Why

Branko, as a professional Holocaust historian (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/people/staff_index/hajkova/) I have to say that you are mistaken, twice:
1. Hitler was actually part of the extreme right
2. There is also a project on Nazi Germany: https://www.geni.com/projects/Nazi-Germany/782
This project collects people who were extreme right wing, which is why Churchill is not part of it.

Please read the definition of Right Wing on the page. Previously (until Iadded the Wikipedia definition two days ago) there was no definition at all. I only know that a profile I created for Beatrix von Storch who is my distant cousin was changed to an MP and included together with Mr and Miss Le Pen in this new project but that was all. (only three people in a project is rather few). I also questioned this at the time but was told by Geni top management that she definitely fitted the category of an extreme right wing person and had been correctly included. Since that time, no other persons were added. According to the extreme right politicians mentioned in the Wikipedia article, many more were already on Geni and have been added. This project is not about "normal" right wing, only extreme right wing politics(politicians?). I added the Wikipedia definition as previously there was no definition. If you believe Stalin, Mao, Churchill and Thatcher fit the category of extreme right (probably most people think Stalin and Mao were extreme left but Churchill and Thatcher were normal right wing, not extreme) please add them. I already recommended that there should be an extreme left project too, or if this project is defunct, to close it. I don't believe that Beatrix von Storch, Mr. le Pen and Miss le Pen were the only three Geni profiles for this project and I did state that I thought Geni was not the place for politics but my view was discounted. The curator who started the project did not add any more profiles, only these three. There is another project for dictators. This project is only for extreme right politics (maybe politicians was meant?). It's good that this is discussed. In my opinion, Beatrix von Storch is not an evil woman or dictator. But I didn't start the project and Geni's management believed it to be a good project and Beatrix von Storch to be correctly added to it. Thanks for your input.

Who decides that it is okay to label somebody still living as extreme as Hitler? Your degree?
It is highly debatable if Hitler was left or right wing. What was his party's name?

The project is about extreme right wing politicians, but there is no test for membership for being mildly extreme or extremely extreme. I would classify Beatrix as being extremely mildly extreme but I have never met her so that's a subjective opinion and I am not qualified to have an opinion as my field of expertise is finance, economics and business and genealogy is only a hobby. So it's up to the experts, Branko.

Hi everyone, I'm the one who told Roderick that Beatrix von Storch fit the definition, but I want to be clear that I did so only because it's common to see her described online as a "far-right politician". I certainly don't intend to smear anyone's reputation simply based on such a label... their political actions can and should speak for themselves.

We've received a few complaints about this project, and it does seem to be rather divisive with very little benefit for a genealogy site. I love history and hate to see it dismantled, but I'm afraid this project is going to be far more trouble for Geni than it's worth. I don't want it to remain in its current state... can anyone suggest a way to make it less contentious? Maybe only include historical (i.e. not current) parties / people who are irrefutably identified as far-right in other, reputable sources?

Thanks Mike, I do believe that current politicians receive labels by the press they sometimes don't deserve and that people called moderate today might be called far left or right tomorrow and politicians cross the floor from one party to another. Having only recently read the Wikipedia page about the far right politicians and seeing that the first ones lived a very long time ago, I think they could remain but I think to avoid controversy and Geni being used for political reasons instead of genealogy it should be limited to deceased politicians whose careers are well reported. Living people can also be reformed or change their opinions during their lifetimes. Or move with the times. My suggestion would be to limit membership to historical persons listed on the Wikipedia pages and to only add deceased politicians' profiles. Thanks for considering my views but please gather many more views before you decide the future direction of this project. The debate about whether the 1930s parties in Russia and Germany were both far-left (socialist) will never be finalised as they had some similarities (socialist ideology) but history calls one far left and the other far right and both murdered many millions of people and left and right were both terrible. The initiator of the project as an historian is fully aware that history repeats itself and one positive of this project would be to keep comparisons alive to try to ensure the same mistakes are never allowed to happen again. However, Geni is not the forum to campaign against such persons, so they should only be included when they are gone.

What does this have to do with genealogy? Who cares? All I care about is how person X is related to person B. Otherwise I can use tools such as Google or Wikipedia.

Jonathan, we could make the same argument about all the other Geni projects. What do any of them do except provide historical color and context? And that's exactly why we have them.

I'm disappointed this one might be disappearing. My first thought on seeing it was that I would like to add Julius Evola, because I've been reading some of his material lately as part of a study of Traditionalism vs. Modernism.

If it's possible to keep the project, I'd like that.

I'm inclined to agree with Roderick.. I think the historical context is valuable, but nothing good is going to come of using Geni to push a current political agenda.

What historical context? Divide and conquer. This project is an opinion, a political propaganda masked as history. This project is repeating the history, not preventing it from happening. This method was used to grow antisemitism. Read old newspapers from late 1880ies to 1930ies. A specific group of people was labeled as exploiting and cheating on their poor working class neighbors. Ask yourself who were the most prosperous people of that time?

I agree with Mike and Roderick. I see no reason why a project of this nature has any sound justification other than supporting potential political goals or agendas, which I am sure is not the intent of Geni projects. It could make sense to map historical movements and figures (say pre-1945), but to use non-clear and biased definitions of what classifies as being 'extreme right' in a contemporary context does not make sense to me.

I am afraid such a project, interesting as it might be, will end up being a cesspool of political infighting.

It might make sense to have a more limited scope of a project, such as looking at specific historical movements/ideologies such as Fascism in Italy, National Socialism in Germany etc. But to lump it all together and including contemporary movements will result in a lot of heated debates on the validity of such classification and affinity.

Not that I believe it matters in the argument, but since it appears to be used to give your arguments weight: I have a PhD in history of ideas with a dissertation on the European New Right.

It seems that most people in this discussion agree that this "project" has nothing to do with genealogy, and/or it is pushing a political agenda (it is debatable), but it keeps running unchanged. Makes me wonder who sponsors Geni.

Hopefully the project will be Removed soon, perhaps after few more Negative comments are posted.

Let us get a break from Politics in genealogy - especially since now, politics seem to seep to all other areas - that use to be Free zones from politics.

Is it that the project has nothing to do with genealogy? Or is it that the project is too broadly defined to be useful?

Reading Mike's comments above, I had the impression the project might stay if someone could suggest a way to make less explosive.

One of the suggestions was to limit it to historical figures. That seems promising. It doesn't address the problem that the project is too broad but we have many other projects that are "too broad" so perhaps it would be a step in the right direction.

Another thought might be to re-write the project so that it is better defined,

The problem is that this opens Geni to name-calling, or to use the politically correct name, profiling. No "left-wing" "schollars" will allow themselves associated with Hitler, so they have put Hiltler in the "right-wing" basket, with addition a few more living people who disagree with them. Hate and manipulation is not limited to right or left.
I suggest to leave living people out. Keep Hitler in a group of its own with a group of his fellow dictators. Let the history be the judge who else belongs in their group.

Pigeon holing people never has a great outcome.
Even limiting it to Historical figures - can become divisive.
If you Add corresponding "Extreme left wing politics" discussion - it (they) would still over time become divisive.

Historical and important figures already have a Wikipedia link and details about the person. Reducing the project scope - would still put people in Political buckets. Why? What for? Just because "social media", old media, many other internet sources cough the virus.

Grouping people in "political buckets" Extreme or similar - will Not result in anything Positive for Geni.

Neither "right" or "left" wing projects are needed.
Just because we can do something on Geni - does not mean we should.

It's not really possible to separate genealogy and history from politics. I belong to Sons of the American Revolution because of my ancestors' politics ;)

> Just because we can do something on Geni - does not mean we should.

Agreed. The real question is not separating genealogy and politics. It's figuring out where to draw the line so projects are informative rather than divisive.

Hi all, I created the project. I don't have the energy right now to be fighting for it. If enough people feel that it should be cancelled, so be it.

What is the status of this project? I agree that labelling right wing politicians as "Extreme" is pushing some kind of leftist agenda.... which is not what Geni should be seen to support..... so lets sort this out please...