马克思主义研究网Marxism Research Network

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Restless Hegemony: The American Far-Right Political Movement and Its Impact

赵明昊:躁动的霸权:美国极右翼政治运动及其影响

· · History of Marxism · Contemporary World, 2024, no. 4 · 18 min read

In recent years, against the backdrop of intensifying social division, ethnic antagonism, and political polarization, the far-right political movement in the United States has grown increasingly fierce. Far-right political thought has shown a trend toward mainstreaming, with far-right political forces such as the “Proud Boys,” “American Vanguard,” and “Patriot Front” continuing to expand. Events like the “storming of the Capitol” [1]1 The “storming of the Capitol” refers to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. epitomize the deep-seated impact the far-right political movement has brought to the United States, becoming a stark hallmark of the political upheaval and chaos in American politics. The American far-right political movement has profound international implications, maintaining close linkages with far-right political forces in Europe and other regions. Furthermore, the American far-right political movement carries a strong anti-China hawkish coloration, playing a significant driving role in the adjustment of U.S. strategy toward China, and will bring more negative spillover effects to Sino-American relations.

近年来,在社会分裂、族群对立、政治极化不断加剧背景下,美国极右翼(Far Right)政治运动愈演愈烈。极右翼政治思想出现主流化态势,“骄傲男孩”“美国先锋”“爱国者阵线”等极右翼政治势力持续壮大。“占领国会山”等事件集中体现了极右翼政治运动给美国带来的深层次冲击,成为美国政治变局和乱局的鲜明印记。美国极右翼政治运动具有深刻的国际影响,它与欧洲等地区的极右翼政治势力有着密切的联动关系。此外,美国极右翼政治运动带有强烈的反华鹰派色彩,在美国对华战略调整过程中发挥重要驱动作用,将对中美关系带来更多外溢性负面影响。

The American Far-Right Political Movement Has Become a National Security Threat

美极右翼政治运动已成为国家安全威胁

U.S. President Joe Biden, in articulating the severe internal crises facing the country, emphasized that “political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism” pose major challenges. These challenges are closely related to the far-right political movement. Evidently, the far-right political movement has become a major threat within the United States. Biden explicitly instructed government agencies such as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct a joint assessment of the threat of domestic violent extremism and to formulate corresponding countermeasures based on this assessment. The Biden administration also reinstated the position of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, whose primary responsibilities include addressing security threats posed by domestic far-right political forces. The White House National Security Council also attaches great importance to the issue of the far-right political movement. In June 2021, the Biden administration released its first “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism,” declaring that far-right violence is the greatest threat to U.S. domestic security.

美国总统拜登在阐述该国面临的严峻内部危机时强调,“政治极端主义、白人至上主义、国内恐怖主义”带来重大挑战。这些挑战都与极右翼政治运动有着密切关系。可见,极右翼政治运动在美国已经成为一种重大威胁。拜登明确要求美国国家情报总监办公室、国土安全部、联邦调查局等政府机构就国内暴力极端主义威胁展开联合评估,并在此基础上制定相应对策。拜登政府还重新设置总统国土安全顾问一职,其主要职责包括处理美国国内极右翼政治势力构成的安全威胁。白宫国家安全委员会也高度重视极右翼政治运动问题。2021年6月,拜登政府发布首份《打击国内恐怖主义的国家战略》,宣称极右翼暴力是美国国内安全面临的最大威胁。

Far-right ideology is a mixture of various political concepts, including white supremacy and anti-federalism. Although the far-right is derived from conservatism, it regards both liberalism and left-wing political thought as adversaries, while also fiercely opposing moderate and establishment factions within conservatism. The membership composition of the American far-right political movement is quite heterogeneous, lacking a single organization. Its representative figures include Richard Spencer, head of the National Policy Institute; Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi website “The Daily Stormer”; media commentator Mike Cernovich; writer John Derbyshire; and Kyle Chapman, founder of the paramilitary organization “Fraternal Order of the Alt-Knights.” Representative organizations include the “Patriot Front” and “American Vanguard.”

极右翼思想是白人至上主义、反联邦主义等多种政治理念的杂糅。虽然极右翼脱胎于保守主义,但它既将自由主义和左翼政治思想视为对手,也激烈反对保守主义中的温和派、建制派。美国极右翼政治运动的成员构成较为驳杂,并没有一个单一性组织,其代表性人物包括“国家政策研究所”负责人理查德·斯宾塞,新纳粹网站“每日风暴”创始人安德鲁·安格林,媒体评论人士迈克·切尔诺维奇、作家约翰·德比希尔以及准军事组织“另类骑士兄弟会”创建者凯尔·查普曼等,代表性组织包括“爱国者阵线”“美国先锋”等。

In summary, the positions and propositions of the American far-right political movement include the following aspects: First, promoting white nationalism and white supremacy, claiming that the United States faces a “genocide” against white people and demanding the recovery of a white nation. Second, opposing globalization and immigration, arguing that economic globalization has led to the existential plight of the white lower and middle classes in the United States, and that immigrants are competing with whites for jobs. Third, opposing elites and the establishment, asserting that political and business elites who embrace globalist ideology disregard the welfare of ordinary Americans, promoting agendas like free trade for their own benefit, thereby causing the decline of the United States, and accusing these elites and the establishment of attempting to seize political power through the “deep state” and the “administrative state.” Fourth, opposing feminists, homosexuals and transgender individuals, Jews, and other groups, arguing that these groups undermine the social stability and order valued by conservatives.

概要而言,美国极右翼政治运动的立场主张包括以下几个方面:一是宣扬白人民族主义、白人至上主义,声称美国面临针对白人的“种族灭绝”,要求夺回属于白人的国家;二是反全球化、反移民,认为经济全球化导致美国白人中下层的生存困境,外来移民与白人“争饭碗”;三是反精英、反建制派,认为秉持全球主义理念的政治和商业精英不顾美国普通民众死活,为了自身利益推动自由贸易等议程,致使美国日益衰败,指责这些精英和建制派力图通过“暗深势力”“行政国”等把持政治权力;四是反对女权主义者、同性恋和跨性别者、犹太人等群体,认为这些群体破坏保守主义者所看重的社会稳定和秩序。

Compared with traditional conservatism and right-wing forces, the far-right political movement exhibits the following notable characteristics: First, advocating the use of violence and paramilitary means to achieve its political demands. Some far-right organizations explicitly state their preparation for waging civil war and overthrowing the government, such as the “Boogaloo movement.” [2]2 The “Boogaloo movement” is a loosely organized far-right, anti-government extremist movement that advocates for a second American civil war, often using the term “boogaloo” as a euphemism for such a conflict. For this reason, the far-right is also referred to as the “radical right,” “extreme right,” or “alternative right,” with scholars like Jerry Harris viewing it as “fascism.” The Department of Homeland Security’s “Homeland Threat Assessment” report states that “white supremacist extremists” pose the “most persistent and lethal threat” within the United States. Second, the far-right political movement is a product of American identity politics and a manifestation of the culture war, possessing a distinct socio-psychological foundation, defined by issues of identity such as “Who are we?” Far-right forces believe that over the past few decades, left-wing forces in the United States have grown significantly, conservatism has failed to respond effectively to issues like abortion and homosexuality, and the significant increase in immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere has posed a “Great Replacement” challenge to the demographic and social structure of the United States. This, they argue, will fundamentally alter the way of life dominated by white people and white culture, necessitating radical measures to defend the “white nation.” Third, the far-right political movement promotes various conspiracy theories, such as “Jewish mob control of the world,” with far-right organizations like “QAnon” [3]3 “QAnon” is a far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a secret cabal of satan-worshipping, liberal pedophiles is running a global child sex trafficking ring and plotting against former President Donald Trump, who is supposedly waging a secret war against them. claiming that the secret war launched by Trump was aimed at combating a global satan-worshipping liberal pedophile cult.

与传统的保守主义和右翼势力相比较,极右翼政治运动具有以下显著特征:一是主张采取暴力和准军事手段实现自身政治诉求。一些极右翼组织明确提出要为开打内战、推翻政府作准备,如“布加洛运动”。鉴此,极右翼也被称为“激进右翼”“极端右翼”“另类右翼”,杰瑞·哈里斯等学者将之视为“法西斯主义”。美国国土安全部发布的《国土安全威胁评估报告》称,“白人至上主义极端分子”是美国国内“最持久、最致命的威胁”。二是极右翼政治运动是美国身份政治的产物、文化战争的体现,具有鲜明的社会心理基础,它由“我们是谁?”这类有关身份认同的议题所界定。极右翼势力认为,过去几十年,美国的左翼势力不断壮大,保守主义在反堕胎、反同性恋等问题上应对不力,加之拉美裔、亚洲裔等外来移民显著增多,美国的人口和社会结构面临“大更换”(Great Replacement)挑战,这将从根本上改变美国白人和白人文化占据主导地位的生活方式,必须采取激进手段捍卫“白人国家”。三是极右翼政治运动推崇“犹太暴徒控制世界”等形形色色的阴谋论,如“匿名者Q”等极右翼组织宣称特朗普发起的秘密战争是为了对抗全球崇拜撒旦的自由派恋童癖邪教团体。

During the Trump administration, the American far-right political movement and the extreme violence it brought about intensified. In August 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a “Unite the Right” rally held by far-right forces, a white supremacist drove a car into a crowd, resulting in a fatal incident. Organizations like the “Proud Boys” carried out a series of violent acts during the “Black Lives Matter” movement and the 2020 presidential election. The Federal Bureau of Investigation uncovered a plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and violently overthrow the state government; those involved were all from far-right organizations, with some being former members of the Marine Corps. In fact, within the U.S. military, National Guard, police, and other armed forces, there are many members or sympathizers of far-right organizations, and these individuals are often difficult to detect. In January 2021, to ensure the security of President Biden’s inauguration ceremony, tens of thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to Washington, D.C. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies determined that dozens of these National Guard members had close ties to far-right political organizations.

特朗普执政期间,美国极右翼政治运动及其带来的极端暴力有所升温。2017年8月在美国弗吉尼亚州夏洛茨维尔,极右翼势力在举行“团结右翼”集会时,发生了白人至上主义者驾车撞击并致人死亡的恶性事件。“骄傲男孩”等组织在“黑人的命也是命”运动以及2020年总统大选过程中,实施一系列暴力行动。美国联邦调查局曾查获密谋绑架密歇根州民主党籍州长格蕾琴·惠特默、暴力推翻州政府政权事件,涉案人员均来自极右翼组织,一些人还曾是海军陆战队成员。事实上,在美国军队、国民警卫队和警察等武装力量中,有很多极右翼组织成员或同情者,而且这些人员的隐蔽性较强。2021年1月,为保证拜登总统就职典礼安全,数万名美国国民警卫队队员被部署到华盛顿。美国联邦调查局等机构查明,这些国民警卫队队员中有数十位与极右翼政治组织关系密切。

In recent years, the impact of the far-right political movement has not diminished but has increased, with its ideology becoming more mainstream. Trump has received support from numerous far-right organizations, with some even calling themselves “Trump’s warriors.” “Make America Great Again” Republicans are attempting to leverage the powerful mobilizing capacity of far-right political forces to deliver a heavy blow to Biden and the Democratic Party in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. According to assessments by U.S. government agencies and experts, the far-right political movement may pose an even greater threat in the future: First, there may be more “lone wolf” actions carried out by far-right individuals, exacerbating the challenge of domestic terrorism in the United States. Second, far-right forces may intensify planning and execution of paramilitary operations, using white militia organizations to launch armed rebellions and seize control of relevant local U.S. governments. Third, far-right forces may retaliate against and attack liberal media figures; if the Biden administration further pressures social media to restrict far-right voices, far-right organizations’ attacks on media figures and institutions may increase. Fourth, far-right forces in states with strong conservative influence, such as Texas, may promote “referendum independence,” using relatively legal and peaceful means to pressure the Democratic-controlled federal government.

近年来,极右翼政治运动的冲击力未减反增,其意识形态变得更为主流化。特朗普得到众多极右翼组织的支持,一些组织甚至以“特朗普的战士”自诩。“让美国再次伟大”派共和党人试图利用极右翼政治势力的强大动员能力,在2024年美国大选中对拜登和民主党施以重击。根据美国政府机构和专家的评估,极右翼政治运动在未来或将构成更大威胁:一是可能会出现更多极右翼分子实施的“独狼行动”,加剧美国国内恐怖主义挑战;二是极右翼势力或将加紧谋划和实施准军事行动,利用白人民兵组织发动武装叛乱,夺取相关美国地方政府的政权;三是极右翼势力将对自由派媒体人士进行报复和袭击,如果拜登政府进一步施压社交媒体限制极右翼的声音,极右翼组织攻击媒体人士和机构的行动或会增多;四是极右翼势力在得克萨斯州等保守主义较强大的州推动“公投独立”,以相对合法、和平的方式对民主党控制的联邦政府施压。

Why the American Far-Right Political Movement Continues to Grow

美极右翼政治运动缘何不断壮大

The American far-right political movement has deep historical roots, traceable to the Ku Klux Klan that emerged during the U.S. Civil War in the 1860s. The Klan was mainly composed of veterans from the Confederate army who opposed the abolition of slavery, and it advocated violent action to maintain the social dominance of whites over Blacks, Jews, Asian immigrants, and other immigrants. Organizations like the Klan are closely related to contemporary far-right political movements. Both the ideology of racism and white supremacy, as well as the tradition of political violence, have been long preserved within American society, especially in the southern and western regions of the United States. The Civil War is considered a major source of domestic political violence in the United States. “The North won the war, but the South won the peace”; the Civil War did not resolve the problems, such as racism, that triggered domestic political violence in the United States. By the 1960s, the civil rights movement that emerged within the United States was also accompanied by serious political violence. Many American scholars worry that far-right political movements significantly increase the risk of the United States once again descending into civil war.

美国极右翼政治运动具有深厚的历史渊源,其可以追溯至19世纪60年代美国内战时期出现的三K党。三K党主要由反对奴隶解放的南方邦联军队的退伍老兵组成,主张通过暴力行动维护白人对于黑人、犹太人、亚洲裔移民以及其他移民的社会优势地位。三K党等组织和当代极右翼政治运动的关系相当密切。无论是种族主义和白人至上主义的意识形态,还是政治暴力传统,都在美国社会内部被长期保留,尤其是在美国南部和西部地区。南北战争则被认为是美国国内政治暴力的重要源头。“北方赢得了战争,但南方却在和平中获胜”,内战并没有解决种族主义等引发美国国内政治暴力的难题。到了20世纪60年代,美国国内兴起的民权运动,实际上也伴随着严重的政治暴力。很多美国学者都担心,极右翼政治运动显著加大美国再次陷入内战的风险。

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On January 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C., the white nationalist group “Patriot Front” marched alongside the 49th annual “March for Life” anti-abortion protest. (redux/IC photo)

2022年1月21日,在华盛顿特区,白人民族主义团体“爱国者阵线”与第4 9届“生命游行”反堕胎抗议活动一起游行。(redux/IC photo图片)

The current far-right political ideology is mainly a product of the profound transformations in American politics in the post-Cold War era under the influence of globalization. After the end of the Cold War, with the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party in power, processes such as economic globalization and political liberalization accelerated, and domestic conservatism in the United States came under pressure from the Democratic Party and left-wing forces. Against this backdrop, far-right political forces, with figures like Richard Spencer as their standard-bearers, attempted a forceful counterattack. By the time of the Obama administration, the influence of far-right political ideology had further expanded, and the “Tea Party” movement emerged. Far-right forces were quite averse to policies promoted by the Democrats, such as healthcare reform and equal rights for sexual minorities, and they also found it difficult to accept Obama as president. “Right-wing extremists used the election of the first African-American president to mobilize existing supporters, concentrate efforts on recruiting new members, and expand their influence and appeal through propaganda means.” [4]4 The “Tea Party” movement, emerging in 2009, was a conservative populist movement within the Republican Party that opposed the Obama administration’s policies, particularly economic stimulus and healthcare reform. After Trump took office in 2017, he appointed Steve Bannon as White House Chief Strategist, and figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who hold far-right political views, became members of the U.S. Congress. This marked the successful infiltration of American far-right political forces from the social margins into mainstream politics.

当前的极右翼政治思潮,主要是后冷战时代美国政治在全球化影响下出现深刻变革的产物。冷战结束后,随着克林顿和民主党执政,经济全球化、政治自由化等进程加速推进,美国国内保守主义受到来自民主党和左翼势力的压制。在这种背景下,以理查德·斯宾塞等人为旗手的极右翼政治势力试图进行强力反击。到了奥巴马政府时期,极右翼政治思潮的影响力进一步扩大,“茶党”运动兴起。极右翼势力对民主党推动的医疗改革、性少数群体平权等政策颇为反感,他们也难以接受奥巴马出任总统,“右翼极端主义分子利用首位非洲裔美国总统的当选,动员既有的支持者,集中力量招募新的成员,通过宣传手段扩展影响范围和号召力”。2017年特朗普执政后将史蒂夫·班农任命为白宫首席战略师,加之玛乔丽·泰勒·格林等秉持极右翼政治理念的人士成为美国国会议员,这标志着美国极右翼政治势力从社会边缘成功地侵入了主流政治。

The main reasons for the growing strength of American far-right political forces are as follows: First, the widening gap between rich and poor in American society, and the rising anger and dissatisfaction of lower- and middle-class white people toward political elites. The difficult economic situation of lower-class white Americans provides the basic conditions for the expansion of the far-right political movement. According to research by Professor Danny Quah of the London School of Economics and others, over the past 30-plus years, the United States is the only developed country where the average income of the bottom 50% of the population has continuously declined. An investigation led by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston pointed out that the United States is the most unequal society among developed countries, with tens of millions of people living in poverty, including a large number of white people. The economic plight of white people is mainly caused by three factors: first, economic globalization has led to job losses, especially in manufacturing, energy, and other sectors; second, technological progress such as automation has led to increasingly severe unemployment, which has a major impact on white people in rural areas with lower education levels; third, the financialization of the U.S. economy has resulted in only a few people, such as Wall Street elites, benefiting, and the unreasonable social distribution mechanism has created the chronic problem of “the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer.” Far-right organizations like the “Patriot Front” claim that white people are the “victims” of globalization and globalism, and the anti-globalization views they advocate are endorsed by many white Americans.

美国极右翼政治势力不断壮大的主要原因在于:第一,美国社会的贫富差距日益扩大,白人中下层民众对政治精英的愤怒和不满持续上升,美国底层白人困难的经济处境为极右翼政治运动的扩展提供了基本条件。根据伦敦政治经济学院教授柯成兴等人的研究,过去30多年,美国是唯一一个底层50%民众的平均收入不断下降的发达国家。联合国特别报告员菲利普·奥尔斯顿牵头的调查指出,美国是发达国家中最不平等的社会,存在数千万贫困人口,其中包括大量的白人民众。白人的经济困境主要由三大因素导致,一是经济全球化造成就业岗位流失,尤其是在制造业、能源业等领域;二是自动化等技术进步导致失业问题日益严重,这对受教育程度较低的乡村地区白人造成重大冲击;三是美国经济的金融化致使只有华尔街精英等少数人获利,不合理的社会分配机制带来“富者愈富、穷者愈穷”的痼疾。“爱国者阵线”等极右翼组织称,白人是全球化和全球主义的“受害者”,他们鼓吹的反全球化观点得到美国很多白人民众的认同。

Second, ethnic contradictions in the United States are intensifying. Factors such as the high fertility rate of people of color have led to rising “existential anxiety” among white Americans, and the white supremacist ideology promoted by far-right political forces is gaining increasing support. Since the 1960s, driven by the civil rights movement, the U.S. government has implemented “affirmative action” for Blacks and other ethnic minorities, granting them special consideration in education, employment, and other areas. This is considered “reverse discrimination” against white people, sparking discontent among the white population. Furthermore, with the continuous growth of foreign immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, the numerical disadvantage of white Americans is becoming more pronounced. According to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau, by around 2044, the number of people of color in the United States, including African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans, will surpass that of white people. Far-right forces claim that if the U.S. electoral system is not adjusted, and if policies supporting white people and curbing immigration are not firmly adopted like Trump’s, the fate of white people will become increasingly dire. They believe that only by “making America white again” can they “make America great again.” The supporters of the far-right political movement are basically white people from the lower and middle classes, who firmly believe that figures like Trump are the “saviors” of white Americans.

第二,美国的族群矛盾日益加剧,有色人种的高生育率等因素导致美国白人的“生存焦虑”不断上升,极右翼政治势力所宣扬的白人至上主义理念得到越来越多的支持。20世纪60年代以来,受民权运动的推动,美国政府对黑人等少数族裔实施“肯定性行动”,在教育、就业等方面给予少数族裔特殊照顾。这被认为是针对白人的“反向歧视”,引发白人群体的不满。此外,随着外来移民尤其是非法移民数量的不断增长,美国白人在人口数量上的劣势越发凸显。根据美国人口调查局的预测,到2044年左右,非洲裔、拉美裔、亚洲裔等美国有色人种的数量将超过白人。极右翼势力宣称,如果美国的选举制度不调整,如果不像特朗普那样坚定采取支持白人、抑制移民的政策,白人的命运将会越来越悲惨。他们认为,只有“让美国重新变白”,才能“让美国重新伟大”。极右翼政治运动的支持者基本上是美国中下阶层的白人,他们坚信特朗普这类人物是美国白人的“救世主”。

Third, the development of the internet and other technologies, as well as the popularization of social media, have caused American politics to exhibit characteristics of “tribalism,” enabling far-right political forces to achieve more effective ideological dissemination and political mobilization. Digital technology is a double-edged sword for the American democratic system. As Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow at Stanford University, has said, people can speak freely online, but various conspiracy theories and slander also run rampant. Social media has actually trapped a large number of American citizens in “information cocoons”; they only pay attention to and accept information and views similar to their own political leanings, which can make people more paranoid and extreme in politics. “Tribalism” in American politics is becoming increasingly evident, and politically related “hate speech” is ubiquitous online, with the social media platforms that publish such speech bearing no responsibility. The core strategy of American far-right political organizations is to use technological means like the internet to create and spread various types of false information, use automated programs to generate fake likes and shares, and incite and manipulate the fears of white Americans. Far-right political media outlets in the United States, such as *The American Daily*, abuse “freedom of speech,” using internet technology and other means to widely disseminate extremist ideologies and various conspiracy theories. For example, during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, far-right organizations incited their supporters, claiming that Biden and the Democratic Party were the “radical left” who would destroy the United States if they won the election and took office.

第三,互联网等技术发展以及社交媒体的普及,使美国政治呈现“部落主义”特征,极右翼政治势力得以实现更加有力的理念传播和政治动员。数字技术对于美国的民主体制而言是一把双刃剑,正如斯坦福大学高级研究员弗朗西斯·福山所言,人们可以在网络上畅所欲言,但各种阴谋论和诽谤中伤也大行其道。社交媒体实际上令大量的美国民众陷入“信息茧房”,他们只关注、接受与自己政治理念相近的信息和观点,这会导致民众在政治上变得更加偏执和极端。美国政治中的“部落主义”越发明显,网络上和政治相关的“仇恨言论”随处可见,发布这些言论的社交媒体平台不必为此负责。美国极右翼政治组织的核心策略就是利用互联网等技术手段,制造和散播各类不实信息,用自动程序制造虚假的点赞和转发量,激发和操纵美国白人民众的恐惧感。《美国日报》等美国极右翼政治媒体滥用“言论自由”,大肆通过互联网技术等传播极端主义意识形态和各类阴谋论。比如,在2020年美国总统大选期间,极右翼组织对支持者进行煽动,声称拜登和民主党是“激进左翼”,其赢得选举执政后将毁掉美国。

Fourth, the inherent maladies of the U.S. political system, especially its electoral system, have generally made American politics increasingly “polarized,” providing a crucial environment for the growth of far-right political movements, and the influence of the specific factor of Trump’s tenure cannot be ignored. Since the 2008 international financial crisis, the struggle between the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties has

第四,美国政治制度尤其是选举制度的内在顽疾,使美国政治总体上日趋“极化”,这为极右翼政治运动的壮大提供了重要环境,特朗普执政这一特定因素的影响也不容忽视。2008年国际金融危机以来,美国民主、共和两党之间的争斗日益激烈,选区重新划分等因素使美国的“左右之争”日益加剧,政党恶斗使美国的民主沦为一种“否决政治”(Vetocracy),政府缺乏解决经济、社会等领域矛盾的能力,美国民众对政府和政治精英的信任感不断下降。美国现有的政党体制难以回应经济社会发展面临的挑战,美国的选举制度对美国国内政治矛盾进行调节的能力也在下降。从2020年大选看,美国选举人团制度的弊病更加突出,引发的政治纷争最终造成“占领国会山”这样的事件。根据美国政治学者的统计,关于如何改革选举人团制度的具体建议已经超过900条,但相关改革在美国一直难以推动。极右翼政治势力要求对美国政治制度进行全面、彻底的重塑,宣扬“排干华盛顿的政治沼泽”“解构行政国”。同时,美国政治体制对极右翼政治暴力的限控能力不足,如在应对国内恐怖主义方面存在诸多立法和司法漏洞。特朗普政府大肆纵容和庇护“骄傲男孩”等极右翼组织,时任司法部长巴尔等人故意要求美国司法和执法部门加大对“激进左翼”的调查,其目的是分散美国各界对极右翼势力的关注,减少美国政府机构对极右翼的压力。可以说,特朗普执政的四年为极右翼政治势力壮大创造了有利条件。

The Far-Right Political Movement in the United States Continues to Expand Its International Influence

美极右翼政治运动不断扩展国际影响

While profoundly altering the domestic political ecology of the United States, the development of the American far-right political movement also focuses on expanding its influence outward, forging close ties with far-right political forces in Europe and other regions, and striving to weave an international network of far-right political movements. The American far-right political forces harbor intense Sinophobia and anti-China sentiment, pushing the U.S. government to adopt a hardline policy toward China, thereby affecting the stability of Sino-American relations to a certain extent.

美国极右翼政治运动的发展在深刻改变美国国内政治生态的同时,还注重向外扩展自身影响,与欧洲等地区的极右翼政治势力紧密勾连,力图编织极右翼政治运动国际网络。美国极右翼政治势力具有强烈的仇华反华情绪,助推美国政府采取对华强硬政策,在一定程度上影响了中美关系的稳定。

I. Building an International Network of the Far-Right Political Movement

一、构建极右翼政治运动的国际网络

The growth of the American far-right political movement is a manifestation of the strengthening of right-wing populist forces globally after the 2008 international financial crisis, and it possesses prominent international characteristics. American far-right forces focus on expanding their influence outward while simultaneously seeking external support, attempting to construct an increasingly tight international network of far-right political movements. This trend is particularly pronounced between the United States and Europe. After leaving his post in August 2017, Trump's key advisor and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon established a foundation named "The Movement" in Europe, primarily to cheer on and encourage European far-right political forces, striving to promote mutual linkage and reliance between American and European far-right political forces. The European political figures whom Bannon and others vigorously courted include UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, Italian League Party leader Matteo Salvini, Dutch Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders, important member of the Italian right-wing Northern League Lorenzo Fontana, and Belgian Vlaams Belang party leader Filip Dewinter. Bannon frequently participates in activities of European right-wing populist parties, such as personally traveling to Italy to observe parliamentary elections, promoting the formation of a coalition government between the Five Star Movement and the League Party, and calling at a French National Rally party congress for "wearing racism as a badge of honor." Bannon also played an important role in the British "Brexit" process. Kemal Derviş, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and others point out that Bannon is attempting to establish a "new nationalist international."

美国极右翼政治运动的壮大,是2008年国际金融危机后全球范围内右翼民粹势力不断走强的体现,其具有突出的国际性特征。美国极右翼势力注重向外扩展自身影响,同时寻求外部支持,试图构建越发紧密的极右翼政治运动国际网络。这一态势在美欧之间尤为突出。特朗普重要智囊、白宫前首席战略师班农在2017年8月去职后,在欧洲地区成立名为“运动”(The Movement)的基金会,主要为欧洲极右翼政治势力助威鼓劲,力图促成美欧极右翼政治势力之间的相互联动和借重。班农等人大力拉拢的欧洲政治人物包括英国独立党领导人法拉奇、意大利联盟党领导人马泰奥·萨尔维尼、荷兰自由党领导人海尔特·维尔德斯、意大利右翼北方联盟重要成员洛伦佐·丰塔纳、比利时弗拉芒利益党领导人菲利普·德温特。班农经常参加欧洲右翼民粹政党的活动,如曾亲临意大利观摩议会大选,推动“五星运动”党与“联盟党”结盟执政,在法国“国民阵线”党代会上呼吁“要把种族主义当做荣誉徽章”。班农还在英国“脱欧”进程中发挥重要作用。美国布鲁金斯学会高级研究员凯末尔·德尔维什等人指出,班农试图建立一种“新民族主义国际”。

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On May 25, 2023, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the American far-right militia group "Oath Keepers," was sentenced to 18 years in prison for committing "seditious conspiracy." The image shows Stewart Rhodes attending a hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol on June 9, 2022. (Source: The Paper/IC photo)

2023年5月25日,美国极右翼民兵组织“誓言守卫者”(Oath Keepers)头目斯图尔特·罗德斯因犯下“共谋暴乱罪”被判处18年监禁。图为2022年6月9日斯图尔特·罗德斯出席美国众议院特别委员会调查2021年1月6日围攻国会大厦事件的听证会现场。(澎湃影像/IC photo图片)

The continued expansion of influence by American far-right political forces in Europe has a distinct contemporary background. In recent years, right-wing populist parties in European countries have been on the rise, gradually gaining important positions in mainstream politics and increasingly influencing the state power of relevant countries. For instance, Marine Le Pen, leader of the French National Rally, claims that France effectively has only two political factions: one supporting the National Rally and the other opposing it. As the French political scene faces increasing impact from right-wing populist parties, similar trends have emerged in Germany. Recent opinion polls show that support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which advocates anti-immigration and anti-euro policies, has risen significantly, while support for traditional parties like the Christian Democratic Union has been declining. In fact, besides the French National Rally and the German AfD, right-wing populist parties such as the UK Independence Party, the Danish People's Party, and the Finns Party have achieved considerable success in recent elections in their respective countries, with some even becoming the second-largest party in their national parliaments.

美国极右翼政治势力在欧洲地区持续扩展影响力具有鲜明的时代背景。近年来,欧洲国家右翼民粹政党力量不断上升,逐步在主流政治中获得重要地位,对相关国家政权的影响力日益增强。比如,法国“国民阵线”领导人玛丽·勒庞称,法国实际上只有两个政治派别,一个支持“国民阵线”,另一个则反对它。当法国政坛面临右翼民粹政党越来越大冲击之时,德国也出现了类似动向。近年的民调结果显示,支持反移民、反欧元等政策的德国选择党(AfD)支持率显著上升,德国“基督教民主联盟”等传统政党的支持率不断下跌。实际上,除了法国“国民阵线”和德国选择党,英国独立党、丹麦人民党、芬兰正统芬兰人党等右翼民粹政党,在近年各国选举中颇有斩获,有的甚至占据本国议会第二大党地位。

The demands of the far-right political movements in the United States and Europe share many commonalities, and their mutual interactions help enhance the legitimacy and influence of far-right ideology. First, they all adopt an anti-elite, anti-establishment stance along with strong nationalism and xenophobia, advocating for the establishment of a "homogeneous society" based on ethnicity, lineage, and culture. Second, they target minority groups, non-mainstream religious believers, and immigrants, portraying the latter as the root cause of their countries' economic, social, and political crises. Third, they all emphasize safeguarding "national sovereignty." American far-right political forces advocate "taking back our country," are highly averse to international organizations and multilateralism, and promote the doctrine of "national sovereignty supremacy." European far-right parties generally share similar tendencies; they openly oppose European integration, despise political elites who support the "More Europe" concept, advocate for their countries to leave the European Union to regain sovereignty, and provide strong "protection" for their own people.

美国和欧洲极右翼政治运动的诉求有很多一致之处,它们的相互交往,有助于增强极右翼意识形态的正当性和影响力。一是它们都具有反精英、反主流姿态以及强烈的民族主义和排外倾向,主张建立族群、血统、文化意义上的“同质社会”。二是它们将矛头指向少数族群、非主流的宗教信徒以及外来移民,把后者视为造成本国经济社会和政治危机的根源。三是它们都重视维护“本国主权”。美国极右翼政治势力主张“夺回我们的国家”,对国际组织、多边主义等极为反感,宣扬“本国主权至上论”。欧洲的极右翼政党也普遍具有类似倾向,它们公开反对欧洲一体化,嫌恶那些支持“更多欧洲”(More Europe)理念的政治精英群体,主张本国脱离欧盟,重新赢得主权,并对本国民众进行强有力的“保护”。

The American far-right forces employ several main strategies to expand their influence in Europe. First, they focus on intensifying European citizens' sense of insecurity and fear. In recent years, Europe has faced severe impacts from multiple crises, including the European debt crisis, the refugee crisis, and the Ukraine crisis, which have significantly heightened the sense of insecurity among European populations. This provides a "breeding ground" for American far-right political forces to spread populist and nationalist ideas to European citizens. Second, they help European far-right parties compete for voters from mainstream parties. These far-right parties include the Austrian People's Party and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. As many traditional major parties in European countries have performed poorly in governance, they are portrayed by far-right parties as corrupt, incompetent, and indifferent "political elites." Far-right parties seize this opportunity to gain political capital and vigorously court voters. Third, they pressure mainstream parties to absorb far-right policy proposals, including restricting immigration, controlling Islam, and reducing the EU's constraints on the sovereignty of relevant countries. Fourth, they promote the increase of far-right parties' influence in the European Parliament. Far-right parties from multiple European countries have successfully challenged traditional mainstream parties, beginning to "enter the halls of power" at the EU headquarters in Brussels, using EU mechanisms, platforms, and European Parliament member allowances to promote their policy proposals opposing European integration and influencing the EU's agenda-setting on issues such as immigration policy.

美国极右翼势力在欧洲扩展影响力主要采取以下几种策略。第一,着力强化欧洲民众的不安全感、恐惧感。近年来,欧洲面临多重危机的严重冲击,包括欧债危机、难民危机、乌克兰危机等,显著加剧了欧洲国家民众的不安全感,这为美国极右翼政治势力向欧洲民众传播民粹主义、民族主义等理念提供了“温床”。第二,帮助欧洲极右翼政党从主流政党那里争夺选民。这些极右翼政党包括奥地利的人民党、西班牙的社会党等。由于很多欧洲国家的传统大党执政表现不佳,他们被极右翼政党描绘成腐败、无能而又冷漠的“政治精英”。极右翼政党趁势捞取政治资本,极力争取选民。第三,迫使主流政党吸收极右翼的政策主张,包括限制移民、对伊斯兰教等加以管控、减少欧盟对相关国家主权的钳制等。第四,推动极右翼政党在欧洲议会增加影响力。欧洲多国的极右翼政党成功挑战了传统主流政党,它们开始在欧盟总部布鲁塞尔“登堂入室”,利用欧盟的机制、平台和欧洲议员津贴宣扬其反对欧洲一体化的政策主张,在移民政策等方面影响欧盟的议程设置。

Furthermore, American far-right forces such as the “Go Movement” advocate “neo-fascism” and maintain close ties with organizations such as Ukraine’s Azov Battalion and Japan’s right-wing group “Issuikai.” They have traveled to Japan to “discuss cooperation” and deliberately made a collective visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, while the Azov Battalion, bearing neo-Nazi characteristics, has conducted training for white supremacists in the United States. American far-right political forces also have deep contacts with right-wing forces in Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina. In the post-pandemic era, factors such as the weakness of global economic development will translate into political destructiveness, and the influence of far-right political movements is likely to expand further. Their policy proposals are highly inflammatory, relying heavily on online spaces for dissemination while also focusing on developing grassroots strength and strengthening transnational linkages through covert means. The American far-right political movement and its international connections merit more in-depth research, which will help better grasp the characteristics and trends of global ideological evolution.

此外,“超越运动”等美国极右翼势力宣扬“新法西斯主义”,与乌克兰的亚速营、日本右翼团体“一水会”等组织之间存在密切联系。他们曾赴日本“商讨合作”并特意集体参拜靖国神社,带有新纳粹特征的亚速营还在美国对白人至上主义分子进行训练。美国极右翼政治势力与巴西、阿根廷等拉美多国的右翼势力也有深入接触。后疫情时代全球经济发展的疲弱等因素将转化为政治上的破坏性,极右翼政治运动的影响力恐进一步扩大,其政策主张的煽动性较强,既高度依靠网络空间传播,也注重以隐秘的方式发展基层力量、强化跨国联动。美国极右翼政治运动及其国际勾连问题值得更为深入的研究,这有助于更好把握全球意识形态演变的特征与走向。

II. Negative Impact on Sino-American Relations

二、对中美关系的负面影响

The internalization of great-power competition is an important perspective for examining the evolution of U.S. strategy toward China, and the influence of U.S. domestic political factors on Sino-American relations is becoming increasingly profound and complex. Some American politicians tend to seek “scapegoats” for America’s own difficulties, with China bearing the brunt. American far-right political forces generally hold hawkish, anti-China and anti-communist positions, and they vigorously

大国竞争内政化是审视美国对华战略演变的重要视角,美国国内政治因素对中美关系的影响越发深入和复杂。部分美国政客倾向于为美国自身的困难寻找“替罪羊”,中国首当其冲。美国极右翼政治势力普遍持反华、反共的鹰派立场,他们大肆塑造美国选民的对华认知;而对中国态度越发负面的选民又会反向塑造美国政客,他们惯于借助打“中国牌”在国内政治中谋求好处,通过展现对华强硬姿态获取选民和相关利益集团的支持。这种恶性循环将对中美关系造成持久而重大的损害。

In recent years, a series of opinion polls have shown that Republican voters in the United States hold more severe negative perceptions of China, which is closely related to the anti-China propaganda of far-right political forces such as Steve Bannon. In addition, the negative perception of China promoted by the far right is also linked to multiple factors such as race and religion. David Ebner and Vladimir Medenitsa, political scientists at the University of Delaware, found that white Americans who express higher levels of racial hatred are more likely to view China as a military threat. Peter Beinart, a professor of political science at the City University of New York, believes that the John Birch Society, a religiously based organization that historically promoted anti-communist fervor and conspiracy theories, is a preview of the current right-wing populism. Currently, white evangelicals in the United States hold the greatest hostility toward China, and many Republican voters not only view China's rise as a threat to U.S. power but also as a threat to white Christian authority.

近年来,一系列的民意调查显示美国共和党选民对中国的负面认知更为严重,这与班农等极右翼政治势力的反华宣传有着密切关系。此外,极右翼推动的对华负面认知还与种族、宗教等多种因素相关。特拉华大学政治学者戴维·埃伯纳和弗拉基米尔·梅迪尼察发现,表达出更高程度种族仇恨的美国白人更有可能将中国视为军事威胁。纽约城市大学政治学教授彼得·贝纳特认为,曾在历史上宣扬反共狂热和阴谋论的宗教背景组织约翰·博齐协会(The John Birch Society)是当下右翼民粹主义的预演,当前美国白人福音派对中国持有最大敌意,很多共和党选民不仅将中国的崛起视为对美国实力的威胁,还认为这是对白人基督教权力的威胁。

Especially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, far-right political forces in the United States deliberately stoked conspiracy theories such as the

特别是在新冠疫情发生后,美国极右翼政治势力蓄意炒作“中国病毒”等阴谋论,挑起美国民众针对亚洲裔美国人特别是在美华人群体的更大敌意,白人主导的“仇恨团体”以及“仇恨犯罪”活动显著增加,这也给中美关系带来新的严重挑战。此外,还要高度警惕美国极右翼政治势力与“台独”“疆独”等势力相互勾连,共同推动反华议程。

In short, the influence of far-right political forces in U.S. domestic politics during the current period and in the future deserves serious attention. Factors such as the judicial investigations into Trump promoted by Biden and the Democratic Party may further stimulate far-right political forces within the United States. If Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, the influence of the U.S. far-right political movement may reach a new high. The intensification of the U.S. political chaos will have spillover effects on Sino-U.S. relations, and China needs to take proactive precautions and properly respond to the increasingly enhanced internal restlessness of U.S. hegemony.

总之,当前和未来一个时期,极右翼政治势力在美国国内政治中的影响值得高度重视。拜登和民主党推动针对特朗普的司法调查等因素,有可能进一步刺激美国国内的极右翼政治势力。如果特朗普在2024年大选中获胜,美国极右翼政治运动的影响力或将迎来新高。美国政治乱局的加剧将对中美关系带来溢出性影响,中国需要主动加以防范,妥善应对美国霸权越发增强的内在躁动性。

(The author is Deputy Director and Professor of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, and Senior Research Fellow of the Belt and Road and Global Governance Research Institute at Fudan University)

(作者系复旦大学美国研究中心副主任、教授,复旦大学一带一路及全球治理研究院高级研究员)

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑:同心

Notes

  1. The “storming of the Capitol” refers to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. ↩
  2. The “Boogaloo movement” is a loosely organized far-right, anti-government extremist movement that advocates for a second American civil war, often using the term “boogaloo” as a euphemism for such a conflict. ↩
  3. “QAnon” is a far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a secret cabal of satan-worshipping, liberal pedophiles is running a global child sex trafficking ring and plotting against former President Donald Trump, who is supposedly waging a secret war against them. ↩
  4. The “Tea Party” movement, emerging in 2009, was a conservative populist movement within the Republican Party that opposed the Obama administration’s policies, particularly economic stimulus and healthcare reform. ↩
  5. Steve Bannon: Former White House Chief Strategist under President Donald Trump, a key figure in the American far-right and nationalist populist movement.
  6. The Movement: A foundation established by Steve Bannon in Europe in 2017 to support and coordinate far-right and populist political parties across the continent.
  7. "wearing racism as a badge of honor": A phrase used by Bannon in a speech to the French National Rally party congress, reflecting his confrontational rhetorical style.
  8. "new nationalist international": A term coined by analysts to describe Bannon's efforts to create a transnational network of nationalist and far-right movements.
  9. Oath Keepers: A far-right anti-government militia group in the United States, whose members were involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
  10. "More Europe": A slogan used by pro-European integration political elites advocating for deeper EU federalism and centralization of power.