Introduction

This chapter begins with an introduction to the terms ‘diagonalism’ and ‘diagonalist’, the latter used to refer to individuals who have, in their lifetimes, experienced a shift in their political thinking and behaviour, moving from left to right. Diagonalists are people who in the past self-identified as ‘liberals’ (in North America), ‘progressives’, ‘left-wing’ or even ‘socialist’, but who have grown critical of this political universe to the point that they are welcomed into right and far-right circles as kindred spirits. From this beginning, the chapter proceeds to outline the content of the remaining chapters in the book. It ends with a positioning of the author in terms of his personhood and his approach to inquiry.