George Michael (academic)

George Michael
Born
George Joseph Michael

(1961-01-30) January 30, 1961
United States
OccupationsHistorian, political scientist, writer
EmployerWestfield State University
Known forResearch on extremism
Notable workThe Enemy of My Enemy
AwardsUniversity of Virginia's Outstanding Research Award
Academic background
EducationBS, MA, PhD (2002) in public policy
Alma materWidener University
Temple University
George Mason University

George Joseph Michael (born January 30, 1961) is an American historian, political scientist, and writer. He is a professor at the criminal justice faculty of Westfield State University in Massachusetts, and previously served as associate professor of nuclear counterproliferation and deterrence theory at the Air War College and as associate professor of political science and administration of justice at The University of Virginia's College at Wise. He studies right-wing extremism, including the relationship between militant Islam and the far-right.

He is the author of several books, including Confronting Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA (2003), The Enemy of My Enemy (2006), Willis Carto and the American Far Right (2008), Theology of Hate: A History of the World Church of the Creator (2009), Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance (2012), and is the editor of the book Extremism in America (2014).

Early life and education

Michael was born on January 30, 1961[1][2] and has a B.S. from Widener University and an M.A. from Temple University.[3] He obtained his Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University in 2002,[4] where he studied under Francis Fukuyama, with a thesis entitled "The U.S. Response to Domestic Right Wing Terrorism and Extremism: A Government and NGO Partnership."

Career

Described by The Christian Science Monitor as an expert on political extremism,[5][6] he was awarded the University of Virginia's "Outstanding Research Award", awarded to a faculty member who "has contributed significantly to published research in his or her discipline".[7] He studies right-wing extremism, including the relationship between militant Islam and the far-right.[8][9] He previously served as associate professor of nuclear counterproliferation and deterrence theory at the Air War College.[10] Michael is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. As a civilian, he conducted operations research for the U.S. Army.[4]

In 2003, he authored Confronting Right-wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA, which discussed domestic terrorists and the threats which they pose to the U.S. "homeland security."[11] His 2006 book The Enemy of My Enemy focuses on connections between far-right and Islamic extremists.[12][13] In 2008, he published Willis Carto and the American Far Right, about Willis Carto, founder of the Liberty Lobby.[14] The next year, he authored Theology of Hate: A History of the World Church of the Creator, about Ben Klassen and the World Church of the Creator.[15] Michael has also published research on SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and is the author of Preparing for Contact: When Humans and Extraterrestrials Finally Meet (2014).[16][17]

Michael says that post-9/11, underground radio stations that traffic in conspiracy theories and incite violence in the U.S. are under greater scrutiny because law enforcement has been given more power to prosecute such speech. He also says that the American Free Press newspaper is "the most important newspaper of the radical right."[5] He notes that: "Traditionally, critique of the IRS has come from the right, such as the Christian Patriot movement, but sovereign citizen movements also invoke a lot of left-wing ideas like anti-capitalism that are consistent with the times and the downturn in the economy, where people may have property liens against them."[6]

Bibliography

  • —— (2003). Confronting Right Wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-31500-X.
  • —— (2006). The Enemy of my Enemy: The Alarming Convergence of Militant Islam and the Extreme Right. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-1444-3.
  • —— (2008). Willis Carto and the American Far Right. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-3198-9.
  • —— (2009). Theology of Hate: A History of the World Church of the Creator. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-3350-0.
  • —— (2012). Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 978-0-8265-1855-2.
  • ——, ed. (2014). Extremism in America. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-6198-6.
  • —— (2014). Preparing for Contact: When Humans and Extraterrestrials Finally Meet. New York: RVP Press. ISBN 978-1-61861-322-6.

References

  1. ^ "George Joseph Michael", Who's Who in America (70th ed.), 2016, archived from the original on December 16, 2019, retrieved August 18, 2018
  2. ^ "Michael, George 1961- (George J. Michael)". Contemporary Authors. Gale. 2009. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  3. ^ Professor Kevin MacDonald's Critique of Judaism: Legitimate Scholarship or the Intellectualization of Anti-Semitism?, Britannica Online Encyclopedia, April 10, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Michael, George (June 18, 2004). Confronting right-wing extremism and ... – Google Books. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780203563212. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Guardians of the free Republics tied to Texas radio station / The Christian Science Monitor". Christian Science Monitor. April 2, 2010. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Guardians of the free Republics looked to Gandhi, King, and Mandela / The Christian Science Monitor". Christian Science Monitor. April 3, 2010. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  7. ^ "UVA-Wise Faculty Received Harrison Awards", UVA-Wise Magazine, Faculty and Staff News, accessed April 19, 2010 Archived September 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ MacDonald, Nancy (July 18, 2006). "To Heil with Muslims". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  9. ^ Amid harsh criticisms, 'tea party' slips into the mainstream Archived February 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The Christian Science Monitor, April 3, 2010.
  10. ^ Michael, George. The New Media and the Rise of Exhortatory Terrorism. Strategic Studies Quarterly (USAF), Volume 7 Issue 1, Spring 2013
  11. ^ "Confronting Right-wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA. | Goliath Business News". February 1, 2005. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  12. ^ ""The Enemy of My Enemy: The Alarming Convergence of Militant Islam and the Extreme Right (Book review)", Political Science Quarterly, March 22, 2007, accessed April 19, 2010". Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  13. ^ "Strange Allies". The Weekly Standard. August 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  14. ^ "Biography by UVa-Wise professor George Michael profiles controversial Carto", UVA Wise College Relations, October 10, 2008, accessed April 19, 2010
  15. ^ "A Review of: George Michael. Theology of Hate. A History of the World Church of the Creator". Terrorism and Political Violence. January 1, 2010.
  16. ^ "Are we alone? A lecture on extraterrestrial life". masslive. April 13, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  17. ^ laun, Dan (April 13, 2015). "Are we alone? Westfield State University professor George Michael to talk about 'Preparing for Contact'". masslive. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
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