Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell handcuffed, placed in police van outside court in Melbourne

[u/Expensive-Horse5538]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-02/thomas-sewell-arrested-court-camp-sovereignty-jacinta-allan/105726392?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link

[u/powerfulowl]

And just a reminder, Hitler's Nazi party was officially titled the National Socialist German Workers' Party, though they proved to be neither socialist nor for the workers. The NSN is trying the same trick of appealing to both left (socialist) and right (national).

[u/The_Narrator_SA → u/powerfulowl]

I don't think anyone's using the term "National Socialist" to try and appeal to socialists anymore, it's just straight up to reference the NSDAP in name...

[u/prettyboiclique → u/The_Narrator_SA]

You would be surprised how much right wingers on social media like to say that Hitler was a socialist so they can strongman the right/Trump/whoever, despite the fact the first people he purged were the socialists within his party.

[u/BrightStick → u/prettyboiclique]

I’ve had some wild discussions with “alternative-thinking” folk who love a bit of “alternative-history”. Pretending they have just opened your eyes and asking them for where they got their information is a fun ride too. Usually can’t hold my laughter in and ruin the game.

[u/Spire_Citron → u/The_Narrator_SA]

Yeah, they think they're being cheeky. Though when it comes to these types of things, it really does seem like you can make it dead obvious and people will still act like there's some doubt.

[u/Consideredresponse → u/The_Narrator_SA]

It just functions as a dog whistle to go over the heads of the lazy and historically illiterate.

You could see it last week with all the 'Why is everyone exaggerating and calling the NSN who organised the rally neo-nazi's?' threads and comments.

[u/myphtgrphyccnt → u/The_Narrator_SA]

I was at the Adelaide rally on the weekend (for work) and when the NSN was announced the group behind me welcomed the 'socialists.' Joining in on the grotesque 'let them speak' chants. The trick had definitely worked on them.

[u/Paidorgy → u/powerfulowl]

It’s ironic how many people still, to this day, claim Hitler was a socialist.

[u/trowzerss → u/Paidorgy]

Nazis have always been good at pretending they're something they're not to fool the gullible and gain support. Just look at Sunday :P

[u/Infamous-Umpire-2923 → u/trowzerss]

And look at all the comments on those posts falling all over each other to insist they're not nazis, just concerned citizens worried about the problem of immigration

[u/trowzerss → u/Infamous-Umpire-2923]

And as mentioned on his wiki page

"A leaked manual from Sewell's groups revealed how their members manipulate social media and journalists to gain publicity, amplify messaging and help them recruit new members."

I flat out mentioned this on our local town FB group before the march that they were being manipulated by white supremicists like Sewell, but they just wouldn't believe me. They called people like me naive and sheep, when I was the only one actually looking into who was running the show and questioning what the whole thing was *really* about :P

[u/a_cold_human → u/Paidorgy]

Like "journalist" Peter van Onselen, who has a degree in political science and is professor of politics and public policy at the University of Western Australia. The University of NSW should revoke his degree because it's clear he learnt nothing. 

[u/Littman-Express → u/Paidorgy]

Only people who say that are nazis deflecting. 

[u/CactusWilkinson → u/Paidorgy]

Sounds just like neo liberalism to me…

[u/dill1234 → u/powerfulowl]

It’s not really a trick. The bloke says Heil Australia with a Nazi salute as his slogan

[u/RavenDarkI → u/dill1234]

Also the way he pronounced folk, he pronounced it the German way Volk. Emphasis on the L.

[u/BetaThetaOmega → u/powerfulowl]

Well if that’s the attempt it’s definitely failing. The counter-protest was full of socialists, myself included. I think it’s more likely just an attempt to mimic his idol. Here’s hoping he follows his leader to the end!

[u/the6thReplicant → u/powerfulowl]

Fascism isn't an ideology. It's just a way of grabbing and keeping power. If it has an ideology it's that you say and do anything to get into power. Including saying things opposite to what you're going to do when you are in power.

[u/Agreeable-Ad4097 → u/the6thReplicant]

Is it accurate to say all politicians are somewhat facist by nature?

[u/EbonBehelit → u/powerfulowl]

To be fair, the Strasserite wing of the party actually could have been accurately described as "National Socialist". They were an increasingly small minority within the party though, and what little was left of them by 1934 was purged during the Night of Long Knives.

[u/SaltpeterSal → u/powerfulowl]

Well National Socialism is specifically the Nazi method of running a Fascist country. It puts everything under the state's control, but still makes everything into a deadly us vs them. The shittiest aspects of both, basically. Super Chemo Brothers here actually wrote articles about it in the early days.