From 2016 to 2021 I was part of multiple Neo-Nazi and other extremists organisations in Germany and the Benelux.
I was a stupid, young teen with a lot of hate and anger in me that I directed to people who were foreign to me, mostly towards Jewish people.
So, AMA.
Comments
What changed your mind?
What do you think about the rise in pride boys and nazi groups in countries like USA? I know the president and it’s ideology is mostly at fault but why do you think this kind of hate movements get popular?
Did you ever act on your hate with violence?
Yo bro, I’m proud of you homie
Why did you feel the need to point your finger at the other? What was the motivation that led you as a teen to hate?
I applaud you for coming to your senses. Hatred has ruined the world since time began and continues to do so. Two questions. Where are you located, in general? Did your parents teach you this hatred? If so, how did they treat Jews?
Hey man, good on you for seeing the error of your ways. I’m curious, is NSBM (Nazi Sympathizer black metal) really popular for these groups? Or is it really just listened to by a vocal minority of “regular” metal fans just trying to be edgy?
Who or what shaped your mind for you to get those views? Well done for reforming
Do you plan on using your story to help other people who are extremists walk back on their views?
How’d you become a neo Nazi? I’m guessing it had something to do with your upbringing? And what was the moment you began to change your mind?
Why Jews? In Germany and Benelux, they are less than 1%. You go your whole life without crossing paths with a jew. They are largely insignificant in politics, business, culture in those countries.
hmm idk…if you find a pretty greeneyed israeli girl to marry will you prefer her name to be Eden or Yuval?
Are you more open to other foreign people now? How has your healing been?
Did you read 4chan or other questionable internet forums before you got radicalized?
Is pipeline your favorite word?
Did you think of yourself as a “good guy” back then? Because every horrible ideology uses the idea of right and wrong, good and bad but in a twisted way. Did common information “Nazis=bad people” or about WWII at school affected you or you just thought about that as “global lie”? Did you deny Holocaust and what Nazis did to Jewish people?
how did your relationships with your family members and friends change as a result of your far-right radicalization?
do you think that poor mental health had something to do with your indoctrination? i’ve noticed that it’s a common factor in these kinds of pivots into extremism.
I mean… why do neo-Nazis hate Jews? I mean… seems like you’re just (obviosly) recycling other person’s belief. Guess the question… what did the Jews ever do to you?
How do you view the issues between Gaza and Israel?
Three questions:
Was it mostly a lone journey or did you have a person/people/group influencing you on your exit from the ideology?
Did you actually have economic/social policy goals in those groups/individually or was it almost exclusively about hate?
How did you/others justify/ignore the crimes of the Nazis, was it denial, what about ism, or something else?
Were there any specific things that happened that caused you to change your beliefs?
Have you gotten to know any Jewish people since then?
What links did your organisation have to Eastern European and Russian neo nazi groups? Did you hear of things like partisan centre?
What do you think of a lot of the current anti-Jew sentiment? Do you see commanilities between it and what you felt back in the day?
Where do you stand in regards to ongoing conflict/genocide in Palestine
how did you get deradicalized? you mentioned that punching someone during a protest was a wake-up call, but what were the first steps you took after that, and what was the process of deprogramming yourself like?
Is antisemitism among west European youth a raising concern right now?
Have you ever met a Holocaust survivor?
How do you identify politically now?
How much hope do you have for your ex skinhead friends will come to the same conclusion as you? Do you feel it’s worth trying to convince them or does it feel like a lost cause?
If you have to pick a side- which one- Israel or Palestine?
Do you ever see things in the media that make you fall back on old prejudices
Have you stayed in contact with any of people you used to associate with? Do you think you could convince any of them to give up their ideology?
How did the Internet take you down the right-wing rabbit hole?
Did you have a big realization moment where you became more radicalized? What was the thing that really made you realize it was a hateful path and take strides towards changing?
Since reforming, have you studied about Jewish people, and has it also influenced your opinion on the War in Gaza at all?
Hey!! I just made an AMA about this too. I was groomed online when I was 10 years old by skinheads in Sweden and Norway ( allegedly). I came to my senses when I was 12.
Can you tell me what your introduction was to nazi propaganda ? What the initiation was like?
For myself, these people were showing me a lot of skinhead music. What format was your propaganda in?
Have you seen The Believer? If so, how close does it track to your experiences?
what is your current political stance?
Are you still antisemite?
What are your thoughts on the Israeli/Palestine conflict? Curious what your perspective is, no right or wrong answer.
Why did you care so much about what other people were doing when it didn’t affect you or your life. No shade to you, I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around hatred like that.
did you like swing all the way to the left or are you some sort of a centrist now?
How has your life changed since ditching Nazism and far-right ideology? Where have you seen the most measurable improvements?
What was the type of people you met in the groups you frequented? Were they like you, young and suffering people?
What’s it like watching the news on America from afar?
Have you ever tried Jewish food ? Matzo ball soup. Pastrami on rye ? Have you ever became friends with Jewish people ? I grew up in NYC and had many Jewish friends and loved the ethnic Jewish food.
What advice would you give for trying to deradicalize neonazis? I know more than one (don’t ask)
I’m not a neo-Nazi or right-wing at all, but I am a person who has caused a lot of trauma to others in life and good Sir, you are a fucking inspiration.
I’ve heard that music is considered a gateway for this kind of ideology. How do you feel about this? I found out one of the artists I enjoy listening to (death in june) has a lot of issues with this, but my opinions are so opposite to that, that I am not concerned about being “converted” to an ideology I hate anyway
What would you say came as the biggest shock? Your sisters girlfriend or the realisation that the ideologies you were brainwashed into believing were wrong?
I know that sounds like a really sarcastic question it’s really not meant to.
Have you ever taken an IQ test?
Are you an Israeli psyop?
Bases on your post history, I don’t believe a word of this.
Were you more like kanye west or Elon Musk?
Is it legal to be a Neo-Nazi in Germany?
Which came first – the hatred or the dislike for Jews? I ask this because I have a theory about antisemites and pretty much all haters. They’re already angry and hateful, and just need a scapegoat.
I dont have a question. Just wanted to say I’m proud of you, internet stranger. It takes a lot of guts to look yourself in the mirror and admit you have been full of hate and need to change, then do it. It takes a lot of guts to confront your demons, atone and change for the better.
No questions, just wanted to say I’m proud of you and thank you for sharing.
Why did you stop being based?
Isn’t being involved in something like that in Germany incredibly dangerous, legally?
Thank you for being sincere
Favorite kind of cheese?
Nothing really to say other then I’m proud of you dude. I’m a Jewish guy myself so I’m happy to see that you turned over a new leaf. If you need an ear or someone to talk too, let me know!
Sorry für die Frage aber verstehst du auch deutsch?
Did you get any tattoos? And if so, what’s the plan on those
Do you share this with people you become close with?
As a Jewish dude I have no ill will towards you. Cheers .
Did the Protocols of Zion, Martin Luther’s book, The Jews and Their Lies, or Nesta Helen Webster have any influence on you becoming anti-semitic?
For the record I am not anti-semtic, but I know a whole lot of history.
Schöne grüße aus den USA, ich wurde in Deutschland geboren 😄👍
Would you ever turn your former cohorts into authorities?
omg … were your close friends/family also in those organizations or have at least influenced u very much? whats your ethnicity (if its not too personal)? im curious are these organizations quite public and have like social media accounts and stuff? did y’all have meetings and if yes what did u do in it?
Hello, I’m a Jew raised in the Benelux. My family was killed by the Reich in Poland and Hungary.
Thank you for this, it always makes me emotional to see that there are people that can get out of the mindless antisemitism.
I can tell from the way you respond that you have a good heart, thank you.
Stupid question perhaps but can we as a Jewish community do something more significant to combat Neo-Nazism?
Have you seen Master Gardener?
Where do you now stand politically? Which party did you vote for?
First, congratulations on breaking away from the craziness.
Second: have you met any members of your local Jewish community?
do you think we should “talk” with nazis?
Just commenting to say that I’m proud of you and am glad that you got free
I’m an American Jew who lived in Amsterdam for five years. Just wanted to say that I’m glad you made it through ✌🏽
What you did is among the bravest acts a human being can perform. Breaking the ideology is like breaking the soul. I applaud you my friend.
How would you go about getting someone in those kinds of movements to start to change their mind or at least question the ideology?
How do you feel about white women?
How do you feel about the large increase of immigration into Germany and Western Europe, mostly from Africa and Muslim Nations? Does seeing the demographics of your country change so rapidly make you fall back on old prejudices?
As a Jewish person it’s always baffled me how much absolute vitriol and seething hatred we get. I’m glad u reformed yourself. Hope u keep doing the work. I’m proud of you
Looking at this from a different angle: what can people do, in so far as how they address these issues, to keep from further alienating and “justifying” Nazi sentiments in young men AND women?
My brother fell into a crowd similarly. He had very traumatic experiences with a “left leaning woman” teacher who took it upon herself to beat the toxic masculinity out her male students, aged only 8-9 years. That spurred him only as he developed to associate women and progressives with his abuse.
My mother is a preacher, ministering to the lgbt especially and trying to make them feel welcome in a community of faith. However, she tends to recycle the phrases of “straight white men” being the problem. We are a white family. My brother and I are straight. We never believed any of the supremacy nonsense, never abused anyone, never said slurs or participated in discriminatory actions, especially as lower class preachers kids in rural Mississippi we didn’t have the luxury of being secluded from a world of hardship shared between all peoples.
But that language perpetuates a stereotype, and excludes any attempts at reconciliation from possibility. If “straight white men” are the problem and should be excluded, regardless of their behavior, belief, action… then many feel they must find another place to belong. These are often neo-nazis, alt right, racist, misogynistic or classist places online happy to take disillusioned and vulnerable young men(AND women).
TL:DR – from your experience, how can the language we use be adjusted to help young individuals not be alienated from their peers/feel included in varied spaces?
I’m glad to see that neo-nazi and right-wing-leaning ideas can be deconstructed.
Two questions for you: has this experience left something in you? Like any prejudice you have to rationalize and deconstruct time by time? Or is it something you think about often, this past?
Also: I live in Helsinki too. I’m new here, and I’m gay. Most likely you know more about the city than I do. Is there any area or context that is known for their neo-nazi audience? So that it can be avoided as the plague. Kiitos ✨
That’s exactly what a fed would say