Picture: AFP Social media has played a key role in the recent rise of violent right-wing extremism in the United States, including three recent incidents — one in which a man was accused of sending mail bombs to critics of the president, another in which a man shot dead two African-Americans in a Kroger’s grocery store in Kentucky, and a third in which a man is accused of conducting a murderous rampage at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Each of these attacks falls under the definition of right-wing extremism by the Global Terrorism Database at the University of Maryland: “violence in support of the belief that personal and/or national way of life is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent." Antiglobalism, racial or ethnic supremacy, nationalism, suspicion of the federal government, obsessions over individual liberty — these are all hallmarks of this network of ideologies, which is, of course, shot through with conspiracy … [Read more...] about The new radicalization of the internet
The new radicals
Twelve Weeks in Riyadh: Exploring the New Saudi Arabia from the Inside
It's not true that women can't go anywhere in Saudi Arabia. You can walk wherever you want, you'll just never get anywhere. It's my first day in Riyadh, five months before the sensational images of Saudi women driving cars would travel around the world in mid-June. I wander through the streets of Salamiyah, a middle-class neighborhood in the capital, but I'm not allowed to go in anywhere. In front of the Bazi Baba restaurant, with its delicious dishes and fresh juices, there are tables and chairs and they are all occupied -- by men. Women who want to buy something must stand in front of a small window where they can place their order. They must then wait outside for their food to be brought to them. On Tahlia Street, the liveliest boulevard in the capital, coffee shops recently began springing up. The tables outside are also full -- of men. The fact that they are even allowed to sit outside represents huge progress. The streets of Riyadh used to be empty. Women, though, are not allowed … [Read more...] about Twelve Weeks in Riyadh: Exploring the New Saudi Arabia from the Inside
Orange is The New Black stars talk sixth series of Netflix hit
SINCE launching as one of Netflix's first original shows back in 2013, Orange Is The New Black has remained a trailblazer in the world of TV.Based on Piper Kerman's book about her real-life experiences, it follows a group of women living in a prison in Connecticut, and the backstories behind their sentences.Creator Jenji Kohan has been applauded for how unapologetically forward-thinking the comedy-drama is."I know for a fact Orange was talking about #MeToo before #MeToo was even being talked about, dealing with the injustice and the guards taking advantage of the inmates," remarks Danielle Brooks (28) who plays Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson."What I like about this show is they're not afraid to go there."Here, Brooks and co-stars Natasha Lyonne and Jackie Cruz tell us what fans can expect from series six.Season five, which played out over three days during a riot, ended on a cliffhanger.We saw officers break into a bunker, where 10 of Litchfield's finest, including protagonist Piper Chapman … [Read more...] about Orange is The New Black stars talk sixth series of Netflix hit
Celebrating the new Turkey
The third anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt and its defeat is celebrated with special pomp this year since it is the first public event of the new regime that has taken place after the election. In fact, efforts to defeat the coup attempt deserve to be cherished as a triumph of democracy. Moreover, as all political parties are united to condemn the coup attempt, it could be regarded as a chance of social and political consensus. Nevertheless, political developments have taken a different course and the event has accelerated the process for a regime change in Turkey. The president has chosen to mark it as a historical moment for breaking away from the old regime and the beginning of the New Turkey. It has been compared to great moments in Turkey’s history, especially with the National Struggle of Independence and the event has become an essential part of the historical narrative of the new regime. Naturally, like in all cases of revolutions and regime changes, it has turned … [Read more...] about Celebrating the new Turkey
Meet the new face of Ukip
A string of high-profile hard-right ‘influencers’ have very publicly joined Ukip, sparking an influx of their young, largely alt-right followers into the party’s membership. Last week, YouTube personalities Paul Joseph Watson, Sargon of Akkad, Count Dankula and former tech blogger Milo Yiannopoulos announced they were joining the ailing party. And the party has welcomed their new members, who prefer to label themselves ‘classical liberals’ or ’radical centrists’ rather than ‘alt-right’. What unites them is a fundamentalist, almost fanatical defence of ‘freedom of speech’. In practice, that often means the freedom to say whatever they want and attack whomever they please, however they please to their enormous and engaged social media following, without consideration or consequence. Ukip has welcomed them with open arms, and their arrival is likely to inject a new and different energy the party, which has teetered on the … [Read more...] about Meet the new face of Ukip