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Nazis, Communists, Klansmen, and Others on the Fringe

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Nazis, Communists, Klansmen, and Others on the Fringe
Cover of the first edition
AuthorJohn George, Laird Wilcox
LanguageEnglish
GenrePolitics
PublisherPrometheus Books
Publication date
1992
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages523
ISBN0-87975-680-2

Nazis, Communists, Klansmen, and Others on the Fringe: Political Extremism in America is a 1992 book by John George and Laird Wilcox. It is an examination of political extremism of both the far-left and far-right in the United States. It was published by Prometheus Books in 1992 as a 523-page hardcover. In 1996, Prometheus Books republished it as American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists and Others in a 443-page paperback.

The authors attempt to summarize the pre-1960 historical background of American extremist movements, discuss conspiracy theories and their validity, offer their insight on what motivates extremists, and discuss a number of contemporary groups on the "far-left" and "far-right" based principally on their personal contacts with approximately six hundred individual extremists and the extremists' own writings.

Overview

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The authors give the history of their personal interest in political extremism. Recognizing their fallibility, and inability to claim "anything approaching complete objectivity", the authors attempted to "make an honest and diligent attempt to be fair and even-handed in our treatment of this subject." Distinguishing this book from the many covering "extremism" or "extremists" on the market (with their own agenda "to provide a rationale for persecuting or doing away with certain 'extremists'"), the authors' goal was "to provide understanding of a human problem, not a basis for one more round of persecutions." The authors propose a definition of "extremism" based on "the behavioral model" ("defined in terms of certain behaviors, particularly behavior toward other human beings"), passing up the "normative or "statistical" way" (framing the spectrum on a linear scale, a "bell curve") and the "popularity contest" theory ("social definition agreed upon by collective fiat"). The authors describe their position on the political spectrum as "a bit difficult to pin down"; they "might be most accurately described as pragmatists with libertarian tendencies."

Organization

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Chapter 35. The National States' Rights Party
Chapter 36. National Christian Publishers
Chapter 37. Ku Klux Klans
  • Appendix I. Fake Quotes and Fabricated Documents: A Common Extremist Tactic
  • Appendix II. Principal Characteristics of the Extremes and the Mainstream in America: A Handy Guide for Extremist Watchers
  • Index

Publication history

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It was published by Prometheus Books (Buffalo, New York) in 1992[1][2] as a 523-page[3] hardcover (ISBN 0-87975-680-2). In 1996, Prometheus Books (Amherst, New York) republished it as American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists and Others in a 443-page paperback (ISBN 1-57392-058-4).[4]

John George was a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma in sociology and political sciences.[5]

Reception

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Max J. Skidmore for The Kansas City Star praised it as then the "definitive study" on American political extremism.[6] Another review noted it as scholarly and not particularly entertaining, but called it important reading.[7] One reviewer criticized the book's grouping of the John Birch Society with more militant and racist far-righters,[8] and another questioned the comparison of Fidel Castro with Pol Pot.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Off the Shelf: Politics". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. March 7, 1993. p. 62. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Kooks, cranks and Crazies — U.S. full of 'em". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. February 21, 1993. p. 83. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Extremism has reached its limit, but what fun it was". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. February 14, 1993. p. 33. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Collette, Lin (Oct. 1998). Review of American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists & Others, by Laird Wilcox and John George. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 147–148. doi:10.1525/nr.1998.2.1.147.
  5. ^ "UCO Professor Goes to Extremes". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. March 1, 1993. p. 58. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Skidmore, Max J. (August 8, 1993). "A look at extremism: right, left and in between". The Kansas City Star. p. 135. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "On the lunatic fringe of American politics: A comprehensive history of extremism". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. March 14, 1993. p. 107. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "On Crime, Extremists, Recycling". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. December 16, 1993. p. 18. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Taking matters to extremes". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. July 24, 1993. p. 43. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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