With the appearance of the first edition of the magazine Alert! in 1997 also appeared the first "Under the Loupe ', the article that provides research Kafka. Na 15 year and almost 60 episodes is the time to look back. A critical review: we've done it all the time as we wanted? Articles had the effect we hoped for and were the topics we chose always happy?
To begin with the effectiveness of the Lens. It has always been the intention to achieve more with the Loupe than just writing an article to inform the anti-fascist movement. We wanted to make known developments within the extreme right to a wider audience. But also highlight the role of individual right-wing extremists. And all to finally do our bit to combat this phenomenon. It worked one time better than the other times. So we were actually surprised about the great impact of the recent article about Wilders Staten Monica Nunes, who had a big story on the Stormfront forum (1). On the other hand, we expected much more from the unveiling of the far-right past of PVV MP Raymond de Roon (2). But that was hardly picked up by other media.
What the precise impact of the articles on individual right extremists, often remains shrouded in mystery. Sometimes we hear that people are proud to be named, sometimes that there is a lot to do to stay out of the picture. Six months after the start of Alert!, the second Loupe had just appeared, We were in the fortunate position that we were in a restaurant next to the table for a Post-Delegation. Those were just the latest Alert! owned had with an article about their own leader. Closer to an unimpeachable source from the extreme right we have not been, and the reviews were very positive. They were impressed by the level of knowledge. So let's just keep that many articles have done their job.
But whether our chosen subjects always as good. That is of course difficult to assess. But it is a crucial question if you do not elephant of a mosquito, or the importance of a publication always is equally well estimated. That is not so in all cases. For example, bleaching 'National Collective "and the" Dutch Defence League' actually mayflies. Without a dent in a store suit butter they disappeared from the scene. In other cases we had a happier grip. So we were able for example to the publications on the Stormfront forum and the website Holland Hardcore contribute to the convictions of visually defining activists behind these initiatives. We could also developments occur around, growth and further development of organizations such as Blood & Honour in Nederland, good analysis of the NCE and Outpost in many cases, which enabled us to provide much insight in size, intentions and potential threat emanating from these organizations.
But let's make an attempt to measure how well our estimates have been. We take the first eight persons we treat (that is the whole harvest of the nineteen 1997-1999) and see what else these people become. When now, 15 years later, turns out they actually have been of negligible interest we have screwed up. However, they appear to have had for years a prominent role than we consider the choice for them as a success. In that respect we can be brief. Of the eight people treated there are six active over the last five years, still active and one person dropped out soon after the publication off.
To begin with the latter, Marc de Boer was in the nineties prominent member of the CP'86. He kicked it to the board and council member of that party. After several splits, he finished at the end of the decade at the New National Party (NNP). Vanaf 2000 However, he disappeared entirely from view.
In the period that De Boer was active within the extreme right he put almost no step without his close friend Marcel Hoogstra. Ook die was prominent actief in de CP’86 en later in de NNP. But unlike De Boer Hoogstra is still active in extreme right context, but in a special way. After being approximately 10 years ago disappeared from active politics, he seems to have completely focused on his construction companies: scaffolding and insulation. Nevertheless, he appeared to be able to provide a significant, but scarce in the extreme right scene: Work. What employer wants indeed help ondergetatoeëerde Nazi skinhead with a criminal-as-a-phone and a gun obsession to a job or for example to employ the action leader for Post-Netherlands? Marcel Hoogstra well. And he thus supports his fellow right-wing extremists probably much better than he did as an active right wing extremist.
Besides these two obvious right-wing extremists, we treated in 1998 ook Prosper Ego, leader of the Ancient Warriors Legion (OSL). The OSL was a deeply conservative, very right-wing anti-communist organization. Especially during the Cold War, it was a significant factor in Netherlands. She knew both fanatical right-wing extremists as prominent politicians of the VVD to bind. About Ego we may actually be short. He is now 85 jaar, but not changed sting. He was during his years as president OSL (to the elimination of 2010) for-America, pro-Apartheid, anti-islam (except when radical Muslims fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan) en anti-links. Nowadays he can be heard in identical words in articles on various right-wing and extreme right-wing websites. And that he will, we may assume, the years that he remains not unlearn.
Someone you might think that he, net als Prosper Ego, his extreme right-wing activism until the end of time would persevere Tim Mudde. Mudde was the first person we dealt with in the first Alert! But, Despite these high expectations, it's been different.
Mudde was in 1997 in establishing Alert! For more than ten years as successive skinhead, neo-Nazi and member of the CP'86. The CP'86 was then just fallen apart and Mudde moved to Outpost Netherlands. Since then he has been particularly active in many, a lot of extreme right-wing activities. He made music (Brigade M), launched a far-right mail order (Fenris), a radio station (Radio Rapaille), a regional Stammtisch, an animal rights club (MDTB), a regional paper (Stammtisch Courant), an extreme right-wing press desk (ONP), an annual football tournament and we forget undoubtedly a thing. He was a short spin in the extreme right-wing web. Until about a year ago an arm injury kept him one time on the side. What then exactly happened, We do not know. But the fact is that Mudde shortly thereafter rapidly opdoekte all its initiatives or did to others. Fenrir hield opheffingsuitverkoop, Stamtafel the Courant was done to others and Radio Rapaille came entirely in Flemish hands. Possibly Muddes ongoing job search played a role. He tells many years to anyone who wants to hear that he has many problems with his negative reputation in finding work. At the same time he saw it as a sacrifice for the extreme right thing. In februari 2012 he made – as far as known – for the first work of. He was not adopted after a job because of his extreme right-wing activities. Mudde brought the matter to the attention of the Equal Treatment Commission and got right. The company had not allowed him to refuse on the grounds of political opinion. Striking detail is that Mudde in the treatment of the case stated in a while not to be politically active.
De soulmate van Mudde in 1997 what Marcel Rueter, also from the CP'86 and with Mudde from that party switched to Outpost. Rüter was at that time president of Outpost. He tried to train with the club especially the extreme right supporters and made attempts to achieve any intellectual debate within that world. While he looked pointedly at Flanders, Germany and France, where such a debate has for decades conducted. He continued to try to round 2005 and then gave his presidency. He ducked (now mid-forties) after some time in the gabber / hardcore scene. The story goes that he sometimes there trying to win young people for his ideas. Whether that has had some success is unknown. But Marcel Rüter subsequently disappeared from the extreme right-wing political activism.
Then we treated two neo-Nazis: Ed Polman and Michael Forest. Both are to this day active today. They both sprang from the CP'86 and were then active in NCE circles. So you could think Polman Forest and two hands in glove, but that is certainly not true.
Ed Polman has over the years remained a harsh Nazi skinhead and leader of the violent Nazi group Combat 18 in Nederland. He was several times engaged in intense violence and was arrested shortly after the murder of Fortuyn. The police suspected him of plans for an attack on a leftist politician. After a few years ago, a few close friends Polman were arrested for widespread gun ownership touched his group in big trouble. Statements were made together with the police and there were major hassles. Since then, the activities of Polman are limited to the occasional walk with Nazi demonstrations organized by others. Occasionally he runs with the Dutch People's Union (NVU). But mostly he let the demonstrations go beyond, because he hated party leader Kusters.
Michael Wood on the other hand - in a short period of quarrel after - always to be found in the vicinity of Constant Kusters. First within the Arnhem circuit CP'86 and later as NVU member. And within the NCE it takes quite a bit of activity in itself. Officially he is "NVU Ombudsman '. The aim is that he plays a kind of buffer function, causing dissatisfaction with the party or the party leader Kusters not lead directly to the completely uncontrolled outbursts of anger from Kusters. In practice, however, not work as well. Kusters has now virtually all party members chased the NCE. In addition, Bos also the permanent party photographer demonstrations, parties and other gatherings records and he likes the occasional lecture at a meeting.
So far we have seen only two profiles: volhouders in afhakers. However, the last person we treat falls on, due to some notable changes. It is Wim Elst Wood from Haarlem. We wrote about it in 1998 when he on behalf of the Centre Democrats (CD) in the House sat. However, a short time later lost all its parliamentary seats the party. Elst Wood also lost his council seat in Haarlem and its States Headquarters in New York. Then it was quiet for a while. But about half-pay after his term had ended, he dove into 2004 on the extreme right game at the New Right of Michiel Smit. He put a local department, ran with demonstrations, was a candidate in elections and approached former CD-members with a request to vote for the New Right. But not all that eventually led to some success.
Two years later Elst Wood tried on old fame to achieve success. He did in Amsterdam participate in the elections under the name CD. But that led to nowhere. Eventually he ended up in the circles of Wilders supporters. In 2011 he put his signature support for the PVV and he was present at an organized pro-Wilders demonstration by the Freedom Party.
When we see this short list as a test and then we ended up with the right people, then we can really only answer in the affirmative. All persons who we described, except one, after publication for a long time remained very active and mostly important in the extreme right circuit.
What we learn from this? It would be wise if we continue on the next fifteen years to such publications.
Heartily, Alert!
(1) - See 'Monica Nunes, now joined Forza!’ the consequences of that Article.
(2) - See "Extreme right-wing roots Raymond de Roon’
Dit artikel is eerder verschenen in Alert!
