On the radicalization of white teenage boys
Anyone can be radicalized online, but white teenage boys are increasingly being targeted, and are falling for this rhetoric, many times in very violent ways.
Capitalism and Colonialism (which is rooted in white supremacy) are two of the foundational components of our current society (~600 yrs).
A quote we recently came across by former US President (1961-1963) Lyndon B. Johnson says:
“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”
It's important to understand that white people - who are not ultra-rich - have been targeted to work against their own interests (for the ultra-rich) for centuries.
This isn't new: we've been systematically indoctrinating white people (and to a degree, "model minorities") since the advent of our colonial societies, but the internet has made it easier to target these populations and has allowed for more overt violence responses to occur.
A more nuanced exploration of the radicalization of white teenage boys
In under 24 hours, our post on the radicalization of white youth, see above, got a lot of engagement from our community - and that tells us a lot.
It shows us that so many of you have been thinking about this, dealing with this, feeling like something was off - and made that clear through your comments, shares, and dms.
But a Twitter thread (and IG posts) don't always provide the necessary nuance—which many of you pointed out to us.
We want to build a foster a deeper discussion, and we're looking forward to hearing your responses about radicalization. So let's unpack some of the comments, criticism, and feedback you gave about that post.
There isn't a direct response to white radicalization - it isn’t being addressed
This post received really high engagement. Based on that and your comments, we can say that this is clearly something so many parents, teachers, caregivers and people in this country are dealing with. Yet, - we aren't seeing a coordinated, direct response to address the radicalization of white youth.
Instead, many of you have to figure out how to navigate parts of the internet that young people are experts at. You are left trying to figure out how to connect and speak to children about multiple subjects - racism, sexism, xenophobia, anti-government, privatization, homophobia, Islamophobia, etc. - on your own.
Children could be falling through the gaps for families that are less privileged (parents working multiple jobs, managing chronic illnesses, etc.).
How exactly are we supposed to protect children from radicalization and protect society from subsequent violence radicalized people can cause?
We systematically infantize white youth - while we adultify BIPOC boys and girls
@Selamdebs couldn't have put it better in her reshare: "If you were to compare this whole thread about 'having compassion for white boys' to the way Black boys are pathologized, criminalized and blamed for the struggles they face due to disenfranchisement and white supremacy...wild."
This thread and your comments address the need for services, interventions, and transformative justice for radicalization. But painting a perspective that white boys are being victimized reinforces the same systems of white supremacy and removes accountability.
Meanwhile, the people actually being victimized, terrorized, and murdered by radicalized white men are Black, Indigenous and people of colour. How are the Black and brown children at this young white boy's school treated?
Not to mention that black boys have never been offered this kind of compassion and empathy in our society on an individual (1-1 interactions), community and systems level.
Choosing Compassion and Empathy as parents and caregivers is different
We want to say that if you are the parent of a white boy, then, of course, approaching it the way the Twitter thread talks about it is fair. Shaming children of any ethnicity rarely solves anything, so choosing to listen, work with, be compassionate, direct and show empathy is important.
But here's the thing: we need strong, systemic interventions too. The lack of government and corporate content moderation interventions and the lack of a coordinated, direct systemic response to what the far right is pushing daily could (and does) really result in severe harm and violence against women, BIPOC and other marginalized communities.
So yes, compassion and empathy are important, but so is holding young people accountable and radical systems change.
It isn't just young white boys, it's white men too.
So many of you commented about how the adult men in your life are deep diving into this same far-right rhetoric that young white boys are going through—and you aren't wrong.
Look at how so many people—people many of us love—were supportive of the freedom convoy. We know, for a fact, that white supremacists organized the convoy, yet people actually believe the convoy was for the people?
Young boys are becoming indoctrinated by memes, humour, etc. but adults are also falling into the Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan, Andrew Tate, PewDiePie, QAnon, Fox News, Rebel Media, etc. - spaces of the world and eating it up.
A lot of this has to do with the co-opting of 'for-the-people' language, which the far-right masterfully uses as a way to push their agenda (see our post on populism).
Our mainstream media continues to take a "neutral" approach to report on this stuff, but here is the thing - if you are neutral when discussing human rights and systemic oppression, you've sided with the oppressor.
Radicalization can happen to anyone, including BIPOC
We're also seeing comments of People of Colour being radicalized in the comments - and that's true too.
Here's the thing, in our current society, many BIPOC subconsciously aspire to be white because we see that being white affords you privileges and powers. This is most prevalent in white-passing folks or with non-Black and non-Indigenous People of Colour, and it is referred to as internalized racism.
Internalized racism results in both conscious and unconscious acceptance of the racial hierarchy that upholds white supremacy: People of Color internalize the racist ideas, beliefs of the dominant group and systems of power in which they exist, leading them to actions and behaviours that support or collude with racism.
When this is your mindset, it is easy to fall into the same traps that invite white people to become radicalized, so, unsurprisingly, many of you connected with us to share how you see this in your racialized children and partners.
This has been happening for some time and white people aren't the victims here.
This isn't new: we've been systematically indoctrinating white people (and, to a degree, "model minorities") since the advent of our colonial societies, but the internet has made it easier to target these populations and has allowed for more overt violence responses to occur.
Here's the thing: while many white people also face varying systemic struggles - disabled white people face barriers, low-income white people face barriers, queer white people face barriers, white women face barriers, etc., they continue to participate in systems of oppression that limit them as well.
It's important to understand that white people - who are not ultra-rich - have been targeted and complicit in working against their own interests for centuries.
But painting white folk who become radicalized and then commit violence as 'victims' of the system defocuses from the people who are experiencing that violence—racialized folk. It's time white people see this for what it is and stop blindly going along with a system that they benefit from that perpetuates violence on so many people.
This problem does not have a one size fits all solution
As we continue to ignore the far right, the far right isn't ignoring us - we're seeing symptoms of it through people like Andrew Tate, residential school denier Pierre Poliviere, freedom convoy, the London Ontario terrorist, etc - but we don't see a direct response.
We need a multi-prong approach to responding to the far-right rhetoric (which is actively merging with right-wing politics in Canada).
Where is the legislation to combat the far right?
Where is the public education campaign to help equip parents, teachers, friends, families, etc, with the knowledge needed to ensure that the far right doesn't succeed at spreading their division, hate, violence and agenda?
Where is the individual accountability of people who begin upholding the hate and violence that the far-right propaganda pushes?
Leaving this unchecked is a mistake; we need leadership around this. We're done with politicians offering their thoughts and prayers after this someone who has become radicalized perpetrates violence.
This two year-old Instagram account and growing social enterprise doesn't have the resources to coordinate the direct response to the far right—but we are f*cking committed to doing our part.
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