What is the deeper story of right-wing violence in the United States in the last decade?

My research serves three interconnected ends: First, I highlight the connections between nationalism, nostalgia, mythology, and conspiracy. Second, I describe the resurgence of conspiracy-fueled white supremacy and white nationalism. Third, I analyze increasing popular support for racialized hatred across the United States as coalesced through a nostalgic desire to restore “our lost great America.” This confluence of nostalgic and conspiratorial political language led in part to the Capitol Insurrection.

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Nostalgia

Why is the desire to go back to a lost past or home so emotionally appealing?

Conspiracy

Which “America” must be restored, and who are the evil enemies we must protect her from?

Violence

When you have recovered what was lost, how far will you go to protect it?