Weev, the Neo-Nazi Who Helped Build Peter Thiel's Online Influence Empire
4 hours ago
- #far-right networks
- #disinformation operations
- #memetic warfare
- General Michael Flynn described Trump's 2016 campaign as a quasi-military 'insurgency' run by 'digital soldiers'.
- Jeff Giesea coined 'memetic warfare' as psychological warfare tailored to social media and contributed to a NATO journal, with input from far-right activist Charles C. Johnson.
- A 2011 hack revealed plans, involving Thiel's Palantir, to use similar tactics (fake personas, harassment) against unions, journalists, and activists in the U.S.
- A far-right network, including platforms like Daily Stormer and figures like Andrew 'Weev' Auernheimer, tested disinformation and harassment tactics later presented to NATO.
- Auernheimer acted as a bridge between online subcultures, white supremacist movements, and Thiel's network, with ties confirmed through private statements and leaked correspondence.
- Giesea was accused of funding neo-Nazi organizations, though he denied support for Daily Stormer and limited his interaction with Auernheimer to research for the NATO paper.
- The /pol/ board on 4chan and GamerGate served as incubators for far-right radicalization, with Auernheimer and others involved, leading to platforms like 8chan and QAnon.
- Thiel and Epstein's network, including connections to facial recognition technology and immigration enforcement, shows the integration of online tactics into political and strategic spheres.
- The pattern shows tactics from far-right internet culture being absorbed into elite discourse, as highlighted in the NATO StratCom paper and Michael Flynn Jr.'s remarks on the 'Digital Army'.