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All The Wiser

96. Unraveling Racism with Former Neo-Nazi Arno Michaelis

All The Wiser

Kimi Culp

Society & Culture, Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.9652 Ratings

🗓️ 14 February 2024

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Is extremism a public health issue? Kimi sits down with former neo-Nazi skinhead, Arno Michaelis, to discuss his transformative journey from spreading hate to advocating for compassion and forgiveness. Arno shares candidly about his recruitment into white nationalism, the pivotal role his family played, and the life-changing moments that led him out of the movement. He provides insight into the underlying pain fueling such ideologies and stresses the importance of embracing those seeking to leave hate behind. The conversation delves into Arno's commitment to anti-racism work, his hopes for the future, and the ongoing challenge of self-forgiveness. Join us in this episode to understand the human capacity for change and the potency of kindness in breaking the cycle of violence.


In this episode:

  • The Evolution of Skinhead Culture
  • White Nationalism and Ideological Influence
  • Racial Identity Persuasion Tactics
  • Processing Trauma and Avoiding Extremism
  • Overcoming Hate with Friendship
  • Fostering Hope through Daily Kindness


Links & Resources

Instagram: @arnomichaelis


Book: My Life After Hate


Charity: www.parents4peace.org


www.serve2unite.com


www.refugemovie.com



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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:53.6

It's about keeping

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everything secure. What attracted me to white nationalism when I encountered it as a 16-year-old

1:04.7

drunken punk rocker was that just, it's so repulsed civil society.

1:11.5

It just seemed like my whole life I was looking for the best way to piss people off.

1:17.7

What is the journey to a world of hate?

1:20.7

And once you're deep in the lifestyle, is there a journey out of it?

1:24.7

Our guest today is Arno McAulis, who spent seven years in the white nationalist

1:30.3

movement before ultimately leaving and becoming an advocate for peace. And he has a lot to say

1:37.6

about what really works when it comes to violent extremism and hate-fueled racism.

1:46.7

And what doesn't work?

1:52.1

I know from experience that no one was ever going to beat the Nazi out of me.

1:55.7

Like our society now is like, well, we need to punish racists.

1:57.0

We need to silence them.

1:58.2

We need to reject them.

2:02.3

We need to ostracize them as if we can, you know, make them suffer more, we'll make them less hateful and violent, which I don't agree with whatsoever.

...

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