George Michael | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Joseph Michael (1961-01-30)January 30, 1961 (age 64) United States |
| Occupation(s) | Historian, political scientist, writer |
| Employer | Westfield State University |
| Known for | Research on extremism |
| Notable work | The Enemy of My Enemy |
| Awards | University of Virginia's Outstanding Research Award |
| Academic background | |
| Education | BS, MA, PhD (2002) in public policy |
| Alma mater | Widener University Temple University George Mason University |
George Joseph Michael (born January 30, 1961) is an American historian, political scientist, and writer. He is a professor at the criminal justice faculty of Westfield State University in Massachusetts, and previously served as associate professor of nuclear counterproliferation and deterrence theory at theAir War College and as associate professor ofpolitical science and administration of justice atThe University of Virginia's College at Wise. He studiesright-wing extremism, including the relationship betweenmilitant Islam and the far-right.
He is the author of several books, includingConfronting Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA (2003),The Enemy of My Enemy (2006),Willis Carto and the American Far Right (2008),Theology of Hate: A History of the World Church of the Creator (2009),Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance (2012), and is the editor of the bookExtremism in America (2014).
Michael was born on January 30, 1961[1][2] and has a B.S. fromWidener University and an M.A. fromTemple University.[3] He obtained his Ph.D. in public policy fromGeorge Mason University in 2002,[4] where he studied underFrancis Fukuyama, with a thesis entitled "The U.S. Response to Domestic Right Wing Terrorism and Extremism: A Government and NGO Partnership."
Described byThe Christian Science Monitor as an expert on political extremism,[5][6] he was awarded the University of Virginia's "Outstanding Research Award", awarded to a faculty member who "has contributed significantly to published research in his or her discipline".[7] He studiesright-wing extremism, including the relationship betweenmilitant Islam and the far-right.[8][9] He previously served as associate professor of nuclear counterproliferation and deterrence theory at theAir War College.[10] Michael is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and thePennsylvania Air National Guard. As a civilian, he conducted operations research for theU.S. Army.[4]
In 2003, he authoredConfronting Right-wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA, which discusseddomestic terrorists and the threats which they pose to the U.S. "homeland security."[11] His 2006 bookThe Enemy of My Enemy focuses on connections between far-right and Islamic extremists.[12][13] In 2008, he publishedWillis Carto and the American Far Right, aboutWillis Carto, founder of theLiberty Lobby.[14] The next year, he authoredTheology of Hate: A History of the World Church of the Creator, aboutBen Klassen and theWorld Church of the Creator.[15] Michael has also published research onSETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and is the author ofPreparing for Contact: When Humans and Extraterrestrials Finally Meet (2014).[16][17]
Michael says that post-9/11,underground radio stations that traffic in conspiracy theories and incite violence in the U.S. are under greater scrutiny because law enforcement has been given more power to prosecute such speech. He also says that theAmerican Free Press newspaper is "the most important newspaper of the radical right."[5] He notes that: "Traditionally, critique of theIRS has come from the right, such as theChristian Patriot movement, butsovereign citizen movements also invoke a lot ofleft-wing ideas likeanti-capitalism that are consistent with the times and the downturn in the economy, where people may have property liens against them."[6]
