Peter Brimelow (born 13 October 1947) is a British-born American
white nationalist
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...
and
white supremacist
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
writer.
He is the founder of the website
VDARE
VDARE is an American far-right website promoting opposition to immigration to the United States. It is associated with white supremacy,Sam FrizellGOP Shows White Supremacist's Tweet During Trump's Speech Time, July 21, 2016 white nationalism, ...
, an anti-immigration site associated with
white supremacy
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
,
white nationalism
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwo ...
,
and the
alt-right.
He believes that "whites built American culture" and that "it is at risk from non-whites who would seek to change it".
[
Brimelow was previously a writer and editor at '']National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
'', and columnist for Dow Jones' '' MarketWatch''. Brimelow founded the Center for American Unity in 1999 and served as its first president. He describes himself as a paleoconservative
Paleoconservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism in the United States stressing American nationalism, Christian ethics, regionalism, and traditionalist conservatism. Paleoconservatism's concerns overlap with those of the ...
. Brimelow has also been described as a leader within the alt-right movement. He rejects the labels of "white supremacist" and "white nationalist" and prefers to be known as a "civic nationalist". In January 2021, a judge dismissed a lawsuit Brimelow brought against ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', ruling that his being called a "white nationalist" was not defamatory. According to the ''New York Times'', Brimelow had a direct reporting relationship with Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
.
Early life and education
Brimelow was born in 1947 in Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
, Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
, England, the son of Bessie (''née'' Knox) and Frank Sanderson Brimelow, a transport executive. Brimelow (and his twin brother) studied at the University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
(BA, 1970) and Stanford University (MBA, 1972).
Career
After working as a securities analyst
A financial analyst is a professional, undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job.
The role may specifically be titled securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, investment analyst, o ...
, he moved to Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
to work as a business writer and editor at the ''Financial Post
The ''Financial Post'' was an English Canadian business newspaper, which published from 1907 to 1998. In 1998, the publication was folded into the new ''National Post'',"Black says Post to merge with new paper". ''The Globe and Mail'', July 23, ...
'' and ''Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
''. From 1978 to 1980, he was an aide to US Senator Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch (March 22, 1934 – April 23, 2022) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019. Hatch's 42-year Senate tenure made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senato ...
. In 1980, Brimelow moved to New York and worked for ''Barron's Barron's or Barrons may refer to:
*Barron's Educational Series, a publisher of books, as well as college entrance exam preparation classes and materials, now an imprint of Kaplan Test Prep
** B.E.S. Publishing, the former owner of Barron's
* ''Barr ...
'' and '' Fortune.''
In 1990, Brimelow and Leslie Spencer's article "The Litigation Scandal", written for ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'', won a Gerald Loeb Award in the "Magazine" category.
Views and publications
Brimelow opposes both illegal and legal immigration, despite having immigrated to the United States himself, and has referred to Spanish-speaking immigrants as "completely dysfunctional". He said California used to be a "paradise" but was "rapidly turning into Hispanic slum". Brimelow has been described as a white nationalist
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...
and a white supremacist
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
. In 2020, Brimelow sued ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' for labeling him a "white nationalist". In 2022, after reports of a draft Supreme Court opinion overturning ''Roe v. Wade'', he wrote, "Next step Brown vs. Board!" in opposition to the landmark decision overturning segregation.
The Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white s ...
(SPLC) has described Brimelow's website VDARE
VDARE is an American far-right website promoting opposition to immigration to the United States. It is associated with white supremacy,Sam FrizellGOP Shows White Supremacist's Tweet During Trump's Speech Time, July 21, 2016 white nationalism, ...
as a hate group, that was "once a relatively mainstream anti-immigration page", but by 2003 became "a meeting place for many on the radical right". The SPLC also criticized VDARE for publishing articles by white nationalists Jared Taylor
Samuel Jared Taylor (born September 15, 1951) is an American white supremacist and editor of ''American Renaissance'', an online magazine espousing such opinions, which was founded by Taylor in 1990.
He is also the president of ''American Ren ...
and Sam Francis
Samuel Lewis Francis (June 25, 1923 – November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker.
Early life
Sam Francis was born in San Mateo, California, . It has been called "white nationalist" by the ''Rocky Mountain News
The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As ...
''. It has also been described as white supremacist. VDARE has also been described by the Anti-Defamation League as a racist anti-immigrant group.
Brimelow has appeared as a guest on '' The Political Cesspool'', a "pro-white" talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
show. Following the 2008 presidential election, Brimelow advocated that to win, the Republican Party should focus on "white votes".
As of 2010 he was a senior contributing editor at Alternative Right, a website edited by Richard Spencer, according to the SPLC. He has spoken at events hosted by the National Policy Institute
The National Policy Institute (NPI) is a white supremacist think tank and lobbying group which is based in Alexandria, Virginia. It lobbies for white supremacists and the alt-right. Its president is Richard B. Spencer.
It has been largely ina ...
run by Spencer, according to the SPLC.
Brimelow appeared on a panel discussing multiculturalism
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
during the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC; ) is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States and beyond. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU) ...
(CPAC 2012), and gave a talk titled "The Failure of Multiculturalism: How the pursuit of diversity is weakening the American Identity". In the face of condemnation from MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
and PFTAW, Al Cardenas
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
of the American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...
denied knowing Brimelow.
Larry Auster, also a prominent immigration restrictionist, was a fierce critic of Brimelow's approach to the issue. For example, Auster criticized Brimelow's promotion of the views of antisemitic conspiracy theorist Kevin MacDonald in the following manner: "The views of Alex Linder are not fundamentally different from those of Kevin MacDonald, who is published by Peter Brimelow and Richard Spencer. The only real difference between Linder and MacDonald is that Linder explicitly touts his goal of removing all Jews from the earth, while in MacDonald’s case the same goal is implicit."
''Alien Nation''
Brimelow's book ''Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster'' criticizes U.S. immigration policy after 1965.
A review in '' Foreign Affairs'' acknowledged that the book raised a number of persuasive objections to contemporary American immigration policies, but criticized Brimelow for "defining American identity in racial as opposed to cultural terms", and for the "extreme character" of his proposals.
The SPLC described it as an "infamous anti-immigrant book", and pointed to Center for Immigration Studies
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is an anti-immigration think tank and a SPLC designated hate group. It favors far lower immigration numbers, and produces analyses to further those views. The CIS was founded by historian Otis L. Grah ...
executive director Mark Krikorian's positive review of the book as evidence his organization had close ties to white nationalists.
''The Worm in the Apple''
''The Worm in the Apple'' discusses public education and teachers' unions, considering unions as "highly destructive". David Gordon summarizes Brimelow's view in his review of the book in ''The Mises Review'': "to attempt so far-reaching a goal as universal high school education is foolish." John O'Sullivan John O'Sullivan may refer to:
Sports
*John O'Sullivan (cricketer) (1918–1991), New Zealand cricketer
*John O'Sullivan (cyclist) (born 1933), Australian cyclist
*John O'Sullivan (footballer) (born 1993), Irish footballer for Accrington Stanley
*J ...
praised the book. For the Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace; abbreviated as Hoover) is an American public policy think tank and research institution that promotes personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, an ...
journal ''Education Next'', public policy consultant George Mitchell wrote: "Brimelow... demonstrates how collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...
for teachers has produced labor agreements that stifle innovation and risk taking. He makes it clear that the dramatic rise in influence enjoyed by the teacher unions has coincided with stagnant and unacceptable levels of student performance." However, in the same journal article, education consultant Julia E. Koppich took a more critical angle: "Brimelow uses a variety of linguistic devices to drive home his points. But his over-the-top language soon grates on the nerves... His argument is not that teacher unions are destroying American education, but that they labor long and hard to preserve the status quo... But this book contains so little about education-virtually nothing about classrooms, schools, or districts-even that point gets lost." Koppich called the book "an anti-public school polemic
Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topic ...
".
''The Patriot Game''
In an article in ''Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
'' which was published in 2011, John M. Geddes
John M. Geddes is an American journalist who served as one of two managing editors of ''The New York Times''. He was appointed to that post in 2003, and left it in 2013. Geddes served as managing editor for news operations. He and Jill Abramson we ...
says that Brimelow's book '' The Patriot Game: National Dreams and Political Realities'' "offered a bracingly of-the-moment conservative critique of Canada," and said that it was instrumental in shaping the thought process of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Writings
*
*
** Also published as
*
*
** Also see: letter to the editor, responding to critics –
*
References
External links
*
Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report on Brimelow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brimelow, Peter
1947 births
Living people
21st-century American journalists
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
Alt-right writers
Alumni of the University of Sussex
Anti-immigration activists
American business and financial journalists
American chief executives in the media industry
American columnists
American magazine founders
American magazine editors
American magazine journalists
American male journalists
American white nationalists
British emigrants to the United States
Businesspeople from New York City
Critics of multiculturalism
Employees of the United States Senate
Gerald Loeb Award winners for Magazines
American opinion journalists
Paleoconservatism
People from Warrington
Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni
Writers from New York City