Myth and conspiracy among the alt-right : a five-year observation of 4chan’s /pol/
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This thesis is the culmination of a five-year observation of the neo-fascist community on 4chan’s /pol/ forum. This observation began at the end of 2016, and continued until the end of 2021, a period which included many key moments in the alt-right’s history, such as the period of confidence following Donald Trump’s election, the fallout of the Unite the Right rally in 2017, and the turn toward terrorism in 2019. Drawing upon this observation, it describes the unique mechanisms present on /pol/ that support radicalisation, and analyses how the use of a mythic narrative binds the movement together and explains their actions. It is not an exhaustive description of the movement or its beliefs – this territory has been covered by others – but instead focuses on using dissecting the stories that underpin the movement’s unique and deeply unusual view of reality. It discusses their conspiracy theories in depth, along with their mythic relationship to the fascisms of the past, and their apocalyptic visions of the future.