Q: This is all quite interesting. Some of the things I wonder about are: How does this growth in hate groups affect "regular" middle of the road conservative young people? Not the ones who join but the ones who sympathize or who let it all slide by?

A: simple. it creates white solidarity. because these supremacists are not spending any time talking to Latinos or blacks or Asians. their whole function is to alienate other whitefolks from the 'mud people'. that's why they obsess over crime - because no matter how uncomfortable their arguments are, you as a white person will prefer that over the 'crime' (or whatever) of the mud people. as soon as a white supremacist confides in you, his battle is won. unless you as a 'white' person reject the very basis of his confidence, then he creates white solidarity. he may not consider you as 'enlightened' as he is, but he knows you are fundamentally on the same team. in his eyes, all you need is a little coaching.

there are two things that the white supremacist cannot abide. the first is interracial marriage. that indicates to him that you are willing to 'sacrifice' your blood. the essential thing that makes you white according to his biological theories. the second thing is disabuse of your white racial identity. there are logical arguments that you can make which will convince the white supremacist that you are 'self-hating'. belief that you are white is also essential to supporting his theories.

as soon as the conversation turns to immigration, black crime, whatever, you are in his confidence and you lose. you cannot win even if you destroy his every argument because you are still a white brother. unless and until you destroy that link - that of white identity - you are part of a white supremacist conspiracy. you know, I know, everybody knows that that white supremacist would walk away from a black man physically hurt. but the moment you hear him out, you are on the inside.

so the bottom line is that 'white'folks have to leave the conversation with racists in terms such as these: "I was never white like you, I am not white like you, I am never going to be white like you. if white is what you are then you can have it. I'll never be that."

And don't even compete. Don't try to reclaim whiteness as something more superior or civilized than what he presents. It only solidifies his argument. It makes him your soldier.