REVIEW ESSAY that identity . 27 Hoffer goes on to actually prescribe this as a remedy for mass movements , saying that “ any arrangement which either discourages atomistic individualism or facilitates self-forgetting or offers chances for action and new beginnings tends to counteract the rise and spread of mass movements .” 28 As such , rather than encourage the individualism and democratic sense of self so embedded in a liberal Western worldview ( which would be counter to the goal of diffusing a mass movement ), actions and programs that instead discourage individualism and encourage small-group cohesion along with opportunity , would reduce the allure of Daesh and other organizations built on these religiously styled mass movement principles . 29 The exact type of promoted small group might vary from place to place and from time to time , depending on local conditions , perhaps attaining from traditional tribal structures , guilds or clubs , family , school , military affiliation , or other sources of identity and advantage .
Conclusion
Hoffer ’ s treatment of mass movements , when applied to radical Islam , approaches the sources of the movement ’ s appeal in a way that does not directly engage with , or condemn , Islam as a religion , therefore falling closer to the sphere of influence that secular Western governments and institutions are structured to effect . Some of Hoffer ’ s solutions and ideas about how best to engage with and diffuse a mass movement can be applied directly to Daesh and al-Qaida , and may yield new approaches and techniques :
The substitution of one mass movement for another . Hoffer states , “ this method of stopping one movement by substituting another … is not always without danger , and it does not usually come cheap .” 30 By way of example , he cites pre-World War II Italy and Germany where “ practical businessmen acted in an entirely ‘ logical ’ manner when they encouraged a Fascist and Nazi movement in order to stop communism . But in doing so , these practical and logical people promoted their own liquidation .” 31 Likewise , substituting something like democracy in the Middle East ( such as nearly happened during the Arab Spring ) could unintentionally destabilize regimes that have been useful partners and important pillars of the global economy . Despite such risk , it is worth noting that the zero-sum nature of mass movements , as claimed by Hoffer , will mean that — if true — any other rising movement , ideally less committed to violence against the Western world , will decrease the resources upon which Daesh and other religiously based movements can draw .
The substitution of tribal or other small group structures for individualism . These alternatives could possibly enhance a locale ’ s ability to stabilize itself and resist proselytization into religiously based mass movements . However , this essentially means encouraging an older , and likely less liberal , way of life . It is , as Hoffer says , an equation where “ equality without freedom creates a more stable social pattern than freedom without equality .” 32
The treatment of specific sectors of people from whom mass movements draw their strength . This applies specifically to veterans , formerly successful persons trying not to become newly poor , and the bored . An approach aimed at these target populations may be the most feasible over the short term . Institutions and programs already exist to tackle similar problems . 33 The suggestion here would be to look at those programs and determine whether priorities , messaging strategies , funding sources , and suitable alternatives for hope and financial stability are in place ; or if it could be shifted from other approaches that might be wrongly aimed at religious counter-narratives to instead relieve the conditions that conspire to spoil an individual ’ s sense of self-satisfaction .
Emigration . Finally , and perhaps most practically , Hoffer says , “ emigration offers some of the things the frustrated hope to find when they join a mass movement , namely , change and a chance for a new beginning .” 34 Since mass emigration away from the Levant , North Africa , and Yemen already occurs , legally and illegally , perhaps it would be wise to examine the streams of emigration not just for the potential to help individuals , or to ensure that radicalization — or radicals themselves — do not cross borders , but to also look at the overall situation as a possible panacea for the illness upon which the mass movement of radical Islam feeds . This would mean encouraging emigration , and promoting and facilitating it as a way to relieve pressures fueling mass movements — through some sort of controlled and global mechanism — rather than continuing the current system of temporary camps and temporary solutions . Hoffer maintains that mass movements arise when people see their individual lives to be irremediably spoiled and cannot find a worthwhile purpose in self-advancement . 35 The dedication , devotion , loyalty , and self-surrender that fuel mass movements
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