Preface: I wrote the below after reading a blurb in UTNE that referenced this article in the Winter 2008 edition of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Report. The article mentions how Pentagon officials are ignoring statistics that white supremacists and neo-Nazis are infiltrating the U.S. military. While I don’t condone white supremacy, I was curious if a social networking site existed for the group. The below is the result of my research.
Two years after its online birth and some 20 months after Gawker wrote about the white supremacist social networking site, New Saxon is still up–and very active, if the public forums are any indication.
The homepage of NewSaxon.org
Aligned with the Detroit-based National Socialist Movement, I note the following abstract from the New Saxon terms and conditions:
Users who attempt to use this online resource in a negative way, are subversive, cause division or simply use our services to post spam will result in immediate account purging. This is a website designed to unite the White people of European decent … not divide them. Division of our people is the goals of those who do not have our interests in mind … don’t give them what they crave!
I’m Caucasian and hail from European ancestry–but this network is not for me.
New Saxon’s website goes to show, as the Gawker piece shared in October 2007, that if you want to find a social networking site on any topic, it likely exists.
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Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
LOL!>!??# I never knew there was such a thing, the internet has a home for everyone i guess…
So, I hadn’t checked in on your blog for a few weeks and thought I’d drop by. I’ve got to say I was taken aback to see you link to a hate group, without any deeper insight than a mild observation that the “network is not for you,” a quote from their TOS, and also gee whiz, you can find anything on this here interweb, and isn’t that amazing?
As to the first part, damn, I hope not. (You know they wouldn’t have you and me even if we wanted to be part of their bigot club, right? Jewish people aren’t considered white by white supremacists.) As for the second, their posting policy is pretty much like that of any other site with heavy moderation. (Except for the part about the “White people of European decent.”) As to the third, how is this surprising? Yes, there are social networking groups for everything. You could, I am sure, find networking groups for furries, paragliding Midwestern social studies teachers, or golf ball enthusiasts with the briefest of Google searches. Being surprised that white supremacists, members of a regrettably powerful political entity, have formed a social group is only surprising if you think racists don’t use the internet. They do. Boy, do they ever.
Think for a minute from the perspective of a person of color reading your site. There’s a link to, and a splashy screencap of, an organization that has convened with the express purpose of hating and dominating you. It’s got to be an ugly feeling, right? Consider the traffic you may be bringing this site. What I’m really asking is, considering all the damage they do, does the benefit of raising the profile of a hate group outweigh the attention you’re bringing them? A wishy-washy “well, I wouldn’t join them,” while well intentioned, is not a substantive critique, and doesn’t really do anything to combat the mission of a group like this.
I looked a few articles back, and I saw you posted something critical of other bloggers who didn’t respond when you linked to them. Do you want a thank you from New Saxon? Because if linking is such a great favor, it looks like you may have unintentionally earned a hat tip from them, “this network is not for me” notwithstanding. I mean, you’ve said harsher things about twitter.
I agree with you, which is why I’ve since amended the post with a preface at the top. That may explain my rationale better.
People of all walks of life pretty much can build their own social network site to reach the goal of unity and exchange of ideas. I think Facebook and Myspace isn’t enough.