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Matt Hindman
Matt Hindman
1 year ago

Maybe dumbing down everything to fit under the banner of “extremism” has removed all nuance and intelligent discussion from a variety of topics?

Aaron James
Aaron James
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt Hindman

Taking Religion, and thus good and evil, out of the equation is the problem.

Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson
1 year ago

“If you gaze long enough into the abyss, it gazes back at you.” – Nietzsche

Last edited 1 year ago by Sam Wilson
Richard Parker
Richard Parker
1 year ago
Reply to  Sam Wilson

“And he who wrestles with monsters should see to it that he does not himself become a monster” (ibid. [“Beyond Good and Evil”])

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
1 year ago

And the extremism professionals, in their echo chambers reinforcing their distorted perceptions, results in a presidential candidate thinking that it is fine to refer to a third of the electorate as ‘deplorables’.

Frank McCusker
Frank McCusker
1 year ago
Reply to  Ian Stewart

But you should see the names those deplorables use for politicians. The hatred and contempt is mutual, so fair’s fair, surely

Brett H
Brett H
1 year ago
Reply to  Frank McCusker

Not really fair. A Presidential candidate has no reason for calling the people “deplorables”, if he/she plans to represent them. But the people have endless, legitimate reasons for calling politicians names.

Michael Cavanaugh
Michael Cavanaugh
1 year ago
Reply to  Brett H

Fair or no, it’s striking that in an election where the voters may be divided 45/45 with 10% in the balance, Clinton would talk about deplorables but Romney would call 47% “moochers.” Winning votes: is it part of the electoral process?

Brendan O'Leary
Brendan O'Leary
1 year ago

It’s clear to most of us that the demand for Right Wing Extremism for experts to feed on exceeds the supply.

Aaron James
Aaron James
1 year ago

excellent image – like crocodiles all lined up in the muddy river bottom waiting tor the wildebeest to try to wade across…..

Brett H
Brett H
1 year ago

It’s a world of commentary. Really, what’s the purpose of this article except to enter into the same space? What should we take from it that can help? Nothing, except for us to have something to add to our own commentary. All those comments on Putin and nuclear weapons, NATA and the USA. Maybe we should step back and take a deep breath. But if I don’t say that then I feel I’m just an insignificant stooge for greater power. What will my silence achieve? Nothing more than my comment. And I know my comment will slowly slip to the bottom, then be forgotten when a new story comes in.

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
1 year ago
Reply to  Brett H

Ah you win the nihilist prize today Brett!
(But you’ve failed, my comment is below yours!)

Last edited 1 year ago by Ian Stewart
Steve Murray
Steve Murray
1 year ago
Reply to  Ian Stewart

This seems like fun, so do you guys mind if i join you in a race to the bottom?
Except, there is no bottom…
Ain’t nihilism a wonderful thing? Nietzsche (quoted above) tried his best to enjoy it, and might’ve succeeded if he’d had the internet to make comments on.

Last edited 1 year ago by Steve Murray
Christo R
Christo R
1 year ago

There is something else related to this that I keep seeing that no one else seems to see even though it’s so obvious.
There is in essence no difference in the mentality of such “extremism professionals” and that of “discernment ministries”. They both see their chosen devil in every and anything whether it’s actually there to find or not.
It’s simply compulsive obsession after a while and all objectivity goes out some window or other and if you dare to disagree with them you are “of the devil” and you must also be fought. None of this is actually new, it’s just new that atheists do it in the west where before they only did it in the east…. perhaps because athiesm has effectively supplanted Christianity.

This is very much more a human than religious thing but it seems you need religion of some kind (any kind) for it to bloom.

Brendan O'Leary
Brendan O'Leary
1 year ago
Reply to  Christo R

They both see their chosen devil in every and anything whether it’s actually there to find or not.

It’s a well-known phenomenon, as per the saying, “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”

Aaron James
Aaron James
1 year ago

I happen to be a carpenter – everything looks like either the saw or hammer is the answer. Of the two I like the hammer better…..

Fred Paul
Fred Paul
1 year ago

Half the time I tried to figure out what was the point being made. Just last week, I re-read CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity. Here is a read that can “hurt your head” with logic. But I knew exactly the point being made. In a nutshell, would you say that humanity has not kept up with the internet avalanche of information/data? You used to buy one magazine a week, a newspaper, and listen to one of possibly 15 news reporting services for the hour on the radio. What have we now? Not only are we overloaded with information, but we also have misinformation that used to be blocked by the established media gatekeepers.
I just read a mystery novel on a subject… now I have to decide whether it was mostly fiction based on a true story.
But this, I think, is the underlying message. Our society and government structure supporting a democratic task to share power with all are ill-equipped in the modern age of data that may construe information or misinformation based on your favourite flavour.

Aaron James
Aaron James
1 year ago
Reply to  Fred Paul

Our governments are the problem, and are the biggest part of the mis-information being broadcast. What they do not directly broadcast the Social Tech and MSM cartels who have captured government – do it for them.

Nick Rains
Nick Rains
1 year ago

”the lethal menace of Tucker CarlsonJordan Peterson and Andrew Tate.” What the…? Peterson has nothing in common with either of the others. Stopped reading at this point.

Richard Pearse
Richard Pearse
1 year ago
Reply to  Nick Rains

Ditto – another not-so-subtle hit and run from lumping all conservatives as fascist-adjacent. I have been a great fan of Tucker, but notice that lately (last year or so) he’s been willing to fall on his sword for more extreme positions (but then, he tells what sells, since his ratings don’t seem to suffer‍♂️).

Betsy Arehart
Betsy Arehart
1 year ago
Reply to  Nick Rains

No, the point being made is that in the eyes of the watchers these three men are equal right wing menaces, no matter that they differ among themselves.

Rod McLaughlin
Rod McLaughlin
1 year ago

“Extremist violence”?
I suppose the establishment is based on “moderate violence”? I wonder if the author would psychoanalyse those attracted to moving to Israel, joining the British Army in Ireland from Cromwell up to the Good Friday Agreement, the Sri Lankan government, the American soldiers in… well, I’d be here all night.
But I’ve got more important things to do.

Jerry Carroll
Jerry Carroll
1 year ago

It seems yet another scholarly niche has been created. I look forward to the degrees that will be forthcoming, with the endowed chairs in the fulllness of time.