The origin of nationalist movements
Although the term “alt right” might be of relatively recent origin, the sentiments being expressed by those who subscribe to “alt-right” views are not. If you go back to the late 1940’s and 1950’s there are previous individuals and organizations and publications that expressed similar (or even identical) ideas. The origin of nationalist movements, is not always of racist or xenophobic nature; most of the times those nationalist movements arise as a need of protection, when there is competition for jobs and poverty. So, in those cases racism and xenophobia is a consequence of unemployment.
Nationalist movements grow with unemployment and lack of opportunities; so prejudices against others; can be fought with some basic income guarantee. Labor participation rate decline is inevitable with automation and advances in technology: we just do not need that many people with a high school degree doing low skill jobs any more. Automation has replaced a ton of the lower end jobs, and is quickly creeping up the job scale. This is the future, for better, for worse.
Among the other individuals and organizations who could be described as predecessors to the “alt-right” are:
The Columbians (Emory C. Burke), Christian Anti-Jewish Party and National States Rights Party (Ed Fields and J.B. Stoner), Nationalist White Party (Ben Klassen), National Youth Alliance aka National Alliance (William Pierce), Christian Identity Movement and Christian Defense League and Church of Jesus Christ-Christian (Wesley A. Swift, William Potter Gale, Richard G. Butler, Oren F. Potito), Soldiers of the Cross/The Pilgrim Torch (Kenneth Goff) — and dozens more.
The anti-globalist, anti-big-capitalist banks and corporations and “America First” arguments currently in vogue in alt-right circles mimic the arguments presented by the John Birch Society from its inception. Those arguments were promoted through such conspiracy classics as “None Dare Call it Treason” (John Stormer, 1964); “The Naked Capitalist” (W. Cleon Skousen, 1970), “None Dare Call It Conspiracy” by Gary Allen in 1972, and “The Insiders: Architects of the New World Order” by JBS President John McManus (1992).
And nobody should forget the various permutations of Willis Carto’s enterprises — including his original newsletter, “Right” and his first organization, Liberty and Property, Inc.
Carto was also involved with the Northern League Agency of North America (initially located in Sausalito CA) — which promoted a white nationalist argument during the 1950’s and early 1960’s through “Northern World” and “Western Destiny” magazines—-which might be described as advancing the ideas of conspiracist Francis Parker Yockey.
The editor of Western Destiny was Roger Pearson — whom I assume you are familiar with. If not, check: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Pearson_(anthropologist).
It would probably be fair to say only 1-2% of the white population has white supremacist leanings. Certainly 1-2% is too much BUT is still pretty much irrelevant unless they gain power.
