In March 2019, after over twenty years as a staunch neo-Nazi, Jeff Schoep became highest profile former white nationalist leader in America to ever publicly walk away from hate.
From a very young age I was fascinated by military history. It seemed as if it were in my genes. My grandfather and great uncles all fought for the Third Reich. One great uncle was severely injured in a tank explosion during the Battle of the Bulge. Another great uncle was captured during the battle of Stalingrad by Soviet forces. My grandfather was captured in Germany by the Allies.
My family lineage spurred me to the local library where I could escape small town U.S.A. and fly with my imagination anywhere. Most people think that those that join extremist movements are brainwashed. I can tell you that recruitment is a two-way street. Seekers are seeking and propagandists are dying to pique their interests.
I soon found a library book that listed various white nationalist groups in an appendix. It covered everything from the Ku Klux Klan to National Socialists. Yet, I wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth, so I wrote each group asking for more information. I wanted something as close as possible to German National Socialism.
In the early 90’s, I spoke with members of a Christian Identity organization that had a booth at the Minnesota State Fair. They presented themselves merely as a Christian organization, but they soon put me in contact with the National Socialist American Workers Freedom Movement, NSM for short. The NSM was a direct descendant of George Lincoln Rockwell’s original American Nazi Party. This lineage and historical connection was exactly what I had been looking for. I did not see my initial involvement as being about hate, I viewed it as defending my “people” or tribe.
Upon joining, I was quickly shown some of Rockwell’s recruitment methods. I was shown the “one man picket” demonstration for example, where you literally head off into the community and protest, by yourself. During my early years in the movement I was mentored by men that served with George Lincoln Rockwell himself. It gave me a sense of importance. It was not merely the ideology and history that attracted me, there was a sense of brotherhood and significance. You feel as if you are living in a period of predestined victory and you are playing your role. In 1992, I was an alternate delegate for the Republican Party in Minnesota and spoke in front of a crowd for the first time. It soon became natural.
When I joined the NSM, it was very small and was eclipsed by larger, more prominent white nationalist organizations. In 1994 I became Commander of the NSM. I played a major role as the NSM grew to become the largest National Socialist organization in the US. It grew so large it became known throughout the world. We adjusted our messaging as the world transitioned to the internet. We became trendsetters as women were allowed leadership roles. Our membership included all ages from early teens up to the elderly.
As a recruiter, I tailored tactics to the individual. Contrary to popular belief, ANYONE is susceptible. People tend to believe that those who become radicalized are just individuals that come from broken homes, loners, troublemakers, outcasts, etcetera. That is not the case. I have guided the rich, the affluent, the educated, and all-American boys and even girls.
If someone came to us and had a bad experience with a person of another race, the recruiting narrative would focus on race. For others it was more about history and politics. For others, it was religion. If the potential recruit was Christian for example, then the recruiting narrative would be steeped in Christian Identity. If the person was Catholic, we would point out Hitler was Catholic as well. If the individual was pagan, we would draw upon the folkish aspects of Odinism. Recruitment for the movement was also done through music, books, movies, and even video games. The NSM even had a Youth Corps, kind of like the Nazi’s Hitler Youth. Parental permission was needed to enroll, and many parents viewed it as a way of keeping their teens off drugs, off the streets, and out of trouble. Offering a total counterculture, a network, an answer for every inquisition; we provided a solution to every need. We utilized every means at our disposal to communicate our message of national socialism.
Yet, after 20 years of mastering the art of propaganda and recruitment, I came to a point of rebirth. While the arc of my story into and out of the movement is a book in and of itself, my number one conclusion from my own disengagement is that society needs to approach extremists, both individuals and collectives, with utmost understanding and an open mind. In reality, there was no true camaraderie or compassion in the movement, but I didn’t see much better in more mainstream society.
Life as an extremist takes its toll. I suffered and certainly made others suffer. Eventually open-mindedness coupled with the kindness, compassion and the understanding of others helped me get to a point where I could hold the space and embrace the courage it took to break down the narratives for myself. I made realizations that now seem so simple but at the time were sublime. For example, when I was involved, I did not see or care to see that people of other races had the same struggles as white people. It was only through sitting down face-to-face with others and hearing their stories and struggles that was I able to open up.
I deradicalized by embracing the same curiosity that brought me into the movement. Contrary to popular belief many extremists are actually open-minded in some ways. I have been able to admit when I was wrong, but also as you get older, you gain wisdom. I was deradicalized by internal introspection and sought out Light Upon Light to find a new network. I reverse engineered the process of radicalization. I have always embraced change and realize now that I can put the same skill set and passion to use for good. Dialogue, engagement, and hearing is key to deradicalization, in the same way they are to recruitment writ large.
Now we are facing a test that will largely determine the future of our world for generations to come. For example, the rise in mass shootings has been alarming for years, but it is clearly getting worse and coalescing into a transnational collective of disparate movements driven by similar underlying grievances and principles. How we react to them is what must change.
More and more white men feel marginalized today, as if they do not have a voice and their worst fears of becoming irrelevant are being reinforced. Through these violent acts, as abhorrent and disgusting as they are, they hold themselves as revolutionary martyrs for the cause. Instead of merging their identity with a protest group, they feel they must do more. They act in the name of the imagined collective and are therefore not lone wolves but an expression of the group. Wolves hunt in packs and not all of them do the killing.
The shooters fully understand that by engaging in these targeted acts of violence they are drawing the attention of the entire world to their cause. This gives a voice to their cause via the media who will report on their horrendous acts and seek the associated ratings. To the shooters, these cowardly acts of gunning down unarmed innocent civilians are viewed as a heroic act in service of their cause. However, this twisted mindset actually damages their cause so much more than they could ever imagine. When a movement is formed on principles of violence, some will inevitability perpetrate violent acts. Therefore, the only way to address a rise in this type of terrorism is to address and acknowledge the grievances that form the protest movement in the first place and provide alternatives, at least to the degree that people feel heard. That’s not to say that the unnuanced and extremist interpretations should not be confronted and countered.
Take for example the theory of the “Great Replacement,” which holds that other races or religions will replace traditional white European culture. This feeds into the fears of many young white men and women who feel that they do not have a voice. In both the U.S. and Europe there is a fear that immigration will alter the national character and deprive individuals of economic opportunity, in reality, policies over several decades have favored an economic elite and shrunk the middle class. As Eric Hoffer stated in his book The True Believer, the “new poor” and disenfranchised create the perfect stew for a growth in fanaticism.
The European and American far-right think that they all have the same common enemy whether it is religion or race. We are now witnessing a global white nationalist movement formulating. I believe that most efforts that are being taken to address it will only further polarize society, feed the extremist narratives, and will prove to be counter-productive in the long run.
The knee jerk reaction from society is to immediately ban and silence those who hold opposing ideologies. However, banning thoughts and ideas will only potentially lead men and women who feel that they are marginalized to further acts of violence. If they are unable to be heard through peaceful means and platforms, they will speak in a way that will gain attention in a different way. If we can show the futility of their ideals through education and engagement, the truth will create a balance that will at least reduce the number of those who turn to violence.
While I was in the NSM, we noticed an emphasis on taking ISIS and pro-jihadi material off of Facebook and Twitter. The social media companies claimed success and are now using a similar approach with white nationalist content. Far-right recruits are prepared and will use a new discourse of victim-hood. They are creating their own alternative web and in the meantime are merely flocking to Gab, 8chan, and encrypted platforms like Telegram.
Contrary to popular belief, de-platforming is absolutely counterproductive. If the speech in question does not call for illegal acts then silencing those with different views, on the grounds that they serve as conveyor belts to violence, only reinforces their fear of oppression. It fits into the narrative that white people are being suppressed and their voices are being silenced. This gives the movement a treasure trove of political ammunition that can be used to spew its narrative. Bans will lead to more acts of violence and increased numbers of people lashing out. By silencing their voices, they feel like the only way to be heard will be to make a statement through violence. In these cases, the media will act as their voice. This has been proven to be true with any form of extremism. If you take away someone’s voice, those ideologies will be viewed like a forbidden fruit and will be more sought after than before.
Instead, society as a whole should work harder to create dialogue and understanding. We need to help others find commonalities. We all have similar struggles, want to provide for our families, and want to have a good life. If we stop dehumanizing one another and find our commonalities to build on, instead of focusing on the differences, then we can help end the hyper-polarization and break down misconceptions of the “other.”
After almost a lifetime in the NSM, today I believe in peace and understanding. All people, all races, and all religions can find common ground. The world would be a better place without the anger and hatred. We will never create a perfect world, but if we are able to focus on our commonalities and believe in the possibility of transformative change, at both the individual and collective levels, then we can all work together to make life more fulfilling. Violent extremism has destroyed many lives. Hate and anger is a dark pit. I want to do what I can to show others that there is a life beyond the anger and that there is light. I want to use my experiences to enlighten others.
I understand the world of the far-right and I also understand how to come out of it. To those still in the movement, know that there is a better life out here. There is a whole world of people who are willing to accept you. We will not judge you. There are many former extremists, like myself and others, who understand and have walked similar paths. We are willing to walk with you step by step out of the darkness. We know how hard it is to leave, but we also know that there is a better way.
- This article was featured in Ctrl+Alt+Del-Hate Issue 01
