The Language Of White Supremacy: A Data Analysis Of The Alt-Right Online

Over the past few months the (variously named) components of the so-called Alt-Right — from 'Men's Rights' activists to White Supremacists to Neo-Nazis to just plain-old Nazis — have drawn an increasing amount of media attention. But questions remain as to whether the phenomenon is actually growing, or just getting more headlines. And, in either instance: who are these people, and what do they want?

These questions and more are quite neatly answered in Tim Squirrell's well laid-out review of his research on the language used on various Alt-Right message boards online. Scanning over three billion Reddit comments, Squirrel managed to define clear 'taxonomies' of bigots within a broad Reddit group — including Trolls, misogynist Gamers, 'Men's Rights' activists (who naturally blame their troubles, including struggles to find a sexual or romantic partner, on women), Anti-Globalists (Soros is the root of all their woes), and standard-issue White Supremacists. Further, Squirrel has then used his data to identify the messaging and types of words most commonly used within each group, and where certain words overlap. Cuck, it emerges, is particularly popular and has cross-bigot appeal. 

This is a fascinating article, presenting important research that is at times horrifying and at other times almost humourous in its blunt observations of how pathetic the complaints are of the least-marginalised group of people in the world (white heterosexual men).

It also shows that this group is, unfortunately, consolidating and — shockingly — getting stronger.