Tag: far-right conspiracy theory

A user’s guide to ‘Cultural Marxism’: How an arcane conspiracy theory from the far-right margins is fueling terrorism — and Trump’s Twitter feed

The family of the accused Poway Chabad terrorist was profoundly anguished and confused by what he had done. “Our sadness pales in comparison to the grief and anguish our son has caused for so many innocent people,” they wrote, in a statement released through the family lawyer. But the shock and confusion was most intense for them.

“Our son’s actions were informed by people we do not know, and ideas we do not hold,” they wrote. “Like out other five children, he was raised in a family, a faith, and a community that all rejected hate and taught that love must be the motive for everything we do. How our son was attracted to such darkness is a terrifying mystery to us …”

It’s a terrifying mystery for America as well — but it shouldn’t be. As David Neiwert wrote at Daily Kos, under the title, “The new age of chain terrorism”:

View the complete May 5 article by Paul Rosenberg of Salon on the AlterNet website here.

The far-right continues to spread the conspiracy theory that inspired the synagogue shooter

The notion that Jews are behind a nefarious plot to engineer a migrant invasion is still circulating in right-wing media

In the month since a far-right gunman massacred 11 Jews at a Pittsburgh, PA, synagogue, seemingly driven by a conspiracy theory that Jews were orchestrating an invasion of the United States by migrants, this deadly false narrative has continued to spread as a talking point on right-wing platforms.

The alleged gunman, Robert Bowers, used social media site Gab (a “haven for white nationalists”) to post a derogatory statement about Jewish refugee-resettlement organization HIAS. He accused the organization of bringing “invaders” into the U.S. before unleashing his deadly attack against those worshipping inside the Tree of Life synagogue. And when he was captured, he claimed Jews were “committing genocide” of his people. Since the deadly incident, rhetoric accusing Jews of committing so-called “white genocide” by supporting immigration into the United States seems to continue to proliferate unchecked.

This week, a Twitter account called @InvasionPlot cropped up and began posting photos and names of Jewish scholars, journalists, student activists, and public officials, among others, and highlighting the individuals’ pro-immigrant and pro-refugee views. The Twitter bio says “this didn’t happen by accident,” and the account garnered thousands of followers before it was suspended.