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Author, analyst and consultant on extremism J.M. Berger is the author of Optimal (2020) and Extremism (2018). He is a research fellow with VOX-Pol and a PhD candidate at Swansea University's School of Law, where he studies extremist ideologies.
Berger's work encompasses extremism and terrorism, propaganda, and social media analytical techniques. As a consultant for social media and security companies and government agencies, he has conducted research and training on issues related to homegrown terrorism, online extremism, advanced social media analysis, and countering violent extremism (CVE). Extremism, part of The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, was named an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019 by Choice Reviews, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries.
Current title: Fast facts: In addition to publishing extensively on jihadist terrorism and extremism, Berger has also authored key works on far-right extremism in the United States, including the Patriot Movement, the sovereign citizen movement, and topics related to white nationalism, such as the history of The Turner Diaries, the evolution of Christian Identity, and the impact of white nationalism on the 2016 presidential election. He is an associate fellow with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague, and a non-resident fellow with the Alliance for Securing Democracy. He previously served as an on-air consultant with PBS and as a producer for NPR. Berger has lectured at Harvard University, Carnegie-Mellon University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, American University, Leiden University, Utrecht University and others. He has presented keynote speeches for the Society for Terrorism Research, the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence, the Terrorism and Social Media Conference at Swansea University, Massachusetts Crime Analysts, and others. PRIMARY SOURCESSOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCHPAST HIGHLIGHTSHOW DONALD TRUMP WON THE VOTE FROM SKEPTICAL WHITE NATIONALISTS
But it wasn’t always like this. Even after years of championing racially tinged questions about President Barack Obama’s birthplace, as recently as 2015 Trump was treated with disdain and suspicion by most white nationalists. Many claimed he was secretly Jewish, or in thrall to Jewish interests. Others saw him as a blowhard and egomaniac, a mercenary who was out only for himself. This is the story of how Trump won not only their votes but, eventually, their enthusiasm.
Full story at Politico ANWAR AWLAKIOMAR HAMMAMI SELECTED WORKS ON ISIS
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BOOKS BY J.M. BERGERNote: As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases of products linked from this site.NEW: A PALER SHADE OF WHITEDiscussions of extremist ideologies naturally focus on how in-groups criticize and attack out-groups. But many important extremist ideological texts are disproportionately focused on criticizing their own in-group. A new research report from J.M. Berger uses linkage-based analysis to examine Siege, a White nationalist tract that has played an important role in shaping modern neo-Nazi movements, including such violent organizations as Atomwaffen Division and The Base. While Siege strongly attacks out-groups, including Jewish and Black people, the book is overwhelmingly a critique of how the White people of its in-group fall short of Nazi ideals. Siege’s central proposition—that the White in-group is disappointing, deeply corrupt, and complacent—shapes its argument for an “accelerationist” strategy to hasten the collapse of society in order to build something entirely new. Read the report OPTIMAL: THE NEW NOVEL BY J.M. BERGER "Berger’s absorbing story skewers reliance on social media... A sharp, gripping story of a bleak future." — Kirkus Reviews "The characters are charismatic and will keep readers invested. ... Berger compellingly explores the predicaments of a globally networked civilization in this stimulating, immersive book." — BookLife "Optimal is a brilliant exploration of the implications of ceding our personal responsibility and relying on algorithms to teach us how to live. But more than that, it’s great storytelling." -- Hahvi.net From author J.M. Berger, an expert on the toxic real-world effects of a globally networked society, comes a unique dystopian vision of a total information society built by Silicon Valley, where today’s trends have become tomorrow’s reality. THE YEAR OF LIVING UNCERTAINLYWhen no clear, authoritative source of truth exists, when uncertainty rages, human nature will lead many people to seek a more stable reality by wrapping themselves in an ever-tighter cloak of political, religious, or racial identities. The more uncertainty rises, the more alluring that siren call becomes. And some Americans are responding by seeking out exclusive, all-encompassing identities that are toxic and fragile—and hold the seed of violent extremism.RESOURCES ON DOMESTIC EXTREMISMThe following articles and research papers by J.M. Berger address various issues related to right-wing extremism in the United States. They are presented here as a resource for journalists and researchers working on issues related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. J.M. Berger's book, Extremism (2018, MIT Press), also includes resources on how to think and talk about extremist movements relative to mainstream politics. Research papers
Articles
Audio and video
THERE AND BACK AGAIN: RACIST FLYERSRacist flyers and posters have a long history in the US. In recent years, these ephemeral pieces of propaganda have been coordinated and amplified through the use of the internet and social media. In a vicious circle, racist flyers are propagated online, then printed by activists and distributed offline. After distribution, photos and other documentation of the flyer drops are then posted online in order to amplify their message and inspire further drops. By J.M. Berger, Kateira Aryaeinejad and Seán Looney.LET THE GAME DO ITS WORK
From Rollerball to Battle Royale to The Hunger Games, readers and moviegoers have flocked to spectacle dystopias -- a genre of fiction in which a dysfunctional society is centered around a terrible, violent form of entertainment. J.M. Berger, author of Extremism and The Turner Legacy, provides a history of the spectacle dystopia from its almost-forgotten origins in 1878 through modern incarnations such as The Running Man and The Purge franchise, looking at how these works came to be and how they have spilled over into the real world in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways. Let the Game Do Its Work is a short history of this popular genre, and also a guide to help readers discover obscure works that they may have missed.
LEADERLESS RESISTANCE AT 27
Louis Beam's 1992 essay on "Leaderless Resistance" outlined a decentralized strategy for terrorist and extremist groups that has been widely adopted around the world. As written, the strategy was untenable -- it relied on wrong assumptions and a social environment that didn't exist, and it failed to result in any meaningful progress for the movement. But the emergence of social media has created space for a new wave of leaderless attacks, as seen in Christchurch, Pittsburgh, Poway, El Paso and beyond. A look at how the changing world has -- and has not -- rescued a bad strategy from the dustbin of history.
CHALLENGES IN EXTREMISM RESEARCHRead the full chapter 'EXTREMISM' ON NPR'S 'FRESH AIR'THE ALT-RIGHT TWITTER CENSUSVOX-Pol has released its latest report in the VOX-Pol publication series, titled The Alt-Right Twitter Census: Defining and Describing the Audience for Alt-Right Content on Twitter, authored by J.M. Berger, on 15 October 2018.This report defines and describes the alt-right audience on twitter, and identifies the top ten most influential twitter accounts for the alt-right online. Since 2016, the alt-right have held a significant spot in global politics due to their continually expanding online presence. The report examines this online presence ‘with robust metrics and an analysis of content shared by adherents’, primarily on Twitter. All VOX-Pol reports are open-access. This report is available for download HERE. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the report, please email info@voxpol.eu with your request. Related: The Alt-Right in Europe Related: Trump Is the Glue That Binds the Far Right MAJOR WORKSOther major publications and appearances, 2017-2018:
EXTREMIST CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY
This International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, Counter-Terrorism Strategic Communications Project Research Paper examines how the white supremacist movement Christian Identity emerged from a non-extremist forerunner known as British Israelism. By examining ideological shifts over the course of nearly a century, the paper seeks to identify key pivot points in the movement’s shift toward extremism and explain the process through which extremist ideologues construct and define in-group and out-group identities. Based on these findings, the paper proposes a new framework for analyzing and understanding the behavior and emergence of extremist groups. The proposed framework can be leveraged to design strategic counter-terrorism communications programs using a linkage-based approach that deconstructs the process of extremist in-group and out-group definition. Future publications will continue this study, seeking to refine the framework and operationalize messaging recommendations. Read the full research paper Related: The Dangerous New Americanism THE TURNER LEGACY
The Turner Diaries, the infamous racist dystopian novel by neo-Nazi William Luther Pierce, has inspired more than 200 murders since its publication in 1978, including the single deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, the Oklahoma City bombing.
The book is arguably the most important single work of white nationalist propaganda in the English language, but it is not a singular artifact. The Turner Diaries is part of a genre of racist dystopian propaganda dating back to the U.S. Civil War. A new paper from J.M. Berger documents the books that directly and indirectly inspired Turner and examine the extensive violence that the novel has inspired. The Turner Legacy (PDF) | Turner and the Alt Right Related posts on World Gone Wrong:
ISIS and the Dystopian Spectacle
One of the most popular tropes in dystopian fiction is the “violent spectacle.” Immortalized in recent years by The Hunger Games series, the concept is simple: A corrupt society uses some public display or broadcast of violence to manipulate the masses. But it’s never been purely fiction. Read the article What Sovereign Citizens BelieveMembers of the sovereign citizen movement are increasingly in the news for their violent confrontations with law enforcement, but their confusing ideology can be difficult to understand. This paper explains in simple language what sovereigns believe, and where those beliefs originated. | Read the full paper (PDF)
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RECENT APPEARANCESOUT NOW: 'EXTREMISM' by J.M. BERGER A rising tide of extremist movements threaten to destabilize civil societies around the globe. It has never been more important to understand extremism, yet scholars and policy makers can't even define who is an extremist and why. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, J. M. Berger offers a nuanced introduction to extremist movements, explaining what extremism is, how extremist ideologies are constructed, and why extremism can escalate into violence. Named an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019 by Choice Reviews, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Review: "Elegantly written, the book provides a lucid discussion of a contested concept, with illustrating examples from right-wing, left-wing, and religious terrorism. For anyone new to the extremism landscape, it is an excellent introductory text to better understand political extremism." Review: "This book is one of the first serious attempts to provide answers to the lack of scholarly consensus about what extremism means. The author does so by way of a meticulous study of historical phenomena..." Review: "...broadening of the frame allows Berger a set of analytic insights that were obscured by detail in earlier, more limited studies, and his book is the elegant formulation of those insights, simply, and with a forest of scholarship in support." Review: "J.M. Berger’s book Extremism is truly exceptional. This book provides the most intelligent, insightful and accessible treatment of extremist belief systems and their implications. It will be required reading for graduate students in my seminar next semester." Review: "Like any good work on a complicated subject, the author challenges his readers, setting forth propositions and offering questions that encourage the reader to think about the formation of their own worldview and sense of identity. Berger has also written a highly accessible book, which allows readers who may only possess a cursory understanding of the historical context and trends that shaped the emergence of modern-day extremism, to delve more deeply into this relevant issue." VIDEO: U.S. book launch at the New America Foundation Readers react: Read the first reviews on Twitter Buy now! 'Extremism,' Kindle edition, by J.M. Berger Buy now! 'Extremism,' Google Books edition, by J.M. Berger Buy now! 'Extremism,' print edition, by J.M. Berger TOP REVIEWS"...excellent introductory text..."Extremism 
"Elegantly written, the book provides a lucid discussion of a contested concept, with illustrating examples from right-wing, left-wing, and religious terrorism. For anyone new to the extremism landscape, it is an excellent introductory text to better understand political extremism." -- Perspectives on Terrorism
More on Extremism "...smart, granular analysis..." 
ISIS: The State of Terror
"Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger's new book, 'ISIS,' should be required reading for every politician and policymaker... Their smart, granular analysis is a bracing antidote to both facile dismissals and wild exaggerations... a nuanced and readable account of the ideological and organizational origins of the group." -- Washington Post More on ISIS: The State of Terror "...a timely warning..." 
Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam:
"At a time when some politicians and pundits blur the line between Islam and terrorism, Berger, who knows this subject far better than the demagogues, sharply cautions against vilifying Muslim Americans. ... It is a timely warning from an expert who has not lost his perspective." -- New York Times More on Jihad Joe BIG DATA AND EXTREMISMCOUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM (CVE)FBI USE OF INFORMANTS |
