Editing Belew 2018 (section)

==Introduction==

'''Formation of the White Power Movement:'''
* The white power movement united a wide array of groups and activists previously at odds.
* They were thrown together by tectonic shifts in the cultural and political landscape.
* Narratives of betrayal and crisis cemented their alliances.

'''Attitudes towards the State and National Identity:'''
* The white power movement did not seek to defend the American nation, even when it celebrated some elements of U.S. history and identity.
* Instead, white power activists increasingly saw the state as their enemy.
* Many pursued the idea of an all-white, racial nation, transcending national borders to unite white people from the US, Canada, Europe, etc.

'''Erosion of Confidence in the State:'''
* At the end of the 1970s, many Americans lost faith in the state that they had trusted to take care of them.
* Loss in the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal undermined their confidence in elected officials.
* White power activists responded to Reagan's first term with calls for a more extreme course of action, plotting to overthrow the government.

'''Extent and Nature of the Movement:'''
* While white power was certainly a fringe movement, it surpassed earlier mobilizations.
* Membership alone is a poor measure, with records often destroyed or hidden.
* Estimates suggest about 25,000 "hard-core members" in the 1980s, with additional attendees at rallies and events.

'''Relationship with Conservatism and Political Ideology:'''
* While overlapping with mainstream conservatism, the movement emphasized a radical future achievable only through revolution.
* Most activists agreed that achieving their goals would require drastic measures beyond political conservatism.

'''Religious and Ideological Components:'''
* White power religious radicalism emerged from Cold War perceptions of communism as a threat to Christianity.
* Many believed in white supremacy as a component of religious faith, integral to the movement's broader revolutionary character.
* Christian identity and other white theologies fueled the belief in ridding the world of the unfaithful.

'''Evolution and Impact:'''
* Another unifying feature was its strident anti-communism.
* White power capitalized on broader cultural paramilitarism, intertwining masculinity with militancy for violent ends.
* Through unity, revolutionary commitments, and organizing strategies, white power represented something new, not merely a resurgence of earlier Klan activity.
* It encompassed a wider range of ideologies and operated both in public and underground.

'''Response to Changing Societal Dynamics:'''
* White power also responded to evolving meanings of state, sovereignty, and liberal institutions, particularly after the 1960s.
* Dwindling economic prospects became intertwined with cultural backlash.
* White power qualified as a social movement through central features like inner circle figures, public displays, and wide-reaching social networks. 
* White power activists used a shared repertoire of actions to assert collectivity, often attempting to hide their activity.
* They rallied openly, formed associations, and self-published writings to spread their message.

'''Impact and Confrontation:'''
* "Bring the War Home" follows the formation of the white power movement, its war on the state, and its apocalyptic confrontation with militarized state power.
* The story of white power as a social movement exposes broader enduring impacts of state violence in America, echoing the catastrophic ricochet of the Vietnam War.