Radicalism & Extremism -

[Apples&Oranges]

Ever since 9/11, extremism and radicalism has been at the forefront as an explanation of why terrorists commit the acts they do. Back then, the focus was solely on Islamic extremism & radicalism, but that focus has since broadened and shifted to other parties, such as right-wing, left-wing, racial extremists, etc.

With the rise of lone wolf attacks (terrorists who work alone), government's and NGO's all over the world are struggling to try and combat this at the root cause; which is trying to de-radicalize potential extremists and re-integrate them into normal society, or at least to the point where they don't get violent with their views. Various government programs, like PREVENT in the UK and the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force in the US have tried to do this, but their results are vague and their methods are even more opaque. Other countries like Saudi Arabia have programs that they consider "very successful", but even this is disputed.

My question to you all is;

• what do you think causes a person to become radicalized?
• What do you think pushes the few from having radical beliefs to actually committing violence because of those beliefs?
• Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalised now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)
• Why are the majority of extremists who commit violent acts men? Is it genetic?
• How do you think those who have been radicalized can be brought back from "the brink"?

Even today, psychologists and the like struggle to pinpoint an accepted framework for the process of how an individual becomes radicalized, and multiple theories are floating around that are interrelated to each other.

What do you guys think?

 

[Arm Pit Cream]

Ok fed

 

[Oban Lazcano Kamz]

money and power, radicalization is used on stupid people so you dont have to get your hands dirty.

 

[Dom Cruise]

Extremism is always bad in any form because the world is a nuanced place and if you take the extremist view you're going to be blinded to that important nuance.

Extremism is just simplistic, wanting to boil everything down to black and white narratives that like I said, lose sight of crucial nuance.

 

[HensKenKline]

Foreword: Do not interpret any of what I say as an endorsement of any lunatic shooter killing innocent people, it is not. It's just playing around with ideas.

The word "radical" doesn't even mean anything in particular. I suggest an examination of the meaning of that word.

Is it radical to be willing to kill people in the name of some idea or belief system? Or to protect your own group, defined by whatever? If so, is having an army radicalism? Soldiers kill to protect their country, and yet most normal people will show them a decent amount of respect.

If a cop fucks up and kills an innocent person and it gets covered up, is that radicalism? If a normal citizen with "good intents" went out to, say, confront someone he suspected of wrongdoing at gunpoint and it ended in the other person's death and that person turned out to be innocent, would anyone show any sympathy at all towards that person? And then the question is, what is "good intent"?

Is it possible that being loyal to your government and willing to execute its orders without questioning them - if those orders can include killing - is radicalism?

 

[Lurkio]

• what do you think causes a person to become radicalized?

It can be several things, being outcast by your peers and finally finding a group to belong can inspire radicalism, how one is raised can also be a factor, as well as simple desperation. These are just a few. A good chunk of it is also manipulation by those with money and power, but those feelings can lead people to be influenced by those in charge.

• What do you think pushes the few from having radical beliefs to actually committing violence because of those beliefs?

A boiling over of the above as well as a desire to prove oneself to the radical group they belong too.

• Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalised now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)

99% of the time it is. And from what I learned about the French Revolution, it seems to be generally agreed the French went more then a bit overboard with their executions, so that's not a good example of "positive" radicalism. Most of the time being a radical hurts everyone involved and makes you look like a sped.

• Why are the majority of extremists who commit violent acts men? Is it genetic?

Men throughout history have traditionally fallen into the "warrior" role of society, so, sadly, it seems natural that they'd be the ones to be charged with committing these acts. That being said, I've heard of plenty of women (and children) in the Middle East "rising to the occasion" so to speak.

• How do you think those who have been radicalized can be brought back from "the brink"?

I am not well learned enough in this field to give a solid answer, but if I had to give a suggestion, humanizing the "enemies" of anyone tends to turn one off from committing violent acts towards them, perhaps showing them undeniable proof that their cause is a lie. That being said, in the case of a radicalized person it would be a good deal harder and it would not be done over night, but still possibly doable.

 

[Harvey Danger]

Even today, psychologists and the like struggle to pinpoint an accepted framework for the process of how an individual becomes radicalized, and multiple theories are floating around that are interrelated to each other.

Stop thinking like this. You can not create a nice PowerPoint-friendly flowchart for how "radicalization" happens. You can not bureaucratize a response to it, assign it to some workers with adequate funding, and walk away dusting your hands and feeling self-satisfied.

You know what the common thread is between neo-Nazis, anarco-commies, the KKK, the Black Panthers, Islamists, Bolsheviks, Luddites, techno-fetishists, preppers, hippies, Alex Jones and Saul Alinksy, is? Answer: they're all human.

Want to know how you combat their extremism? Get rid of all the humans. Piece of cake, and that fixes a lot of other problems too. Hooray, efficiency!

Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalised now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)

Careful, you're brushing up against a truth there. Radicalism means "outside the norm", or "advocating for a dramatic change from the status quo". That has no connotation, it's just a descriptor. How long the label lasts is entirely dependent on the context of history.

The Founding Fathers of the USA were radicals, until they kicked the British out and set up a different system that they wanted to preserve. Then they became conservatives, without changing a single belief, all within the space of 15 years.

In Current Year(tm) 2020, it is "normal" to approve of homosexual marriage in Western societies. We've had it for less than 20 years. But historically speaking, that's still a radical idea. It was radical when it sprang up out of nowhere in the early 2000's, and depending on how long it lasts, it will be remembered as either a radical oddity that flamed out just like other radical institutions, or as a thoughtful and profound societal evolution. Anyone who pretends they know they are on "the right side of history" on such issues is myopic, and lacks critical thinking skills.

"Combating radicalism" has no meaning outside of preserving a status quo. Whether that status quo is worthy of preserving, is a judgement call. Obviously the radicals of a hundred different types think the status quo is worth wrecking. Given time, maybe you'll agree with them.

 

[Robert James]

• what do you think causes a person to become radicalized?

Hopelessness, loneliness, rejection, the need to belong, the need to have a purpose.

• What do you think pushes the few from having radical beliefs to actually committing violence because of those beliefs?

Hopelessness and a sense that nothing will change.

• Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalized now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)

If modern politics should have taught you anything it's that giving women the right to vote was a mistake. Jokes aside radicalization is kind of a necesity for action. You need to be firm on your beliefs if you want the world to change or stay as it is. The issue is the type of radicalization, whenever the media brings it up it's always in reference to the alt right not group like antifa. Hell look at the LGBQTAAI2SP comunity for a reference of radicalization in a short matter of a decade we've gone from gay couples just want to be married to your kids should be put on hormones. Dependent on what your radicalized about it can either be bad or good though a rule of thumb is you want to be able to give your opponents some give.

• Why are the majority of extremists who commit violent acts men? Is it genetic?

Two reasons, one men are the warriors and they have been disposable throughout history. Men are stronger, better in intense situations, and better at compartmentalization. So it naturally falls on them to take the active warrior role but their are plenty of women who are radicalized, look at third wave feminism, they just don't have the skill, strength or courage to commit an atrocity. Men are also disposable and while radicals come from all walks of life quite a few are picked up after being abandoned by society. As a man if you bring no inherent value you are as good as dead so when someone offers you value, offers you a life outside of being a wagie that comes home to an empty home you take it.

• How do you think those who have been radicalized can be brought back from "the brink"?

They can it's just a question of is it worth it and can you make them solid enough that they won't be radicalized again by another cause. You need to figure out why they were radicalized, help them find meaning in their life, and set them up so that they would not be drawn to radicalization. Honestly it's like deprograming a cult member, it's long arduous, and unless you fundamentally change the person they'll just find another cult.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Lol just read "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer.

 

[Marco Fucko]

what do you think causes a person to become radicalized?

Disillusionment with society on a material or spiritual level. Political radicals and religious fundamentalists view the world as debased and corrupt for various reasons and see the solution to these corruptions as violence against the system that produces them. More moderately, those who advocate for change simply wish to see X change in their society, and thus use various nonviolent means to achieve that.

What do you think pushes the few from having radical beliefs to actually committing violence because of those beliefs?

Running things to their "logical conclusion" and rationalizing that even if the society they deem as evil incorporates some kind of change that it wouldn't be enough, factually or not.

Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalised now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)

Radicalism is something that must be balanced out with the rule of law and things like civil disobedience and forfeiture. Leftists like to say, for example, that "Stonewall was a riot" as a point toward making progress in acceptance of homosexuality in America, but what has ultimately gotten a lot of people on board with homosexual acceptance is the nonconfrontation the pre-riot gay community in the long run: people feel more like lashing back when LGBTQ culture is aggressive and overly foreign and more accepting when homosexuality is portrayed in a more pedestrian, relatable sense.

Why are the majority of extremists who commit violent acts men? Is it genetic?

Men are obviously more prone to violence due to our genetic and cultural heritage. Women are usually violent in very personal ways and that doesn't really translate to fighting against society in abstract.

How do you think those who have been radicalized can be brought back from "the brink"?

Tough call, it probably isn't possible for a lot of them. For the ones that would be inclined to turn back, they need to be given a place at the table, so to speak. They need a fulfillment within the society they would rebel against. "The child not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth". By integrating potential radicals, socially or economically, they can be assuaged from more drastic action. This is an informal opinion from a friend, but he carries the opinion that communist revolution is only possible in impoverished, borderline medieval areas, because when nations become wealthier and the collective standard of living goes up, there is less incentive en masse to violently revolt.

 

[Monolith]

BURN THE FENCE DOWN

CENTRICIDE NOW

 

[nagant 1895]

Lol just read "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer.

Eric Hoffer was the greatest longshoreman to ever live.

 

[NIGGER ASS PEE POOPY RAPE]

some men (and boys whose balls just dropped) have an extreme distaste for authority, especially Americans. this is why most mass shootings happen in schools and shitty workplaces. this is why some boys murder their parents and some traffic stops turn into an officer-involved shooting even if there are no drugs involved. women and native European men have been selectively bred to be weak submissive bitches who do what they're told and rarely step out of line. many muslim men realize they've made a terrible mistake migrating to Europe and would rather die than live in a nanny state.

possible solutions:
1. allow one or more states to secede and/or be exempt from federal law (or buy land and create a 51st state), creating an environment more like the wild west where real Americans can go to be free and happy.
2. accept the relatively small loss of citizens due to these men going postal and continue expelling and outcasting disobedient boys, imprisoning and killing disobedient men, poisoning the food and water with chemicals that turn the friggin' frogs gay and pushing more and more unconstitutional authoritarian laws for a few more generations until there is no difference between the US and the UK.

to prevent racially motivated attacks the government could just accept that not everyone wants to live in a multicultural melting pot, and allow people to have racially segregated towns and businesses and not force them to have mosques in a town named Christchurch.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

• what do you think causes a person to become radicalized?

A feeling of emptiness in their lives that is compensated by the will to make a real change. There is a modern stereotype are low iq crowd but that's not the case (at least with successful terrorists), case in point, the Tokyo subway sarin attack.

• What do you think pushes the few from having radical beliefs to actually committing violence because of those beliefs?

Lack of family/friend support that will push them against ruining their lives.

• Is radicalism inherently negative? Being a radical used to have positive connotations (French Revolution) and the radical thoughts of some in history have become normalised now (e.g. women's voting, etc.)

It's extremely subjective, both in what counts as radicalism and when it comes too far. Usually if it interrupts the MSM globalist mindset then it's Satan incarnate (so going against any immigration is bad, allowing five year old to mutilate their bodies is good).

• Why are the majority of extremists who commit violent acts men? Is it genetic?

It's more of a mindset thing. There are probably people here who can explain it better me, but in short, women have far better emotional support networks and are less able to commit violence as well as men.

• How do you think those who have been radicalized can be brought back from "the brink"?

Emotional support by family/friends, or a bullet.

 

[GreenJacket]

Radicalism is based. This system is built on democracy, so it cannot be voted out.