranging discusion on the far right and the environment. We talk about the long standing far right meme of the invasive specises, the need to be careful with the term 'ecofascism' and the far right's relationship to total climate armageddon! This should be seen as a companion episode to our previous shows on ecofascism and green anti-fascism. See you in the new year and happy holidays! For an even more comprehensive introduction to the far right and the environment see here: https://www.routledge.com/The-Far-Right-and-the-Environment-Politics-Discourse-and-Communication/Forchtner/p/book/9781138477896

We are joined by Elif from Kurdish Assembly UK and Nik, an internationalist in the Kurdish freedom struggle to discuss the history and continued relevance of Turkish fascism. We talk about the origins of the Turkish state, the interactions of the Kemalist state with fascism and Nazism, the make up of the contemporary far right in Turkey and the 2019 invasion of Northern Syria. Links for further reading/ information: https://crimethinc.com/2019/11/12/the-roots-of-turkish-fascism-and-the-threat-it-poses https://rojavainformationcenter.com https://anfenglish.com/news https://www.nuceciwan54.com/en/author/ncenglish/ https://medyanews.net/

A special episode for the London Anarchist Bookfair 2020! We discuss our first book, coming out soon with Dog Section Press and talk about other stuff like anti-fascist research, far right influencers and more!

In which we take a break from our writing to talk about the topic on everyone's minds at the moment, the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic - and how fascists are responding to it. We discuss the coronavirus pandemic as a form of environmental crisis, assess the far right response in its authoritarian and conspiritoiral aspects and touch on how things are playing out in Hungary at the UK. We even have a bit of anti-fascism at the end. Coronavirus is with us for the long term, it will shape politics for years to come. We need to be prepared for that, and work out our strategies for the months to come. HOPE EVERYONE IS STAYING AS SAFE AS THEY CAN BE.

In mid January the latest of many US fascist paramilitary groups were thrust into the mainstream when a group of three men from the neo nazi organisation The Base, were arrested by the FBI on their way to a VIrginia gun rights rally on gun charges. We give a a run down about The Base and how they organise online in a manner typical of contemporary fascists, utilising multiple platforms to avoid censorship and control, but also how it organises real-world 'hate camps' where members meet up in person to learn combat skills. Have a listen to the episode and make sure to share it around! Go to patreon.com/12rulesforwhat to support the show and get access to our reading lists and our news round-ups, we are entirely support by you, no ads or anything so anything you can give really does help the show.

For this episode of 12 Rules for WHAT Alex headed to Reading to interview Reading Red Corner, a red gym, martial arts club and solidarity project. The right wing government of Boris Johnson gives space to new far right and fascist movements. To meet this potential threat the left needs to build a base that encompasses community self defence and solidarity. Notable about Reading Red Corner is their commitment to food solidarity and engagement with community projects across Reading. Listen to find out more about their project! If there is a red gym in your area consider supporting/ getting involved. If there isn't anything happening we've also got some tips for getting something started. Reading Red Corner organises WEEKLY sessions and is open to people of all experiences and non. Get in touch via their facebook page if you want to find out more.

The UK election has come and gone and left us with the Conservatives in power with a massive majority for at least the next five years. There are a lot of podcasts out there dissecting the election result, and we are not here to do that. Instead we will talk about how the far right did in the election, discussed how they will fare in the next five years, look at some of the more authoritarian policies in the Tory manifesto and consider the question of whether Boris Johnson is fascist (spoiler: he is not.) Support the show! Give us money on patreon! patreon.com/12rulesforwhat

It might be difficult to imagine fascists had any pull in post WW2 Britain. Yet, when Jewish ex-servicemen returned home they found fascist activity springing up all over London, and especially in the East End. Some of those ex servicemen decided to do something about it. Joining with other Londoners - Jews, gentiles, men and women - they built a street fighting organisation that physically disrupted fascist activity. They named their new organisation the 43 Group. We sit down with author and historian Dan Sonabend to discuss his new book about the group and their legacy.

12 Rules for WHAT has written an afterword to The Trouble with National Action, a new book by Mark Hayes out from Freedom Press. National Action was proscribed by the UK government in December 2016. We discuss the meaning of proscription, its effects on the National Action and the extreme right in the UK, and put the proscription into the history of state anti-fascism. You can get Hayes' book now for only £4 https://freedompress.org.uk/product/the-trouble-with-national-action/ https://patreon.com/12rulesforwhat https://twitter.com/12rulesforwhat

We talk with Dave Renton, author of The New Authoritarians, about his theory of convergence on the right. Blurb for the book: All across the world, right-wing politics is shifting, with conservative and hard-right proponents allying. From Donald Trump to Marine Le Pen, these figureheads agree on issues that would have been considered extreme to previous generations, causing many to label them as fascists. But is this too simplistic? If they are not fascists, what are their politics? In The New Authoritarians, David Renton approaches the problem from a new perspective. He identifies an emergent and deeply troubling form of right-wing radicalism, at once more moderate than classical fascism in its political strategy, yet indulgent of the racism of its most extreme components. In country after country, under the clouds of economic austerity and post-9/11 Islamophobia, the right is converging and strengthening. To understand why is the first step to stopping them. http://www.dkrenton.co.uk/books/the-new-authoritarians/

The 3rd and the 24th August 2019 saw the return of the Free Tommy movement to London - much bedraggled, smaller than before, and with anti-fascists turning out to stop them. In this episode, we sit down with organisers from the London Anti-fascist Assembly and Feminist Anti-fascist Assembly to discuss the two demonstrations, the antifascist response, and the complex and the prospects for anti-fascism in London.

We return for part 2 of our investigation into ecofascism. Ecofascism exists at the moment as a collection of memes and disperate thoughts, but it had the potential to be an important part of the future far right. We discuss how to fight it, and how we can build and ecoantifascism

As Tommy Robinson was sent to prison for the second time for commiting contempt of court he wore a shirt enblazoned with the words 'Convicted of Journalism'. His career as a fake journalist fits into a wider trend of far right and fascist propagandists taking on the mantle of journalist to provide cover for their hateful politics. We are joined by actual journalist James Poulter, who has extensively covered Tommy Robinson, to discuss how Robinson came to style himself a citizen journalist, the make up of the far right coalition that coalacesed around Robinson in 2017-18 and the prospects for the Free Tommy movement in 2019. Danny Tommo failed kidnapper: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/bungling-armed-kidnappers-jailed-for-stupid-attempt-1-7501996 Rebel media meltdown: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/politicians-contributors-distance-themselves-as-rebel-medias-meltdown-continues

What are the basic emotions that the far right draws on? How does the internet produce Nazis? What happened to the cat memes? We talk to Emerican Johnson of the youtube channel Non-compete to find out. In this episode, we discuss online radicalisation, and the pewdiepipeline - Emerican Johnson's framework for thinking about the way people are drawn to the far right through edgy memes and joke. Also in this episode, we read from the deradicalisation stories we were sent by listeners. Video on the PewDiePipeline: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnmRYRRDbuw Video on Masculinity: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjQ2B5cQ_gs Data and Society report on the Alternative Influence Network datasociety.net/output/alternative-influence/ Politigram: joshuacitarella.com/_pdf/Politigram…_2018_short.pdf www.patreon.com/12rulesforwhat

At the end of June the 'western chauvinist' far right fraternity the Proud Boys, demonstrated in Portland and antifascists mobilised to oppse them. Andy Ngo, a 'journalist' who has consistently sided with the far right, was milkshaked by antifascists. We clear up some of the disinformation surrounding the events, talk about their wider significance, and chat about how antifascists can stop the spread of disinformation and false rumours. Further readings: https://itsgoingdown.org/police-push-misinfo-after-portland-shuts-down-proud-boys/ https://itsgoingdown.org/rose-city-antifa-on-6-29-antifascist-mobilization-in-portland/ https://www.cjr.org/analysis/quillette-antifa-journalist-smear-campaign.php https://twitter.com/IGD_News/status/1145623629448843264