Bait and Switch

The American Alt-Right’s Manufactured Martyrdom

Anastasja Abraham, Amílcar Antonio Barreto

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Hardback

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English

Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
15 June 2024

Nationalism; Fascism & Nazism; Political structures: totalitarianism & dictatorship

Exclusionary notions of American national identity have been endemic since the country’s founding. Since the Culture Wars, they have returned with vengeance. One of their champions is a new generation of tech savvy activists known as the Alt-Right. This is a movement that embraces a vision of America that is unapologetically white and Christian supremacist, misogynistic and xenophobic. Rather than see the Alt-Right as an outlier, the authors of this book treat it as an integral part of an endemic battler over the articulation of American national identity. Critically, what distinguishes these cyber warriors from other far-right movements is their rhetorical style. Their far-right counterparts employ muscular rhetoric and demand the right to dominate. The Alt-Right, on the other hand, has opted for a weapons-of-the-weak strategy and accuses adversaries of persecuting them. Embracing a cult of victimhood, this shift in rhetorical tactic is not only a matter of gaslighting; its goal is to justify potential acts of violence.

By: Anastasja Abraham, Amílcar Antonio Barreto
Imprint: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781666919691
ISBN 10: 1666919691
Pages: 218
Publication Date: 15 June 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

List of Abbreviations List of Figures Introduction Chapter 1: American National Identities Chapter 2: Culture Wars Chapter 3: The Far Right Chapter 4: Cult of Victimhood Chapter 5: Alt–Right Thinkers Chapter 6: Alt Right Out from the Shadows Chapter 7: Fuentes, Taylor and Peinovich Conclusion: Down, But Far from Out Bibliography Index About the Authors

Anastaja Abraham is a PhD Candidate in political science at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on American nationalism, especially the nationalist expressions of far-right movements. Amílcar Antonio Barreto is a professor and chair in the Department of Cultures, Societies and Global Studies at Northeastern University. He received his law degree and PhD from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. His research focuses on nationalism, race, ethnicity and gender.

Reviews for Bait and Switch: The American Alt-Right’s Manufactured Martyrdom

"""An extraordinarily timely investigation of the Alt-Right at a time when it is most needed. A great resource for anyone interested in the relationship between digital participation and Alt-Right extremism."" --Pierce Dignam, Binghamton University ""This is a careful and well-researched analysis of the origins and historical anchors of the Alt-Right movement. It makes the case that Alt-Right ideology should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a long mythology around American national identity that upholds white, straight, Christian men as superior and worthy of protection against various threats. Thus, while the Alt-Right might be the latest example in a long chain of far right extremism, it is not alone in its aims and world-view. The book unpacks this long chain, showing its influence and presence within our current and divided socio-political moment."" --Mary Bloodsworth-Lugo, Washington State University Vancouver"