The beginning of 2022 brought us many different issues, one being Russia's invasion of Ukraine. If you are wondering how Russia became the darling of the U.S. Right, historian Katherine Kelaidis, author of the Winter issue commentary “A Twisted Love Story” takes us back to how the Cold War thawed the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and American evangelicals, and how a shared interest in manufacturing so called-traditional values brings them to stoking the culture wars from the same side today. How grassroots organizing could vanquish the monsters of our age is the focus of “Power Concedes Nothing” edited by Linda Burnham, Max Elbaum, and María Poblet. Their introduction catalogs the overlapping challenges to public and civic health that we collectively endured. In our first feature “We Have to Push the Envelope”, PRA Research Analyst Ben Lorber describes how the White nationalist “Groypers” have pushed further into the mainstream with Nick Fuentes as frontman for the Gen-Z hard right. In our final feature, “Can You Ever Trust a Former White Nationalist?”, Shane Burley writes about right-wing influencers seeking redemption—or perhaps merely a sincere image refresh—and explores who profits from forgiveness when self-styled “formers” become CVE consultants, best-selling authors, and sought-after spokespeople.
