There is no "alt-right" they are nazis.
The definition of a nazi is pretty clear. You are either the kind with the big N, the Nazi, a member of the German government from the 1930's or a nazi (small n) whom espouses the beliefs and policies of that same people.
If you espouse fascism as a political movement you believe in nation above individual, believe that some "races"are superior and some inferior, and prefer autocratic and a dictatorial leader. This means forced suppression of opposition and social and economic repression of "non-favoured" groups.
Fascism likes bias or voter repression, or not allowing people to vote at all. However by and large it is a system that tends to get voted into power or get there by military coup.
There is no "alt-right" there is only fascism. A desire to oppress and carve messy cultures and societies into nice neat groups to hate. In truth, anyone who isn't like them. It's difficult to argue with a nazi or fascist, because your very "otherness" makes you "inferior" and them "superior". They don't need a better argument, they have a bigger gun. They don't need to rubbish your ideas, because you are "rubbish". You can not make someone else grant you person-hood. You can not make them listen or understand.
Racism and fascism go hand in hand because fascism requires a way to define the "superior" group. These ideas are not based on science, history or facts. There was no Germany for the most part of history. There were Germanic peoples but they lived under many different monarchies in what became the Prussian Empire and didn't exist until the 19th century. Again Italy was "late" to being a unified country and tended towards fascism and racism to define it's nationality.
Science and genetics tells us we are not even a "pure" species (neanderthal d.n.a is now undisputed as a fact in our evolution) , and that our origins as a species was wave after wave of migration from Africa. But you can't use this argument with someone who doesn't believe in evolution, whilst believing in their need to keep their "blood pure".
Germany doesn't do the flag waving kind of nationalism, because while they are proud of their current progress as a nation, they know where the flag waving military marches ends up. At the end of the second world war, the ordinary people, the people who voted and worked with the government were taken to see the death camps. The efficient horror that their racist fever have brought about. The death and torture of their friends and neighbours. This was not done because they were evil.
Those middle-aged house wives with husbands in the army weren't evil. They were ordinary people, and they were nazis. They were children made to join Hitler youth, then man guns when the adults were dead. They were soldiers.
You want to see what nazis look like watch this. Engineering Evil.
There were lots of chilling moments in this documentary but the one that irrationally bothered me the most were the downtime pictures of the camp workers. Men and women partying, picnicking, drinking and laughing, sun bathing and playing with their dogs.
They are not the comic book natzis. They are not the super villain natzis. They look normal, healthy and happy. That is why fascism is dangerous. That is why it is deadly. Ordinary people can do very evil things. It makes them no less evil. All that needs to be done to perpetuate evil acts is for them to seem ordinary.
Those "misguided angry young men with bright futures" are nazis. I'm sure they are neighbourly and sweet. They are still nazis and if they are "believers" in fascism they will do terrible violent things. That is why they are dangerous. Pretending they are not is exactly how genocides, death camps and torture happen. Your inability or unwillingness to see them as dangerous is not spiritual or kind, it makes you blind. Blind to history. Blind to the hate. Blind to the systematic racism all around you. Can you imagine if anyone other than "nice white folks" had taken military grade weapons to a demonstration what would have happened? If they had been chanting about ethnic cleansing? If one of them had murdered and maimed innocent people? Every single PoC would have been arrested. Many would have been shot dead at the scene. This is the racism inherent in the system.
While punching nazis might make a good point, in reality we need to address the causes. The racism. The inherent violence in fascism. A nazi needs to be arrested and investigated as a terror suspect, because they are dangerous radicals that believe that violence is their right. This is what would happen is they were PoC, if they were Muslim, if they were part of groups that espoused violence.
Ordinary people are just as able, if not more so to do terrible evil things. They will tell themselves all kinds of lies, just doing my job, if not me someone else, if I speak out I could get in trouble, they are scum, I am better, my children will thrive if these children die...
Lying to ourselves or "wishing it away" plays into their hands. It allows hate to flourish.
We have to stand up, speak out and not tolerate fascism because it will be the death of us if we don't.
