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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
dark
informative
fast-paced
This was easy to read and informative. I enjoyed being able to tackle certain sectors of extremism chapter by chapter. I think the conclusion and where do we go from here / what that looks like could have been a longer chapter with more information and examples. Some ideas were just explained in a sentence at the end of some paragraphs which I thought was a shame.
TL;DR; Many years ago, I voluntarily went down the UFO rabbit hole and came out clutching a copy of The Protocols of The Elders of Zion and it took me a long time to shake off the cobwebs of conspiracy I got caught up in. I think the overlapping conspiracy of Lizard people hit my bullshit detector pretty hard and my non-rabbit hold friends kept me grounded. This was pre-Internet so I cannot imagine how hard and fast you get trapped these days but I see it happening in real time to friends and families and you cannot fact check people out of rabbit holes. This is a point that Ebner makes very clear. This is a very useful book and rabbit-holers as well as anti-rabbit-holers would do well to read it.
The following review is copied from a Medium post: https://jamrock.medium.com/rabbit-holes-fd2e91f98b18 which contains links that are not carried across here.
I’m equal parts fascinated and horrified by the many overlapping conspiracy groups that are seemingly being groomed into one large mass of angry people. You only need to lead a single disenfranchised person down one rabbit hole because all of the rabbit holes are connected. I know this from experience, an experience which largely pre-dates the Internet. You cannot fact check people out of a rabbit hole. Once converted to a beleiver then their thoughts are faith-based not fact-based. You can do nothing but try to support people until they emerge from the rabbit hole. QAnon and Anti-vax rabbit holes are destroying families and society, I would argue and Ebner evidences thoroughly. More importantly these rabbit holes are being astro-turfed by extremist far-right wing groups which does not bode well for the present or the future.
The analogue rabbit hole I went down was UFOs. I wasn’t angry, or disenfranchised, I was simply into counter culture and grew up on science fiction. I wanted to beleive we had made contact. I was part of a music counter culture and got introduced to someone at a club shared similar music tatses but who also possessed all sorts of videos and magazines (mostly originating from the US) on Roswell, Area-51, government cover-ups, alien abductions and (somewhat bizarrely in hindsight) cow mutilations. I lapped it all up, suddenly it was clear: all of this information that I had so desperately wanted to be true, was being covered up as part of a vast conspiracy. Don’t even get me started on how deep down the Face on Mars rabbit hole I went. I ended up phoning Richard Hoagland to talk about this after getting his number from Radio 2! Now that I knew all of this, I could no longer trust any government, especially our own. This was not a hard sell to someone watching the British government criminalise free parties and make it illegal for “ten or more people to dance to series of repetitive beats”.
Once I was down the rabbit hole and attending conventions (yes, now I feel stupid, but that’s the point) I came into contact with other groups of people who wanted to enlighten me: it wasn’t just the UFOs that the government was keeping quiet. One of these encounters led to me being handed a paper copy (photocopied) of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a one hundred year old hoax, still going strong. A sci-fi buff with a love of the idea that alien contact had been made, was now being groomed into antisemitism. It wasn’t the only adjacent rabbit hole I got dragged down but given the person-to-person contact required, it didn’t take much for my friends, and later myself, to haul myself out of all the rabbit holes I had got stuck in and filter out conspiracy theory e.g. that Area-51 was housing alien remains, from actual conspiracy e.g. UFOs making convenient cover for testing of US military flights of stealth bombers.
With that understanding out of the way, I want to highlight the work done by Julia Ebner in her book, Going Mainstream. Ebner discusses various conspiracy theories and analyses extremist groups that have infiltrated mainstream society. It’s always good to keep on mind the difference between conspiracy and conspiracy theory. As a further example, QAnon adherents draw on conspiracy (Epstein and, before Epstein, Craig Spence) but these facts gets entangled in and drowned out by conspiracy theory (Pizzagate, Save the Children). This means that real, factual conspiracy gets hidden in obfuscation which leads me to believe that those actively conspiring benefit most from fanning conspiracy theory.
The remainder of the review is copied from my Goodreads review with a little help from ChatGPT.
“Going Mainstream” by Julia Ebner is a much needed, I would argue urgent, exploration of the rise of extremist ideologies in contemporary society. Ebner delves into the growing trend of extremist movements that are moving from the fringes to the centre of mainstream society. The book examines the tactics employed by these groups to gain traction and influence, shedding light on the dangerous consequences for democratic values and — crucially — social cohesion. Ebner’s extremely accessible writing style and analysis make this book an essential read for anyone concerned about the growing impact of extremism in our societies.
The book’s focus areas are
Incel Culture: The book delves into the increasingly disturbing world of “incels” or involuntary celibates, a subculture of mostly young men who harbor deep resentment and anger towards women and society due to their perceived lack of sexual and romantic success. Ebner examines how this online subculture fosters and amplifies toxic masculinity, misogyny, and even incites violence, as evidenced by some high-profile attacks carried out by individuals identifying with the incel movement.
** For anyone who has family members caught up in Incel/anti-feminist groups I absolutely urge you to read this chapter if you do nothing else.**
Far-Right Extremism: Ebner sheds light on the alarming rise of far-right extremist movements, parties, and ideologies in various parts of the world. She investigates the strategies employed by these groups to recruit and radicalize individuals, as well as their efforts to shape public discourse and infiltrate mainstream politics. The book provides an analysis of how far-right ideologies exploit social media and online echo chambers to spread their message and garner support.
Radicalization Online: Another critical aspect of the book is the examination of how the internet and social media have become fertile ground for the dissemination of extremist ideologies. Ebner looks into the methods used by extremist groups to recruit and radicalize vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, through online propaganda, conspiracy theories, and targeted messaging.
Tactics of Extremist Movements: “Going Mainstream” offers an insight into the tactics and strategies employed by extremist movements to gain mainstream acceptance. It explores how these groups attempt to legitimize their ideologies, camouflage their true intentions, and exploit social and political fault lines to broaden their appeal.
Impacts on Democracy and Social Cohesion: Throughout the book, Ebner highlights the dangerous consequences of extremist ideologies seeping into mainstream society. She discusses how these ideologies undermine democratic values, foster division and hostility, and threaten social cohesion within communities.
In summary, “Going Mainstream” provides a comprehensive provoking analysis of the insidious ways in which various extremist ideologies continue to permeate and influence our societies. By investigating topics such as incel culture and far-right extremism, the book serves as a powerful warning for readers to confront and counter the rise of extremism in all its forms. Or at least be better informed.
All the stars *****
The following review is copied from a Medium post: https://jamrock.medium.com/rabbit-holes-fd2e91f98b18 which contains links that are not carried across here.
I’m equal parts fascinated and horrified by the many overlapping conspiracy groups that are seemingly being groomed into one large mass of angry people. You only need to lead a single disenfranchised person down one rabbit hole because all of the rabbit holes are connected. I know this from experience, an experience which largely pre-dates the Internet. You cannot fact check people out of a rabbit hole. Once converted to a beleiver then their thoughts are faith-based not fact-based. You can do nothing but try to support people until they emerge from the rabbit hole. QAnon and Anti-vax rabbit holes are destroying families and society, I would argue and Ebner evidences thoroughly. More importantly these rabbit holes are being astro-turfed by extremist far-right wing groups which does not bode well for the present or the future.
The analogue rabbit hole I went down was UFOs. I wasn’t angry, or disenfranchised, I was simply into counter culture and grew up on science fiction. I wanted to beleive we had made contact. I was part of a music counter culture and got introduced to someone at a club shared similar music tatses but who also possessed all sorts of videos and magazines (mostly originating from the US) on Roswell, Area-51, government cover-ups, alien abductions and (somewhat bizarrely in hindsight) cow mutilations. I lapped it all up, suddenly it was clear: all of this information that I had so desperately wanted to be true, was being covered up as part of a vast conspiracy. Don’t even get me started on how deep down the Face on Mars rabbit hole I went. I ended up phoning Richard Hoagland to talk about this after getting his number from Radio 2! Now that I knew all of this, I could no longer trust any government, especially our own. This was not a hard sell to someone watching the British government criminalise free parties and make it illegal for “ten or more people to dance to series of repetitive beats”.
Once I was down the rabbit hole and attending conventions (yes, now I feel stupid, but that’s the point) I came into contact with other groups of people who wanted to enlighten me: it wasn’t just the UFOs that the government was keeping quiet. One of these encounters led to me being handed a paper copy (photocopied) of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a one hundred year old hoax, still going strong. A sci-fi buff with a love of the idea that alien contact had been made, was now being groomed into antisemitism. It wasn’t the only adjacent rabbit hole I got dragged down but given the person-to-person contact required, it didn’t take much for my friends, and later myself, to haul myself out of all the rabbit holes I had got stuck in and filter out conspiracy theory e.g. that Area-51 was housing alien remains, from actual conspiracy e.g. UFOs making convenient cover for testing of US military flights of stealth bombers.
With that understanding out of the way, I want to highlight the work done by Julia Ebner in her book, Going Mainstream. Ebner discusses various conspiracy theories and analyses extremist groups that have infiltrated mainstream society. It’s always good to keep on mind the difference between conspiracy and conspiracy theory. As a further example, QAnon adherents draw on conspiracy (Epstein and, before Epstein, Craig Spence) but these facts gets entangled in and drowned out by conspiracy theory (Pizzagate, Save the Children). This means that real, factual conspiracy gets hidden in obfuscation which leads me to believe that those actively conspiring benefit most from fanning conspiracy theory.
The remainder of the review is copied from my Goodreads review with a little help from ChatGPT.
“Going Mainstream” by Julia Ebner is a much needed, I would argue urgent, exploration of the rise of extremist ideologies in contemporary society. Ebner delves into the growing trend of extremist movements that are moving from the fringes to the centre of mainstream society. The book examines the tactics employed by these groups to gain traction and influence, shedding light on the dangerous consequences for democratic values and — crucially — social cohesion. Ebner’s extremely accessible writing style and analysis make this book an essential read for anyone concerned about the growing impact of extremism in our societies.
The book’s focus areas are
Incel Culture: The book delves into the increasingly disturbing world of “incels” or involuntary celibates, a subculture of mostly young men who harbor deep resentment and anger towards women and society due to their perceived lack of sexual and romantic success. Ebner examines how this online subculture fosters and amplifies toxic masculinity, misogyny, and even incites violence, as evidenced by some high-profile attacks carried out by individuals identifying with the incel movement.
** For anyone who has family members caught up in Incel/anti-feminist groups I absolutely urge you to read this chapter if you do nothing else.**
Far-Right Extremism: Ebner sheds light on the alarming rise of far-right extremist movements, parties, and ideologies in various parts of the world. She investigates the strategies employed by these groups to recruit and radicalize individuals, as well as their efforts to shape public discourse and infiltrate mainstream politics. The book provides an analysis of how far-right ideologies exploit social media and online echo chambers to spread their message and garner support.
Radicalization Online: Another critical aspect of the book is the examination of how the internet and social media have become fertile ground for the dissemination of extremist ideologies. Ebner looks into the methods used by extremist groups to recruit and radicalize vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, through online propaganda, conspiracy theories, and targeted messaging.
Tactics of Extremist Movements: “Going Mainstream” offers an insight into the tactics and strategies employed by extremist movements to gain mainstream acceptance. It explores how these groups attempt to legitimize their ideologies, camouflage their true intentions, and exploit social and political fault lines to broaden their appeal.
Impacts on Democracy and Social Cohesion: Throughout the book, Ebner highlights the dangerous consequences of extremist ideologies seeping into mainstream society. She discusses how these ideologies undermine democratic values, foster division and hostility, and threaten social cohesion within communities.
In summary, “Going Mainstream” provides a comprehensive provoking analysis of the insidious ways in which various extremist ideologies continue to permeate and influence our societies. By investigating topics such as incel culture and far-right extremism, the book serves as a powerful warning for readers to confront and counter the rise of extremism in all its forms. Or at least be better informed.
All the stars *****
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced