Simon Webb

Simon Webb, also known as History Debunked, is a British far-right YouTuber, global warming denialist, and pseudohistorian. Ironically, despite his YouTube channel claiming to debunk history, it mostly focuses on Webb's stance on modern politics, particularly in regards to the decline of British society. His content mostly focuses on the problems of immigration, multiculturalism, climate change, the black diaspora, the territorial disputes between Israel and Palestine, and supposed historical revisionism."Explaining Simon Webb: History, Race and the Manipulation of History", Beastrabban\'s Weblog, 2022 August 12
Webb has connections to far-right influencers and white nationalists. He was interviewed by Edward Dutton and was a speaker on the far-right Aporia Magazine podcast."The things we forget" by Simon Webb, Jolly Heretic, 2023 November 26What historical event should all Britons know about? | Simon Webb. Aporia Magazine, 2022 October 3. He has spoken at events for the Traditional Britain Group.State of Hate 2023. hopenothate.org.uk.Simon Webb (History Debunked), TBG Christmas Social. Traditional Britain Group, youtube.com, 2022 December 19. He is an opponent of diversity and multiculturalism and has complained about seeing interracial relationships between black men and white women on British television.History Debunked: Multiculturalism is Not Part of Britain's History -- So Why Do We Pretend It Was?, Simon Webb (History Debunked), youtube.com, 2021 November 7 Unsurprisingly, his video comments sections are rife with racists, white supremacists, antisemites, Islamophobes, transphobes, conspiracy theorists, and just about every collective crowd of far-right bigots you can think of.
Prior to his History Debunked YouTube series, Webb ran a small blog on homeschooling called "Home Education Heretic". While the blog did detail his experiences homeschooling his children, the vast majority of it was devoted to often-strange criticisms of the very British homeschool movement he was part of, particularly what he saw as its commitment to "so-called autonomous educators.""Why Heretic?", by Simon Webb, Home Education Heretic, 2009 August 2
In March 2024, in response to this article exposing Webb's racist views, he removed his offensive video "The BBC are obsessed with the idea of black men and white women, preferably blondes…" from his YouTube channel in an attempt to prevent damage to his "reputation", if he had such a thing. He also deleted a video he made criticizing trans rights.
==Views==
Several arguments made by Simon Webb in his videos include:
* The idea of pre-colonial African civilizations is a fairy tale invented in the 1980s to appease the black diaspora.
* The original Africans were white and were displaced and wiped out by the Bantu in a genocide.
* The crime statistics committed by black people are due to ethnicity.
* Multiculturalism is like colonialism.
* Diversity is destroying Ireland's identity as a Catholic nation."The Planned Destruction of Ireland’s Cultural Identity" by Simon Webb, LotusEaters.com, 2023 November 3
* Islamophobia does not exist.
* Western civilization is responsible for everything.
* Climate change is essentially a religion among atheists.
* The reasons for the homicide rate in the UK are due to immigration.
* Gaza is not a concentration camp, because it has luxurious hotels."The truth about Gaza that you will not see on television or be told about by the newspapers", Simon Webb (History Debunked), 2023 November 6
===African history===
Several of Webb's videos regarding the black diaspora involve him linking black crime statistics with ethnicity and accusing others of historical revisionism involving African history, where he claims that the concept of pre-colonial civilizations in Sub-Saharan Africa is merely a myth invented to appease the black population. In a now-deleted video, he also claimed that indigenous Africans were originally white."Were the first Africans white?", Simon Webb (History Debunked), Youtube.com, 2023 October 5 Ironically, despite citing the "myths" of pre-colonial African civilizations like Great Zimbabwe and Benin as well as the Bantu expansion, he also claims that nothing has changed in Africa for the past 20-30,000 years."A brief history of Africa" by Simon Webb (History Debunked), youtube.com, 2021 April 20"There is always something new out of Africa" by Simon Webb (History Debunked), youtube.com, 2022 February 11"In sharp contrast to Europe, nothing has been invented in sub-Saharan Africa for 35,000 years" by Simon Webb (History Debunked, 20203 June 19 Several of his videos on African history were put under heavy scrutiny in history-oriented social media for cherry picking historical accounts to downplay the significance of African achievements and to preserve the "Dark Continent" trope."Racist Arguments about 'African Civilizations': 'Mali didn't exist'.", r/badhistory, Reddit, 2020 September 1, archived on 2021 April 7
===African American history===
Unsurprisingly, Webb's cherry picked white supremacist tinged viewpoint of history extends to African-American history too. In The truth about the Tulsa race riot, Webb tries to whitewash the Tulsa Race Massacre. 
* In the initial build-up to the riot on May 31, 1921, Webb significantly downplayed the role of the white lynch mob that surrounded the courthouse in instigating the riot. Webb suggests, without evidence, that the mob was unarmed, and that "the affair might very possibly have just died down" were it not for the initial arrival of approximately twenty-five (Webb incorrectly states fifty) armed African-Americans to offer their assistance in defending the accused teenager in the courthouse () from the mob. While these armed African-Americans indeed did electrify the white mob, there is no reason to suggest that the mob would've calmed down without their appearance. Indeed, without the commendable police protection of Rowland by sheriff Willard M. McCullough, it stands to reason that a lynching would have happened in a very similar manner to the then-recent 1920 Tulsa lynching of Ellsworth, Scott. Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. ""Tulsa Race Riot". February 28, 2001. pp 60-63 
* After the arrival of the first group of armed African-Americans, Webb suggests that guardsmen "were called in to look after the black teenager, and things calmed down again". This is untrue. Some guardsmen were called to protect an armory that the mob was attempting to break into. By 9:30PM, the white mob outside the courthouse was 2000 strong and became increasingly tense. Rumors of the white mob storming the courthouse caused a second group of 75 armed African-Americans to show up; it was sometime after this point when the initial shot was fired, starting the riot.
* Webb falsely claims, unsurprisingly, that it was the black men who were the first to open fire. The reality is far more nuanced. The initial shot was fired during a physical confrontation between an African American veteran and a white man of the mob. It is unclear whether or not whether this first shot was unintentional. What is clear that after the first shot, almost immediately, members of the white mob opened fire on the African American men, who returned volleys of their own. Webb also claims that this initial conflict caused the deaths of eight white men and two black men, which for some reason he emphasizes as a key talking point. In reality, the exact number of deaths (let alone their racial composition) is not known.
* Webb summarizes the riot by suggesting that the number of deaths was "probably 30 or 40 people" with a third of them being white, so "it wasn't really a racist massacre". This number only relates to the confirmed deaths of 36.Snow, Clyde. Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. ""Tulsa Race Riot: Confirmed Deaths". February 28, 2001. pp 114-115 Counting estimates of unconfirmed deaths, some sources have calculated that the true death toll is as high as 300. In addition, Webb mentions nothing about property damage. Over 1,000 residents were burned in the riot, and another 400 looted. Brooks, Robert and Witten, Alan H. Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. ""Tulsa Race Riot: The Investigation of Potential Mass Grave Locations for the Tulsa Race Riod". February 28, 2001. pp 123 The largely African-American community of Greenwood in particular was almost completely destroyed.Ellsworth, Scott. Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. ""Tulsa Race Riot". February 28, 2001. pp 87-88
===Climate change===
Webb also made a series of videos attacking the climate change consensus and downplaying the alarming effects of climate change, such as claiming that the majority of wildfires worldwide are attributed to arson. He also compares the climate change consensus to a religious cult, claiming that the consensus lacks any scientific basis and is more based on a spiritual phenomenon."How Climate Change Became a Religion for Young Atheists" by Simon Webb, LotusEaters.com, 2023 July 28
===Criticism of interracial relationships===
Webb dislikes interracial relationships between black men and white women, claiming there is an "agenda" by the British media to push these relationships which he considers "odd" and not reflective of typical relationships found in British society.The BBC are obsessed with the idea of black men and white women, preferably blondes…, Simon Webb (History Debunked), youtube.com, 2024 February 5."The black man and white woman meme; a universal motif in modern Britain", Simon Webb (History Debunked), youtube.com, 2024 January 1 He has made a video complaining about the BBC promoting such relationships, "The BBC are obsessed with the idea of black men and white women, preferably blondes". He says relationships between black men and white women are rare in society and questions the motives of the media for promoting such relationships on the television.
On his video, 'On the nature of inter-racial relationships in modern Britain and their depiction in the media' which he released on the 9th of June 2024 Webb maintained that during his lifetime he had been in a long-time relationship with an Indian woman and also had dated a black woman. He however then went on to compare women in inter-racial relationships to French women who slept with German soldiers in occupied France in World War Two.
===Criticism of LGBT===
Webb dislikes LGBT and is a proponent of the homosexual agenda conspiracy theory. He has criticized transgender surgery and has complained about seeing rainbow flags at a railway station."Is Transgender Surgery the New Lobotomy?" by Simon Webb, lotuseaters.com, 2023 January 26."Can rainbow flags really make us safer in a railway station than we would otherwise have been?". Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 2024 January 30
One of his videos was titled "How ‘trans rights’ infringe upon, and interfere with, the rights of the other 99% of the population"."How ‘trans rights’ infringe upon, and interfere with, the rights of the other 99% of the population". Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 2022 July 22 In March 2024, Webb deleted this video.
===Opposition to diversity and multiculturalism===
Similar to Bo Winegard, Webb is an opponent of racial diversity. He claims that the strongest societies and countries have no diversity.
He is an ardent opponent of multicultural education, claiming that it is primarily used just to appease other groups of people and that it harms children, while also calling it "colonization" against western civilization.
==Links to the far-right==
Webb is a supporter of the far-right English Constitution Party and tells his followers to vote for them.Vote for Colin Birch of the English Constitution Party. youtube.com. The group has been described by Hope not Hate as promoting conspiracy theories and "antisemitic statements on social media".English Constitution Party. hopenothate.org.uk. The English Constitution Party have attended anti-refugee rallies alongside Patriotic Alternative (a neo-Nazi group).What vile racists said and did during anti-refugee Holiday Inn rally in Rotherham. examinerlive.co.uk. He has spoken at events for the Traditional Britain Group.
Webb has been interviewed by white nationalists such as Edward Dutton and the far-right Aporia Magazine, so he obviously has no issue associating with racists.The DISSIDENT Historian | Simon Webb. The Jolly Heretic. youtube.com. 2023 December 25 In April 2022, Webb made a video criticizing the far-right group Patriotic Alternative's methods as too extreme and stated that the group was destined to fade into oblivion."Why the Patriotic Alternative is destined to fade into oblivion". Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 2022 April 30 Since that time he has softened his opinions about members of the group and released two videos defending Sam Melia of Patriotic Alternative who was convicted in January 2024 for distributing material intending to stir up racial hatred."The Patriotic Alternative and the trial of Sam Melia in Leeds". Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 24 January 20"Tommy Robinson on trial and Sam Melia convicted of distributing material to stir up racial hatred". Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 2024 January 28"Far-right organiser found guilty of intent to stir up racial hatred through distribution of stickers", Crown Prosecution Services (cps.gov.uk), News, 2024 January 24.
Webb has said that he agrees with the anti-immigration policies of the National Front.What, if anything, was wrong with the policies of the National Front fifty years ago?. Simon Webb (History Debunked). youtube.com. 2023 October 4 His books have been positively reviewed on white nationalist websites such as Counter-currents.Book Review: "Simon Webb’s The Forgotten Slave Trade". Spencer J. Quinn. Counter-Currents. 2022 January 25
==Response to RationalWiki==
On March 5, 2024, Simon Webb uploaded a video to his channel in response to his RationalWiki article. In the video, Webb accuses RationalWiki of being a left-wing wiki using McCarthyism-esque smear tactics against right-wing opponents like him via guilt by association. He then accuses the page of attempting to incite violence against him by citing the caption below an image of himself featured in the article: "Simon Webb displaying his resting bitch extremely punchable "smarmy git" face". Afterwards, he responds to the article's points about his opposition to interracial relationships and LGBTQ+ rights and dismisses them as lies. He then cites the article's points detailing his interactions with Edward Dutton and dismisses its claims that he only associates with far-right groups, as he states that he also attends meetings with far-left groups as well, such as the Workers' Liberty and Solidarity group and a left-wing conference in Berlin in 2019. Webb concludes that RationalWiki has slandered him for his supposedly exclusively far-right agenda when he attends meetings with anyone on the political spectrum.
Webb doesn't explain why his entire YouTube uploading history consists of him complaining about immigration, Islam and attacking black history. For example, within 48 hours of uploading his response to RationalWiki he uploaded a video calling black history a "scam" and another criticizing a Muslim war memorial.Working the ‘black history’ scam; how it is undertaken without anybody challenging what is said. youtube.com.Why should £1 million of our money be spent on a ‘Muslim’ war memorial? Jeremy Hunt explains. youtube.com. His uploading history reflects that of a far-right extremist, not an individual who shares left-wing viewpoints. Webb's claim that he is not far-right is similar to what others from the alt-center claim, in an attempt to rebrand their extremist views as moderate to gain more views.
==Notes==
==External links==
* Main account at YouTube
* Main website
* Account on Facebook
* Account on Lotus Eaters
==References==
Category:Anti-LGBT bigots
Category:Authors
Category:Bloggers
Category:British right wing
Category:British people
Category:Conspiracy theorists
Category:Fascists
Category:Global warming denialists
Category:Journalists
Category:Living people
Category:Nationalist pseudohistory
Category:Pissed at us
Category:Pseudohistory promoters
Category:Pseudoscience promoters
Category:Racists
Category:Right-wing activists
Category:YouTube