fascism is not an opinion - fascism is a crime!

As the Mastermind of Far-Right ‘Active Clubs’ Goes to Prison, His Violent Movement Goes Global

The white supremacist Robert Rundo faces years in prison. But the “Active Club” network he helped create has proliferated in countries around the world, from Eastern Europe to South America. American neo-Nazi Robert Rundo’s six-year “battle with the feds”—a fight that spans two dismissals, three appellate reversals, and an extradition and deportation from at least two countries—concludes today with his sentencing to federal prison for attacking ideological opponents at political rallies across California in 2017. Along with several members of the Rise Above Movement, a fight club-cum-street gang Rundo cofounded with fellow extremist Ben Daley in Southern California during the peak of the alt-right movement, Rundo was convicted on 2018 charges of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Riot Act for training and planning a series of attacks on political opponents at rallies across California and Unite the Right in Virginia the year prior. While Rundo may be locked behind bars for years, the movement he created is running wild around the globe. In the interceding years since his initial arrest, indictment, imprisonment, and flight from the US after his case was initially dismissed in 2019, Rundo helped mastermind an international network of RAM clones known as “Active Clubs.” A transnational alliance of far-right fight clubs that closely overlap with skinhead gangs and neofascist political movements in North America, Europe, the Antipodes, and South America, the Active Club network is proliferating internationally. There are dozens of Active Clubs in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Australia, and Colombia, according to the groups’ presence on Telegram and extremism researchers. Seemingly harmless from the outside, Active Clubs are small groups of young men who go on hikes, train in combat sports, weight-lift, and build camaraderie—all part of the Rise Above Movement’s original program. But the darkness is in the details: The groups’ membership often overlaps with other extremist organizations like Patriot Front, criminal skinhead groups like the Hammerskins, and other violent extremists in foreign nations. Some US-based Active Clubs are branching out into political intimidation and violence, like the Rise Above Movement before them.

via wired: As the Mastermind of Far-Right ‘Active Clubs’ Goes to Prison, His Violent Movement Goes Global

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How Peter Thiel’s network of right-wing techies is infiltrating Donald Trump’s White House

It was PayPal cofounder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel who introduced his mentee, JD Vance, to President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2021. Three years later—with Trump and Vance just weeks from the White House—it’s Thiel who is sitting pretty as many people within his network head for official or advisory positions in the next administration. David Sacks—who worked with Thiel at PayPal and wrote for the Stanford Review, the student newspaper Thiel founded as an undergraduate at Stanford University in 1987—was named as the White House’s incoming “AI and crypto czar” on Wednesday. Jim O’Neill, former CEO of Thiel’s personal foundation, has been picked as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Elon Musk, whose financial and vocal support helped elect Trump, will be running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk had worked closely with Thiel at PayPal; and Thiel’s venture fund, Founders Fund, was an early investor in several of Musk’s companies, including space cargo business SpaceX, tunneling firm the Boring Company, and brain-chip startup Neuralink. Trae Stephens,  a general partner at Founders Fund, is reportedly being considered for deputy secretary of defense, according to the Wall Street Journal. And Michael Kratsios, Thiel Capital’s former chief of staff and a director at Founders Fund–backed Scale AI, is reportedly handling tech policy during the Trump transition. Then, of course, there is Vance, who worked for Thiel at one of his funds, Mithril Capital, then launched a venture fund that Thiel backed. Founders Fund still lists Vance’s venture firm, Narya Capital, as an “affiliate” on regulatory filings. All of these individuals, including the vice president–elect, sit within powerful Silicon Valley networks with one man at their center: Thiel. There’s the PayPal Mafia, the group of early employees of the digital payments company that includes Thiel and Musk. There’s the conservative student paper, the Stanford Review. There’s Founders Fund, the $12 billion venture capital firm that has invested in the major startups working most closely with the U.S. Department of Defense—SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril. And then there’s also Thiel’s personal endeavors, like his family office, foundation, or other funds.

via fortune: How Peter Thiel’s network of right-wing techies is infiltrating Donald Trump’s White House

South Portico decorated for the Christmas holiday/pórtico sureño, con decoraciones para la navidad
By Susan Sterner – http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/12/images/20011202-1.html, Public Domain, Link

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Bridging extremes: The intersection of neo-Nazi activism and accelerationism – #terror

Modern neo-Nazi accelerationism is dominated by the ideology of James Mason’s book Siege, which disavows public-facing activism and conventional electoral politics in favor of violence and terrorism. However, some proponents have sought to combine both strategies. This Dispatch analyzes the motivations behind this seemingly contradictory behavior, drawing on two case studies of individuals associated with both accelerationist and white nationalist activist groups. Understanding this crossover will enable policymakers and law enforcement to better counter the risks it poses, including efforts by accelerationists to mobilize members of activist groups to violence.  Introduction  Accelerationism is a doctrine adopted by many violent extremists which seeks to hasten the collapse of modern societal and political structures. Most accelerationist neo-Nazis are heavily inspired by Siege, a series of essays written by neo-Nazi James Mason, as well as writings from the now-defunct Iron March forum. Drawing on those texts, they advocate for the use of targeted violence, including industrial sabotage and terrorism, while also encouraging adherents to “drop out” of the system to starve it of resources and legitimacy. By contrast, white nationalist activists seek to work within the system to promote anti-migrant and other racist policies by engaging in lawful activities such as protests, banner drops and stickering.   For a subset of accelerationist neo-Nazis (often called ‘Siege accelerationists’ due to the importance of Mason’s book to their ideology), activism has typically been viewed as ideologically impure, tactically unsound and ineffective in advancing their goals of collapsing modern society to enable the formation of a white ethnostate. However, this Dispatch shows that neo-Nazi accelerationism and white nationalist activism are not mutually exclusive: some accelerationists combine public-facing activism with their support for ideological violence. Using two case studies—Kristoffer Nippak (alleged Atomwaffen Division member) and Andrew Takhistov (alleged Terrorgram affiliate) — we demonstrate the challenge that this development poses for law enforcement.

via isd global: Bridging extremes: The intersection of neo-Nazi activism and accelerationism

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Kimberly Guilfoyle: Latest Trump nominee accused of sexual misconduct

The former Fox News host was the subject of a 2020 New Yorker investigation, which reported that she was forced to leave the network after being accused of subjecting an assistant to ‘degrading, abusive, and sexually inappropriate behavior’ Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former San Francisco first lady-turned fierce Donald Trump loyalist, said Tuesday that she was honored to be the president-elect’s choice to become ambassador to Greece and looked forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate. But it remains to be seen whether Guilfoyle can win this support. She’s got “baggage,” as political observers would say, and not just because she may or may not still be engaged to Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr. The former San Francisco prosecutor also has faced allegations that she engaged in sexual misconduct when she worked as a host at Fox News, reportedly subjecting a female assistant to “degrading, abusive, and sexually inappropriate behavior” and leaving the Rupert Murdoch-run network to pay out a multimillion-dollar settlement to avoid trial. Guilfoyle is the latest Trump nominee for a high-level, public-facing government position to face allegations of sexual impropriety. It’s not clear yet whether such allegations will prove disqualifying for these jobs, with Trump barreling into his second term and insisting his government should be filled with loyalists. His party also controls the Senate, which is responsible for confirming nominees to positions in his Cabinet, in the federal courts and in the State Department. But making Guilfoyle an ambassador with her alleged history “does continue the pattern that we have seen among a number of Trump nominees, one that he does not consider (sexual misconduct) a disqualifying issue in any forum,” said Kathleen Dolan, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee whose focus includes women and politics. Trump himself has been accused of sexual misconduct or assault by at least 18 women and was found liable by a jury for sexually abusing a woman in a department store in the mid-1990s, the Washington Post said

via mercurynews: Kimberly Guilfoyle: Latest Trump nominee accused of sexual misconduct

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Musk’s Foundation Gave Away Less Money Than Required in 2023

Private foundations must donate 5 percent of their assets every year. Elon Musk’s enormous charity missed that standard for three consecutive years. For the third year in a row, Elon Musk’s charitable foundation did not give away enough of its money. And it did not miss the mark by a small amount. New tax filings show that the Musk Foundation fell $421 million short of the amount it was required to give away in 2023. Now, Mr. Musk has until the end of the year to distribute that money, or he will be required to pay a sizable penalty to the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Musk, in his new role as a leader of what President-elect Donald J. Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency, is promising to downsize and rearrange the entire federal government — including the I.R.S. But the tax records show he has struggled to meet a basic I.R.S. rule that is required of all charity leaders, no matter how small or big their foundations. Mr. Musk’s is one of the biggest. His foundation has more than $9 billion in assets, including millions of shares in Tesla, his electric vehicle company. By law, all private foundations must give away 5 percent of those assets every year. (…) Mr. Musk’s group has fallen further and further behind. In 2021, his foundation was $41 million short, then $234 million the following year. Now, the hole is deeper still.

via nytimes: Musk’s Foundation Gave Away Less Money Than Required in 2023

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Pete Hegseth decried out gay troops in US military as part of Marxist agenda

Trump’s embattled secretary of defence nominee expresses contentious views on gay service members in latest book. Policies allowing out gay people to serve in the US military have been denounced as part of a “Marxist” agenda aimed at prioritising social justice above combat-readiness by Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled defence secretary pick. The assertion was among many contentious “anti-woke” views expressed in Hegseth’s latest book, The War on Warriors, published this year, in which he lambasted a previous policy – known as don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT) – that tolerated gay service members as long as they did not disclose their sexual orientation, while also excoriating its repeal. DADT was introduced as a compromise during Bill Clinton’s presidency in 1993 to allow lesbians and gay men to serve in the military in the face of opposition from senior commanders. The policy overturned a previous blanket ban that had been in place since the second world war.

via guardian: Pete Hegseth decried out gay troops in US military as part of Marxist agenda

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Prozess zu rechten Anschlägen in Berlin-Neukölln: Neonazis wegen Brandstiftung zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt

Im Prozess wegen Brandstiftungen auf Autos politischer Gegner wurden zwei Neuköllner Neonazis zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt. Das Berliner Landgericht hob damit ein Urteil aus erster Instanz auf. Im Berufungsprozess wegen zweier Brandanschläge in Neukölln und weiterer Straftaten hat das Berliner Landgericht zwei Neonazis zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt. Das Gericht hob zudem die rechte Gesinnung der Angeklagten hervor. Diese habe für die Taten eine wesentliche Rolle gespielt. „Das war ein politischer Prozess“, sagte die Vorsitzende Richterin, Susann Wettley, bei der Urteilsbegründung. Den früheren NPD-Kader und polizeibekannten Neonazi Sebastian T. verurteilte das Gericht unter anderem wegen zweifacher Brandstiftung zu einer Freiheitsstrafe in Höhe von drei Jahren und sechs Monaten. T. wurde zudem wegen Betrugs in fünfstelliger Höhe, Bedrohung und diversen Sachbeschädigungen verurteilt. Seinen Mitangeklagten, den früheren AfD-Politiker Tilo P., verurteilte das Gericht zu einer Freiheitsstrafe von zwei Jahren und zehn Monaten. Den Haftbefehl gegen ihn, den die Staatsanwaltschaft wegen einer fehlenden Wohnanschrift und Fluchtgefahr beantragt hatte, lehnte das Gericht ab. Da das Urteil noch nichts rechtskräftig ist, bleiben beide bis zur Vollstreckung zunächst auf freiem Fuß. Das Gericht hebt mit dem Urteil einen Richtspruch aus erster Instanz auf. Das Amtsgericht hatte die beiden Angeklagten mit Blick auf die Brandstiftungen im Februar 2023 freigesprochen.

via tagesspiegel: Prozess zu rechten Anschlägen in Berlin-Neukölln: Neonazis wegen Brandstiftung zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt

siehe auch: Neonazi-Prozess in Berlin Wegen Brandstiftungen verurteilt Fast sieben Jahre nach zwei Brandstiftungen fällt im Neuköllner Neonazi-Prozess endlich das Urteil. Die Angeklagten sind schuldig. Ob das Gericht „noch mehr an Geständnissen“ brauche, fragte Lukas Theune, Anwalt des Nebenklägers Ferat Koçak, in seinem Abschlussplädoyer am Donnerstag beim Neuköllner Neonazi-Prozess vor dem Landgericht. Zuvor hatte er ein halbes Dutzend Äußerungen der Angeklagten Tilo P. und Sebastian T. vorgetragen, in denen sie sich innerhalb der vergangenen Jahre gegenüber Polizisten, Partnerinnen, Mithäftlingen oder untereinander zu den Brandstiftungen an den Autos des Linken-Politikers Koçak und des Buchhändlers Heinz Ostermann bekennen. (…) Die Vorsitzende Richterin in dem Berufungsprozess verwarf den Urteilsspruch des Amtsgerichts, das in der ersten Instanz keine ausreichenden Beweise für die beiden Brandstiftungen erkennen konnte. Stattdessen verurteilte das Gericht nun die beiden Neonazis für beide Brandstiftungen, auch ohne ultimativen Beweis, wie einen Fingerabdruck oder einer DNA-Spur. Die beiden Neonazis wurden außerdem wegen gemeinsam begangener Sachbeschädigungen und Propagandadelikten verurteilt, T. auch wegen Coronabetrug. Für T. verhängte das Gericht eine Gesamtstrafe von 3 Jahren und 6 Monaten. P. erhielt eine Gefängnisstrafe von 2 Jahren und 10 Monaten. In ihrer Begründung sagte die Richterin, sie habe „keinerlei Zweifel“, dass die „beiden Angeklagten die Taten so begangen“ haben. Als strafmildernd wertete sie, dass sie inzwischen fast sieben Jahre zurückliegen. Haftbefehle wurden nicht erlassen. P. habe einen Teil der Strafe bereits verbüßt. Eine Revision gegen das Urteil ist möglich.

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