S2E8 - Antisemitism and the Roots of Hate: A Conversation with Former Extremists (Special Episode)

“All human beings share an equal capacity to harm or to heal; once we start to convince ourselves otherwise, we’re setting the stage for violence.” In this special edition of the Media Minded podcast on antisemitism, which took place in-person at the US Embassy in London, we were joined by two former far-right members, Arno Michaelis and Nigel Bromage. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis was a leader of a worldwide racist skinhead organisation. But single parenthood and the love he had for his daughter changed his path. Nigel Bromage spent decades as part of far-right groups such as the National Front and Combat 18.  After thankfully managing to escape, he founded Exit UK, an organisation dedicated to helping people out of the kinds of groups he escaped from. Moderating this discussion is Dave Rich, the Head of Policy at Community Security Trust, a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats.. Media Minded explores the bizarre world of misinformation and conspiracies. Following on from the success of the first season in 2019, each episode platforms a different subject who has previously been a victim of, or a willing participant in, a conspiracy theory… but these lines may be more blurred than you think. Ex-cultists, anti-vaxxers and more describe their slow descent into the untrue, and those who experience the brunt of the lies and hatred explain the effect that the proliferation of these ideas has. All the while, industry-leading academics and experts provide theoretical justifications for the actions taken by all parties. Presented by Matteo Bergamini Edited and recorded by Sabina Mckenzie Brown. This podcast is made possible thanks to the kind support and sponsorship of the US embassy in London.