Affect, belonging and political uses of the past in a digitally integrated public sphere

Interactions with heritage are increasingly a partly digital experience. This chapter interrogates the uses of the past in far-right political discourse to examine the role of affect and belonging in digital communication of the past. Through a discussion of heritage and affect, uses of the past in far-right and reactionary politics are conceptualised as a future-oriented form of affective practice. The discursive use of the past within digital media, particularly social media, is presented as existing within a digitally-integrated public sphere. This presents digital forms of communication and engagement with the past as connected to, rather than separated from, our “offline” engagement with the past. Utilising a critical discourse analysis approach, the chapter analyses right-wing and far-right uses of the past in references to both the Magna Carta and the 1683 Siege of Vienna in digital discourse. In each instance, reference to the past is shown to serve the purpose of creating or enhancing a sense of collective belonging and, through the affective capacity of heritage discourse, instilling a sense of confidence in engaging in political action. This is reflected in the use of the past in the recent recruitment tactics of new far-right groups. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the role of popular heritage discourse in “mainstreaming” concepts of exclusionary belonging then utilised in far-right discourse.