Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism

Spreading Hate examines the evolution of the white power movement around the world, explaining its appeal and the threat it poses as well as many failures.The modern white power movement is now a global, transnational phenomenon. In this sweeping, authoritative account, Daniel Byman traces the key moments in the white power movement's evolution in the United States and around the world and then details its many facets today. Using a wide range of sources, Byman explodes several myths about white power terrorism and exposes dangerous gaps in current policies.For almost two decades since 9/11, white supremacist terrorism has been relegated to a secondary concern in the US and Europe despite the fact that it was clearly metastasizing. This neglect has led to shocking episodes of violence from New Zealand to Norway to South Carolina and has eroded faith in Western democratic institutions. Because white power terrorists' grievances echo mainstream debates and their violence often exacerbates polarization, their political impact can be inordinately high even if the body count is low. As Byman stresses, they are not a hide-bound movement seeking to turn back the clock, but are dynamic, drawing on ideas from around the world and exploiting the most cutting-edge technologies, especially social media.White power terrorists, however, have many weaknesses. They are divided, with poor leadership, and often attract the incompetent and the criminal as well as the dangerous and deluded. If governments act decisively and treat white power terrorism with the same urgency they use to manage jihadist violence, then the threat can be reduced. This will require aggressive law enforcement, international intelligence cooperation, crackdowns by technology companies, and other forceful steps. Considering policy solutions as well as synthesizing a vast body of scholarly research, Spreading Hate will be essential reading for anyone worried about this an increasingly networked movement that threatens to grow more dangerous in the years to come.

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About the Author :
Daniel Byman is a professor at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at Brookings. He is a widely published and nationally recognized expert on terrorism. Byman was a US government analyst and a staff member on the 9/11 Commission, among other positions. His most recent books include A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism; Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement and Road Warriors: Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad.

Review :
In eight chapters, Byman weaves together events and networks in the United States, Europe and New Zealand to paint a sweeping narrative of white supremacy. This attention to transnational linkages is welcome in a literature that tends to focus on case-studies of single countries or organizations. Daniel Byman is among the preeminent scholars of terrorism and counterterrorism of our time—and in this book, he turns his lens on white supremacists, offering a detailed and sophisticated look at their history, ideas, tactics, use of social media, and international dimensions. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about the greatest current terrorism threat facing the United States and the best ways to combat the danger. Daniel Byman's Spreading Hate takes a deep dive into transnational white supremacy, what is driving it, and how it differs from other terrorist movements. Even better, Byman gives us a counterterrorism road map for addressing this threat, which has too long been ignored. A must-read for anyone concerned about metastasizing white supremacy and what can be done to stop it Daniel Byman brings unparalleled counterterrorism insight and expertise to this superb new treatment of modern white power terrorism. Spreading Hate identifies specific factors that have contributed to the recent surge of white supremacist terrorism, at home and abroad. For both the general reader and the scholar practitioner, you will not find a more measured and more thoughtful treatment of this complex set of issues. Read it for the analysis of how we got to this terrible place, but take special note in the latter chapters where Byman tells us what can be done to respond to these disturbing trends.