Michael Schmidt (born 1966 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a investigative journalist, historian, non-fiction author, and former anarchist theorist whose career has been overshadowed by a major 2015 scandal revealing his covert promotion of white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies. Once respected in global anarchist circles for co-authoring the influential book Black Flame, Schmidt was exposed as operating under pseudonyms to advocate racial separatism and fascist infiltration tactics, leading to widespread denunciation and his effective expulsion from leftist communities.
Background and Evolution
Schmidt's early career focused on journalism and activism:
He worked as a reporter for outlets like ThisDay, Saturday Star, and Sunday Independent, covering conflicts in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East across 49 countries over 30+ years.
In the 1990s–2000s, he engaged with South African anarchist groups, including the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF), where he contributed to organizing and writing.
His shift toward anarchist scholarship culminated in co-authoring Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism (2009) with Lucien van der Walt, a text praised for synthesizing anarchist history and class politics.
Post-scandal, Schmidt transitioned to independent research and authorship, focusing on post-colonial conflicts, apartheid's legacy, and African history, while distancing himself from anarchism.
As of 2025, Schmidt maintains a low public profile, with an Academia.edu page listing him as an "African human rights rapporteur" and best-selling author. He has no active social media presence tied to his political past, and recent work appears apolitical or focused on journalism.
Core Ideology: From Anarchism to Hidden Far-Right Syncretism
Initially, Schmidt presented as a platformist anarchist, emphasizing revolutionary class struggle, syndicalism, and anti-imperialism:
In Black Flame, he and van der Walt argued for anarchism as a coherent socialist tradition rooted in mass movements, rejecting individualist or lifestyle variants.
He advocated for organized, working-class anarchism against capitalism, racism, and statism, drawing from figures like Mikhail Bakunin and Nestor Makhno.
However, revelations showed a parallel ideology blending anarchism with white nationalism:
Under pseudonyms like "Warren Petronius McGregor" on Stormfront (a neo-Nazi forum), he promoted "anarcho-nationalism" or "white anarchist" ideas, advocating racially segregated autonomous zones.
He expressed admiration for fascist groups like Volksfront and proposed infiltrating leftist movements to recruit for far-right causes.
This syncretism echoed national-anarchism, viewing ethnic separation as compatible with anti-statism, while incorporating neo-Nazi symbols and Holocaust revisionism.
Schmidt later claimed his far-right posts were "undercover research" for a book on white extremism, but evidence suggested genuine advocacy.
Key Publications and Recent Activity
Schmidt's output spans anarchist theory and investigative journalism:
Anarchist Works: Black Flame (2009, AK Press; co-authored), which sold well and influenced anarchist studies; Cartography of Revolutionary Anarchism (2013).
Post-Scandal Books: Drinking with Ghosts: The Aftermath of Apartheid's Dirty War (2014), exploring post-colonial violence; A Taste of Bitter Almonds: Perdition and Promise in South Africa (2015), a travelogue on inequality.
He has contributed to academic journals and held talks, like a 2014 book launch in Mexico.
Recent activity (2020–2025) is sparse in political realms:
No new anarchist publications; focus on human rights reporting and history.
Academia.edu uploads include papers on African conflicts, with no updates since around 2020.
No evidence of ongoing involvement in radical politics; he appears to have pivoted to mainstream journalism and authorship.
Controversies and Critiques
The 2015 exposure by Alexander Reid Ross and Joshua Stephens remains Schmidt's defining scandal:
AK Press, his publisher, announced they would no longer distribute his books after evidence of his Stormfront activity, including posts praising white nationalists and proposing fascist-anarchist fusions.
Documents revealed memos like "The New Right and Anarcho-Nationalism," advocating neo-Nazi tactics within anarchist spaces.
Anarchist communities worldwide condemned him as a "fascist creep" and infiltrator, with libcom.org and Reddit threads debating his sincerity.
Critics argued his work in Black Flame subtly advanced entryism, though co-author van der Walt distanced himself, calling the revelations shocking.
Schmidt's defense—that it was research— was dismissed as inconsistent with the content's advocacy tone.
Broader critiques link him to a pattern of far-right co-optation of anarchist rhetoric, similar to national-anarchism.
No new controversies emerged by 2025; the scandal effectively ended his anarchist credibility.
Final Assessment
Schmidt's early contributions to anarchist theory, particularly Black Flame, remain influential in some academic circles despite the taint. His journalistic work on African conflicts offers valuable insights into post-apartheid realities. However, the 2015 revelations expose a duplicitous fusion of anarchism with neo-Nazi elements, rendering his ideology incoherent and opportunistic to most observers. Traditional anarchists view him as a cautionary tale of infiltration risks. For balanced exploration, read Black Flame alongside critiques from The Anarchist Library or Reid Ross's series. Approach his post-scandal work cautiously, given the unresolved questions about his motives.
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