What is accelerationism, the White supremacist ideology promoting power station attacks
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A man “dedicated to white supremacist” beliefs is facing federal charges in an alleged plot to use an explosives-laden drone to blow up a Nashville energy facility “in furtherance of his accelerationist ideology,” a federal criminal complaint filed this week says.
Accelerationism “refers to a white-supremacist belief that the existing state of society is irreparable and that the only solution is the destruction and collapse of the ‘system,’” the complaint continues.
It is “premised on the idea that steps can be taken to speed up the collapse of the system, to wit: the destruction of the US power grid, among other acts of violence.”
After his arrest Saturday in Nashville, Skyler Philippi, 24, was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility, the US Justice Department said. He’s detained without bond and due back in court Wednesday. His attorney told CNN he couldn’t comment on the case.
Philippi’s alleged plot, which could have left thousands without power three days before the US presidential election, is far from the first time America’s power grid has been seen in recent years as a target of extremists, including those devoted to accelerationism.
Electric utilities “have always taken substation security seriously,” Patrick C. Miller, CEO of Oregon-based utility security consulting firm Ampyx Cyber, told CNN in 2023.
“I think we will continue to see this as a threat, but the dynamics may change a bit with the change in (presidential) administration,” he added this week. “Historically, perceived or real differences with the administration has a tendency to drive extremist activity, and I expect that to get more fuel.”
Here’s what to know about accelerationist ideology:
Accelerationism “is the belief that society has gone so wrong that it has to be burned to the ground so people can get a fresh start,” extremism expert and author J.M. Berger told CNN this week.
Content retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/08/us/accelerationism-meaning-manifesto-theory-accelerationist/index.html.
