Pine Tree Party (United States)
Pine Tree Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Mike Mahoney |
| Founded | November 3, 2017 |
| Ideology | Eco-Fascism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Slogan | An Appeal to Heaven |
The Pine Tree Party is a loose, ecofascist and primitivist movement, whose goal is to encourage returning to nature, promoting self-sufficiency and opposing what is perceived as going against natural law.[1] It was established on November 3, 2017, through an Instagram post initiated by Mike Ma, who is also said to be the movement's leader.[2]
Background
Over twenty years after Ted Kaczynski's imprisonment, his views had inspired an online community of primitivists and neo-Luddites. One explanation for the renewal of interest in his views is the television series Manhunt: Unabomber, which aired in 2017.[3] Another explanation is that a new generation has adopted Kaczynski's anti-tech philosophy because they believe his reasoning is sound and his "observations about technology and the environment have proven to be prescient".[4] Kaczynski is also frequently referred to by ecofascists online.[5] Although some militant fascist and neo-Nazi groups idolize him, Kaczynski described fascism in his manifesto as a "kook ideology" and Nazism as "evil".[3] Pine Tree ideology has been linked to that of the Unabomber and suggested the movement took off after the release of the Netflix show Manhunt: Unabomber in 2017, which recounted Ted Kaczynski's crimes and anti-technology ideology.[3][2]
Ideology
In the Instagram post revealing the Pine Tree flag, Ma had originally used a caption urging his followers to reject centralized government, arm themselves with weapons they can shoot accurately, and “oust illegal immigrants with zero mercy” in order to return to a more natural way of life. The caption has since been shortened to meet moderation standards in order to avoid the post being removed.[2]
References
- ^ Dysart, Chloe (2019-06-03). "'A world on fire'". Vanguard. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ a b c "Eco-Fascist 'Pine Tree Party' Growing as a Violent Extremism Threat - HSToday". HSToday. Archived from the original on 2025-10-09. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ a b c Hanrahan, Jake (August 1, 2018). "Inside the Unabomber's odd and furious online revival". Wired UK. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ Oleson, James C. (November 9, 2023). "A requiem for the Unabomber". Contemporary Justice Review. 26 (2): 171–199. doi:10.1080/10282580.2023.2279312. ISSN 1028-2580. S2CID 265181918.
- ^ Wilson, Jason (March 19, 2019). "Eco-fascism is undergoing a revival in the fetid culture of the extreme right". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2021.