Reflection on my journey

And so, my journey ends (see my first posting here). The freedom that is offered in Second Life allows for a wealth of experiences, and the opportunities are endless.  I am constantly modulating who I am – when I am alone in an empty sim, when I shift my conversation from observer/Other to comrade, when I see a place to shop for a better pair of boots.  The creativity involved in the design of an avatar and strategies for communications tends to overwhelm my senses even though I’m sitting safe at home in front of my computer.  Though I might have started out thinking that online anyone can be anybody or anything - for me, my gender, race, class, age, heterosexuality … all these remain constant.  It seems easy to jump between the 3D world of Second Life, photo editor software, webpages, scholarly books and my notes.  But it’s exhausting.  My cyborg self, blending human and non-human, seems clumsy and stupid in the fast world spinning around me.

This journey into virtual rightwing activities has only skimmed across the surface of many groups (large and small) that are experimenting with this new form of online branding, communication and place.  Those rightwing organizations such as the Front National or Stand Strong America that are sophisticated in their uses of the Internet use Second Life to solidify and fix their identities rather than explore the multiplicity of identity formation inherent to the Internet.  This is not a place for roleplaying and simulation for rightwing activists.  It is for real.

Protesting FNSL

I journeyed once again to the FNSL platform to see if I could get a conversation going. 

This time, I saw in the group gathered together at the back of the platform, a furry who was protesting.  The bear (Elie) was dancing around in the center of the group with a big poster that declaimed fascism and then a flag of the German antifascists.  She wore a Roman toga over long trousers and had sneakers on her feet.  The contrast of the slender 2-legged bear with the busty dominatrix in a red mini-skirt, black stockings and a whip highlighted for me how different women can be portrayed in Second Life.  As I stood there watching, I was responding via instant message to one of the FN members, godefroy, who was attracted to the list of conservative groups in my profile… and Elie chatted in English and in French as she continued to dance and wave her flag.  Here’s some of the text dialog:

godefroy to me via IM: i little speak english sorry ^^
Me via IM: ok, thanks anyway
godefroy via IM: you are national-socialist?
Me via IM: I’m exploring, thank you - interested in learning more
godefroy via IM: ok ^^
godefroy via IM: i’m ns too ^^
Me: lol what’s going on with Elie?
godefroy: bad bad
Elie: nothing
godefroy via IM: elie is bad ^^
Elie: just protesting
Elie: yeee ahh
Elie: si [yes]
Elie: pourquoi tu te sens concerné par ce panneau [why are you concerned by this poster?]
Elie: le FN n’est pas fasciste pourtant … [the Front National is not fascist however...]
Elie: tous lesmilitants ici sont racistes [all the activists here are racists]
godefroy to me via IM: elie is jewish!! lol

Not much of a protest compared to the real life antifa, but annoying if the visual medium is important to a user and one’s sense of proprietary ownership of space is strong.  However, the group didn’t seem to mind her all that much and continued interacting via text chat and voice through out the time I was there.  I left when they were getting into a discussion about the Jewish and Islamic versions of creation - and the dominatrix started talking about how all Jews, Arabs and blacks should be annihilated. 

A new sim for FNSL

There is a bright new spot in Second Life for the rightwing French political party Front National.  It’s easily found in the SL search engine and when teleporting in, you find yourself on a long rectangular platform high in the air.  It is a lovely open space filled with bushes and flowers in the carefully constructed green areas and bounded with white walls.  The glowing white podium area includes seats in a round for a sizeable meeting space with posters and flags well displayed around the edges.  At the center of the main walkway to the meeting area, I found a donation box ready for avatars to pay Linden dollars for the cause - nearby a lighted cone scripted to count avatars who visit the platform and record their names glows with the floating text above showing the visitors that their presence is being noted and archived. 

I found there a group of avatars gathering for a meeting, and though kind enough to try and communicate with me in English, they were not particularly interested in speaking with me. So I wandered off to take pictures. Besides the map that made the immigration populations seem to overwhelm the whole of France, I found two matching posters - the one featuring a young woman of color attracted my attention first.  I translated with my rusty college French:

This poster is on one side of the platform sim and the other matching poster offers the solution to the “broken” ideas of the French parties of the political left and the political right - offering the FN as a centrist solution that is better than what the other parties offer.  The points made in this poster by the downward thrust of a beautiful girl’s thumb are that the mainstream French concepts of nationality, assimilation, a social ladder and secularism are wrong.  However, by promoting “traditional” values, this party consistently offers little hope for women (removing them from the workforce) and minorities (”sending back” immigrants and their children out of France).

At the far end of the platform, visitors find a series of posters with reprinted news articles and internal communications from the leaders of the party.  The images of Le Pen are beatific, and it’s difficult to believe that his message is anything but good (for a quick reminder in English, see the BBC clip of Le Pen’s speech during his run for the presidency last year).  One poster is a message dated today, April 28th.  The gist of it is a complaint about the latest media attack on Jean-Marie Le Pen’s remarks on World War II - that these attacks bring about the discord in France, not Le Pen.   The internal communication then is that FN is the victim of the mainstream press and it is not their fault that “more than 80% of the French people consider us dangerous.”

Lundi 28 Avril 2008
Deux poids, deux mesures…
Communique de Louis Aliot
ne nouvelle fois, les propos de Jean-Marie Le Pen sur la seconde guerre mondiale creent la polemique dans le landernau politico-mediatique et par voie de consequence, seme un certain trouble dans now rangs militants. La zizanie qui regne sur la toile nationaliste, les propos inqualifiables des identitaires contre le Pen, les commentaires a la fois insultants, quelquefois interrogatifs, desempares ou pathetiques que je recois sur ma boite mail, prouvent que ce sujet est conflictuel et qu’il divise d’une maniere tres importante notre famille politique et sert d’epouvantail a une grand majorite de Francais (ce n’est pas un hasard si plus de 80% des Francais nous jugent dangereux).

Satire in SL

Is it safe to be satirical about conservatives in Second Life? 

Early in my wanderings I found General JCChristian, builder of the Wellstone Cafe and Conservative Heaven (see the article on his Giuliani campaign headquarters).  He encouraged me to talk to a few of his friends, and told me about Stormfront.org as a resource.  He said that other than a few griefers who took offense at his making fun of conservative ideology, he had not encountered any real references to extreme rightwing politics.   Today, I see in his blog that his luck has changed.  Check out the picture of his site littered with boxes marked with swastikas.

Terrorists in Second Life?

Last summer, the author of Inside Al Qadea, Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, began including Second Life in his remarks to the press about terrorist activities.  The Australian ran an article in July 2007 that delved deeper into these suppositions, tried to connect the acts by griefers in SL with terrorist roleplaying. In The [London] Times article of August 5, 2007, a more accurate depiction of Dr. Gunaratna’s comments show that he was monitoring twelve known jihadists in Second Life. Some SLers were wondering why SL was singled out (see the comment posted at the bottom of this August 10, 2007 posting) when it is clear that there are many different online platforms that can be used: “Google Docs and Spreadsheets systems and Zoho notes and wikis and private free forums, etc.” 

When I searched on “jihad” in the SL groups, I found a few entries.  The “Islamic Army of God” group members are all inactive (you might notice in the group window that the members’ “last login” is “unknown” - meaning these users haven’t been inworld in a long time).  I’ve not seen any past news articles about this group in SL, but perhaps someone will be able to tell me inworld. Another group, the “Jihad Terrorist” group charter warned: “If Your injoy making ppl mad and causing trouble this is the group for u trsut” - griefers.  The “Drag Queen Jihad!” group (with a picture of Matt Damon as its icon) said, among other things: “Look here’s how it works, even though we will all deny it until our dying day.  There are two kinds of people in SL.  There are the white bread types, those of us that like to build, chat, maybe roleplay a litte, texture, and have fun using the great tools provided….. And then there are toasters. If you need a toaster, Talk to us! :D” - griefers. And, with the American flag in the icon box, the E.A.F. group: “American Jihads We are civys ready to fuck up terrorists. lets get out there and get some bitches!!!!!!! Elite American Forces…” - griefers? xenophobic nationalists? I’ll ask them and find out. 

In Wagner James Au’s New World Notes blog post of August 7, 2007, a conversation with Dr. Gunaratna is recorded - and that he knows jihadists who are users of Second Life and if SL users encounter real-life terrorists in Second Life they should report what they know to local government officials.  Who would know, though, if the anonymous account holders are simply roleplaying a fantasy that spills over from commercial gameplaying?  In Au’s blog post, “Jihad and Second Life,” some updated comments were added:

Drown Pharoah, a Muslim Sufi Resident who often attends prayer services at Second Life’s Mosque in Chebi, offers these stirring words in comments:  “I think I can speak for ALL Muslims in SL in stating that, should we become aware of terrorists operating in SL, we would contact the Lindens immediately.” Also, Rohan Gunaratna writes in with a correction about a jihadist mentioned in the UK Times article:  “[I] did not say to the UK paper that ‘Irhabi 007′ was operating in Second Life. I think the paper made a genuine error.”

Antifa reactions still smouldering

The antifa (anti-fascist) responses to Renouveau Français and to Le Pen’s Front National are not as militant or eventful as last year in Second Life, but the signs and group slogans remain.  I found these two posters near the SL headquarters for Renouveau Français.   

 

 

 

 NOTE:  A week later the poster with reference to the Front National as a neoNazi organization was gone.  Likely, it was protested by members of the FN and deemed by the Lindens as going too far in its depiction of this party’s ideology as Nazism.

Exploring headquarters for Renouveau Francais

Finding the new headquarters for the French rightwing activists in Second Life wasn’t hard.  A search in places in Second Life yielded Renouveau Français (French Renewal) at a sim called Ghloogums. 

Teleporting in, I saw a large meeting space with a few benches with pose balls for seating.  The benches faced a podium with large pictures behind emphasizing the classical ideals of French conservative thought –including the warrior saint Jean d’Arc who served as a champion for French sovereignty against oppression from the English (for a history of the use of imagery and rhetoric on Le Pen’s website, see L. Clare Bratten, “Online zealotry: la France du peuple virtuel,” New Media Society 2005: 7:517-532). According to the notecard welcoming visitors, “Our organization defines itself politically as nationalist, catholic and anti-revolutionary (meaning hostile to the false dogmas and false principles of the 1789 revolution). … We will set the record straight and propose a counter-information against the downpour of lies and omissions perpetuated continuously by the servile mass media.”  There is no doubt that this virtual meeting space is to recruit followers of their message for cultural purity.  The welcome note goes on to declare that, “… besides the broadcast of our analysis and proposals the greater number of French possible, we are working on training politically, philosophically, and humanly a new generation of executives which will be essential tomorrow in any attempt to redress our nation.  We will particularly focus our efforts toward youth as its generosity and enthusiasm allows us to hope in the future. Help us to make possible a rebirth of France! http://www.renouveaufrancais.com/index.php“

The posters along the back of the meeting space included one that used homophobic humor to poke fun at the members of the Communist Party of Second Life - a group dedicated to working against fascist activism in Second Life.

On another wall, I found beside a poster calling for the youth of France to join their revolution, another one describing the purpose of the European National Front.  Among its many goals, this organization exists to defend “our culture, our traditions and our christian identity against the cultural globalization, the uncontrolled inmigration… [and in] defense of life and traditional family against the crime of abortion, gay marriages and the adoptions by homosexual pairs.”  The poster gives brief biographies of two post-World War I fascist leaders: Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (1899-1938, founder of the fascist Iron Guard in Romania) and Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera (1903-1936, founder of the nationalist party called the Spanish Phalanx).  But they really  don’t need to refer to nationalist history of decades ago - there are plenty of nationalist movements taking place throughout Europe today.  Videos posted on YouTube provide a wide range of examples:  a news report on French nationalist power in Vitrolles, a rally in 2006 by the Portuguese National Front, a 1994 biography of Hungarian neo-Nazis led by Albert Szabo, a British National Front march through Bermondsey in 2007.

Conservative Groups in Second Life

Searches in groups in Second Life on words like “conservative,” “nazi,” “skinhead” and “fascist” yielded several interesting leads:

• Conservatives and Patriots (”To advance conservative principals, help define and identify the flaws of liberalism to the unenlightend and contribute to the rescue of our nation from the tyrany of the left.”)
• Conservative Party of SL (”To promote the ideals of modern Conservatism.- Freedom.- Democracy.- Capitalism- Social responsibility.- Tolerance.- Reduced state interference - state’s role is to protect its citizens, not dictate how they should live their lives.”)
• Second Life Conservatives (”We’re the Second Life Conservatives … we don’t need to be ashamed of being conservative.”)
• Conservative Coalition (”AMERICANS WORKING TO PROMOTE CONSERVATIVE IDEAS. To become part of the coalition: 1. Must be a Patriotic American  2. Must be a Conservative 3. Must Promote Conservative Ideas”)
• Division Germania (”This group is  for all the Skinheads and Nationalists all over the world ; ) We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.“)
• Junior Order of United Human Mechanics (”The Junior Order is composed of citizens of good moral character who believe in a Supreme Being as the Creator and Preserver of the Universe.
  We oppose any union of church and state. We Beleive in Public Schools and encourage the teaching of religions in the schools for educational purposes. We Beleive in freedom and support democracy and the right for you to worship as you choose.”)
• Rush Limbaugh Fans (”We will try to meet at regular intervals to discuss the issues going on in our country and to learn from the master of ‘Advanced Conservative Studies’…… Mister Rush Limbaugh.”)
• Bosatsu Royal Familiy (”We are neoNazi and proud of it! Seig heil!)
• Fascist Furs (”Nazi Furs (name changed to “Facist Furs” by SL’s Linden Censors) is founded to establish a community for members of the furry fandom who harbor an interest in WWII era Germany for historical, militaristic, strategic, sociopolitical, or fetish reasons.
  We are not a hate group, nor do we support hate groups of any kind, rather we seek to further the understanding of Hitler’s Germany through study and understanding.”)
• SL Fascist Party (”A group devoted to spreading the word of Fascism, and exposing the lies of Communists and the Left. Silence the Leftists, at whom’s (sic) hands easily over 100 million people were mercilessly massacred. That includes Stalin, Lenin, and Mao. DISCLAIMER: Fascism isn’t strictly anti-Semitism or racism.  Speak to Griffith Benelli before complaining.”)
• Fascisti du SL (”Questo gruppo è un omaggio al più grande uomo che la nostra amata Patria abbia mai avuto. Benito Mussolini. ”Dovete sopravvivere e mantenere nel cuore la Fede. Il mondo, me scomparso, avrà ancora bisogno dell’idea che è stata e sarà la più originale, la più mediterranea ed Europea delle idee. La Storia mi darà ragione.” Benito Mussolini. DUCE D’Italia.”)
• Primera Linea (”Un grupo en honor a la guerrilla falangista que con este mismo nombre luchó por su madre patria hasta conseguir la victoria. ¡Por España, Una,  Grande, Nación! ¡El Fascismo Unido Jamás Será Vencido! En este grupo toda la Derecha será bienvenida, desde la derecha democrática hasta la más extremista. A group for all the Fascists & NS”)
• Stand Strong America (”Stand Strong America is a grassroots movement which promotes conservative principles and values by educating the electorate, supporting solid candidates (at all levels of government) and working through the Republican party to effect transformational change and conservative policies for our nation. “)

Evidence of rightwing individuals in Second Life come with disclaimers in group charters of military roleplayer groups such as Panzer Crews and Factory Workers: “We are not, nor will we tolerate anyone with actual views of the Nazi party, KKK, skin heads, or any similar group. If you are looking for this, you are in the wrong place, and likewise feel free to leave. This Group is about WW2 Tanks and Works on making them in Game. We also go Feldagremare or Field police they guard the shop/facotyr (sic) and I guess can patrol around.”  Another example is the Confederation of Dixie group: ” **Confederation of Dixie is -not- a pro white neo racist hate group or anything of that sort. It is a roleplaying group based in the Crimson Skies Universe. Any individual wanting to join for any racial reasons or griefing– will be pimp smacked and banned from and Sim involving the group.** The Confederation of Dixie is a confederacy of the states of Georgia, Flordia, Mississippi, Virginia, Flordia, Alabama, Miss. and Arkansas. Set in the Fictional world of Crimson Skies circa 1930’s.”

Women as slaves

With the horrific stories of Warren Jeffs and his sex-slave followers (it’s difficult for me to even contemplate the claim that these compounds are the result of any religious ideology) in the news, I have continued to come across references in Second Life to female slaves and male masters in my search for expressions of conservative ideologies.  They tend to represent the followers of the culture explained in a science fiction series called the Chronicles of Gor.  (See the BBC news article from 2006 on a sex slavery cult uncovered by police in Darlington - you can also listen to an interview with the “master” who trains the women as slaves: “It’s not as if I’m doing anything drastic or unusual… I’m very kind and gentle.”) Several of the women slaves I have encountered in Second Life proudly proclaim in their profiles that they have been “collared” at a ceremony in Second Life and then on another date in real life. These ceremonies are described in detail at websites like the Gorean Public Boards or Silk and Steel where they insist they “do not stop being Gorean when we log off.” Their definition of slavery is one in which the female has made the decision, voluntarily, to surrender herself as a slave to a particular master - and, as is clearly declared - to her true biological senses of femaleness which is one of ultimate submission to a male at any time. She must welcome and desire those moments when a male asserts his superiority as part of her celebration of her role in that culture and her femininity.  In the series book 12, Beasts of Gore, a master training his slave girl muses: ”Every organism has its place in nature. That of woman is at the foot of man.” (See the feature article at Salon.com by Julia Gracen, “Chain Gang”) At the same time we’ve seen the exposure of Max Mosely (son of British parents who supported the fascist movement in Europe before and during World War II) as a sex addict enjoying a nostolgic encounter with women roleplaying as Nazis who beat him and whom he then turns on as a sex sadist.  These are images and ideologies I can only remotely fathom as real.  The line between virtual reality and real life blurs.

Virtual Tribal Identity of White Masculinity

While virtual communities like Stormfront.org or enationalist.net allow for a very real connection among individuals or groups dedicated to promoting racist ideologies, their construction allows anonymity — which (by the very nature of an informal, hidden connection to the group) can serve to the disadvantage to any sustained political actions the real-life members may happen to promote on these websites.  On the other hand, in Second Life an individual whose avatar gains affiliation with a hate group could learn in myriad ways a more “fixed identity” with a specific, virtual ethnicity.  In her article, “The Internet Rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan: A Case Study in Website Community Building Run Amok,” Denise Bostdorff describes efforts of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan to promote nostalgia for an imagined past, i.e., aiming for ”the creation of a virtual tribal identity of white masculinity (Communication Studies, 55 no. 2 (Summer 2004), p. 352).”   

In Second Life, the very real relationships that are formed during virtual role-play, e.g., Civil War social and military reenactments, create a type of social pressure that both bonds rightwing activists with new recruits and at the same time constrains their behaviors.  In a video of Daniel (Linden) Huebner’s discussion as part of the Stanford Humanities Lab, he describes the Linden Lab’s role in sustaining the Community Standards. Skip forward to about 35 minutes into the discussion, and Huebner describes how social networking environments can be empowered to bind together in ever more expanding groupings based on an individual’s level of trust, e.g., not just ban or mute an individual avatar but share one’s list of banned avatars with your social network and have others include in their mute or banned lists those generated by a peer.  Brian Levin’s article “Cyberhate: A Legal and Historical Analysis of Extremists’ Use of Computer Networks in America” (The American Behavioral Scientist: Feb 2002: 45, 6; pp. 958-988 ) describes the use of communications technologies by rightwing activists and by the 1990s the rise of a purposeful effort for a ”leaderless resistance (p. 964).”  As organized hate groups broke up as a consequence of legal actions against their violent actions, the Internet becomes crucial in supporting local activists.  Social networking via the Web is critical to their success.