Wikipedia:No Nazis
This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: Racists (and other discriminatory groups) are inherently incompatible with Wikipedia. They will almost inevitably lack a the incident noticeboard . Also report racist imagery on user pages on sight. |
It is a common perception – based on our claim of being the encyclopedia anyone can edit – that Wikipedia welcomes all editors. There is also a misconception that because maintaining a
Because of this, many
Historical context of this essay
At one point in the history of the English Wikipedia, there was debate as to if actual neo-Nazis should be blocked on sight. This essay, compiled by multiple people who steadfastly argued that such ilk was fundamentally incompatible with the principles of the English Wikipedia, serves as a policy argument to show them the door.
Nazi beliefs
The core beliefs uniting various types of Nazis are:
- That white people are more intelligent than non-whites.
- That white people are more industrious than non-whites.
- That white people are more physically adept or attractive than non-whites.
- That white people are morally and ethically superior to non-whites.
- That the various cultures of white people are better than the cultures of non-white people.
- That white people have the right to live in a white-only nation.
- That in majority-white countries a large majority of crimesare committed by non-whites due to genetic factors.
- That violent, abhorrent or deceptive actions are justified in the pursuit of these beliefs.
In addition, there are many more beliefs that are quite common, though not universal among these groups. These include:
- That Jews present an existential threat.
- That there exists a massive or even global conspiracy to enrich Jews at the expense of others.
- That white people are being systemically killed, out-bred and otherwise forced into a minority status.
- That Jews are the true perpetrators of Nazism, or hold an ideology that is worse or morally equivalent.
- That minority groups are seeking to destroy Western culture.
- That the Holocaust never happened, was greatly exaggerated, or that historians have inflated the death toll.
- That the Holocaust was morally justified (or, if they deny it, that it should have happened).
- That the groups persecuted by the Nazis brought it upon themselves, and that the Nazis merely acted in self-defence.
- That Great Patriotic War).
- That Adolf Hitler was a great leader for the German people, despite (or even because of) Nazi Germany's innumerable atrocities.
- That non-whites hold back white progress.
- That non-whites intend to kill whites.
- That non-whites should be slaves.
- That white people are more oppressed than other groups.
- That non-whites shouldn't have basic human rights.
- That Muslims are the overwhelming source of terrorism.
- That groups of people should be wiped off the face of the planet, or systematically repatriated to the lands or continents they supposedly originated from.
- That Jews are responsible for the creation of communism and/or capitalism.
- That the concept of free speech entails the freedom to post or write race-, gender-, or identity-based slurs, insults, or the promotion and glorification of hate and violence, without any consequence whatsoever, and that any consequence brought upon them is an act of censorship.
- That the Globalists are plotting to destroy western civilization.
- That there exists a Jewish or "elite" white genocide, or the Great Replacement.
- That the improvement of the genetic quality of the human population can be achieved through selective breeding, often targeting individuals considered undesirable for sterilization or elimination.
- That disabled individuals or those with mental health issues should be forcibly sterilized or euthanized, as part of a so-called euthanasia program.
These beliefs are – without exception – either demonstrably false, completely unsupported by evidence, or
Other kinds of racists
As is pointed out in the note in the lede, much of what is written here can be applied to racists of various non-white (or non-Nazi) flavors, as well. All one must do is swap out "white people" and "non-whites" for the races in question, and if the shoe fits, their behavior is no more excusable than that of any Neo-Nazi or Klansman.
Effects of white supremacist beliefs
The problem with editors who hold these beliefs is that they usually interpret nominally clear information that pertains to those beliefs in a drastically different manner than an objective reader would. This leads to the frequent introduction of errors. It also results in Nazi editors taking wildly different stances on the
Another problem with white supremacist beliefs is that they immediately alienate any non-racist. As soon as a good-faith editor begins to suspect another editor of harboring these beliefs, it becomes all but impossible for them to work together without conflict. Without fail, non-racists find Nazi beliefs to be abhorrent. They fly in the face of the basic decency shared by most non-racists, and even though a Nazi editor may perceive themselves to be moral and objective, to all non-racists this is obviously and horribly untrue. The Nazis of early 20th century Germany set out to build up their nation, to improve the future abilities of all of humanity, and to protect their people from perceived threats. All of those are intentions which, in most contexts, would be highly moral, even laudable. But in the context of racist beliefs, they resulted in possibly the most evil regime to ever exist. It is important to note that Nazism presents a special case, owing to the Holocaust. Even if one is a "nice" Nazi who doesn't really believe non-Aryans should be exterminated, or even if one is just "playing around" with Nazi slogans, imagery, or ideas, the moment an editor identifies as a Nazi in any way, they are endorsing the Holocaust in the eyes of the vast majority of other editors.
Owing to their white supremacist beliefs, far-right extremists often organize edit campaigns on various anonymous channels, believing that they could seize Wikipedia with their racist or fascist propaganda. Such users by nature do not come in
Blocking Nazis
The English Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement as a whole are based on the concept that everyone has a right to receive free knowledge, regardless of their race, ethnicity, class, creed, or any other demographic factor, and that everyone has the right to contribute to this sharing of knowledge so long as they act in a way that does not disrupt the ability for others to contribute. Racism, both historical and neo-racist varieties, is inherently incompatible with these principles in a way that virtually no other ideology is. This is particularly true of neo-Nazis and other groups with ties to genocidal ideologies. Expressing such views on Wikipedia will always be considered
Disruption by racists, while often taking place in articles and talk pages, often comes to a flash-point in user space, when a user openly displays iconography from racist groups on their user page or signature. The only way for administrators to recognize this form of disruption is if these individuals make it known on Wikipedia. Declaring oneself to be a racist, or using Wikipedia as a
This enforcement is sometimes interpreted and expressed by users as being a form of censorship.
Additionally, editors who come here to push this point of view within any articles or content, under the guise of the
Don't use claims of racism as a coup de grâce
Aspersions make the normal dispute resolution process difficult to go through and may create a chilling effect. Editors are encouraged to work through the normal dispute-resolution process when it comes to legitimate content disputes, such as disagreements on the interpretation or quality of sources.
What to do if you encounter a racist
If you encounter someone you suspect of being a racist or antisemite, check their contributions. Racists on Wikipedia usually try to advance their ideology. If they really are a racist, you should usually see edits promoting a nationalist or racist perspective. Collect relevant
If an editor is displaying racist imagery on their user page, report it to
See also
Sister page
Related page
Background information
Essays
- Wikipedia:Deny recognition
- Wikipedia:Civil POV pushing
- Wikipedia:Free speech
- Wikipedia:Hate is disruptive
- Wikipedia:Nationalist editing
- Wikipedia:Race and ethnicity
- Wikipedia:Zero tolerance
- User:Guy Macon/Yes. We are biased.
Other
- "Nazi Punks Fuck Off", a 1981 precedent for an intentional community taking a stand against racism
- Template:uw-nonazis
- Wikipedia:Nazi affiliation task force
Further reading
- Ward, Justin (12 March 2018). "Wikipedia wars: Inside the fight against far-right editors, vandals and sock puppets". SPLCenter.org. Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
- "The Curious Case of Croatian Wikipedia", Wikipedia, 2023-01-29, retrieved 2023-09-18