fascism and conspiracy theories

09 May 2021

Too lazy to write a coherent text, but I’ve been trying to investigate the relations between polarization, fascism and conspiracy thinking so here’s a few things about that.

Cool sources of info:

• Prophets of Deceit : A Study of The American Agitator by Leo Löwenthal and Norbert Guterman (Verso Books)
• Understanding the Reactionary Mind : Right-Wing Conspiracy Thinking by Revolutionary Left Radio (podcast)
• From the Red Pill to ‘White Genocide’: An Ethnography of the Alt-Right in Montreal by Jay Marquis-Manicom (Master thesis, Concordia University)
• The Conspiracy Theory Handbook by Stephan Lewandowksy and John Cook
• Silicon Values : The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism by Jillian C. York (Verso Books, currently reading)
• Being Numerous : Essays on Non-Fascist Life by Natasha Lennard (Verso Books, currently reading)
• Respect Even for Terrible Person : What Does it Means? by the Zen Studies Podcast (podcast, not listened yet)
• The serie Tous polarisés by Le Devoir (compilation of articles)
• Conspirituality podcast (no specific episode because I haven’t listened to any of them yet)

Thoughts :

• Fascism, and right-wing politics in general, relies on conspiracy thinking
• Fascism = exploitation of the alienated state of the world, the agitator takes advantage of the disenchantment and confusion people experience because of capitalism
• 7 traits of conspiracy, the acronym CONSPIR : Contradictory, Overriding suspicion, Nefarious intent, Something must be wrong, Persecuted victim, Immune to evidence, Re-interpreting randomness
• Social media accentuates the spread of conspiracies and polarization (because of algorithms, profits)
• It feels better to have an explanation than no explanation, the gap in the explanation = capitalism (and imperialism) though
• It also feels good to feel like a victim
• Idea that there is true in some of the conspiracies, and grief that comes with that (exemple : the world is indeed corrupted)
• When studying psychology, never forget the socioeconomical context around everything
• Compassion is hard but it is probably the way to go
• I should continue to investigate what is going on with this Pastel Q-Anon moment (see cancel culture as banishment)

Questions :

• While we can possibly easily reach the youth via the education system to provide them with critical thinking tools and media literacy, how do we manage to educate the adults efficiently on the same topic? If there isn’t, is the most efficient venue to solve this issue is to legislate around social media?
• Could we say that the recent right-wing editorials in Quebec’s presses are fascist? Where does it stop being right-wing and start being fascism?
• At the end of the day, does it all goes to isolation/individualism and secularisation? People fall in these rabbit hole of conspiracies to find belonging and meaning after all.