Author: TheGuardian

A sympathy for Putin: When the rightwing’s “Culture War” spills into an actual “War” war

A sympathy for Putin: When the rightwing’s “Culture War” spills into an actual “War” war

Posted by | Mar 8, 2022

America is divided. That is not news. But the authoritarian ruler in the Kremlin deciding to invade a democratic neighbor – that is the type of international crisis that traditionally might have inspired some closing of the ranks: set differences aside, let domestic quarrels rest. But conservatives are evidently out on the idea of patriotic unity. The right’s reactions to Russia’s attack on Ukraine have ranged from blatant admiration for Putin to anti-Russian saber-rattling combined with a shrill critique of President Joe Biden. Donald Trump initially called the invasion “genius;” he then defended his position at the Conservative Political...

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A Trump-Putin Network: It is time to confront the stunning number of Republicans with deep Kremlin ties

A Trump-Putin Network: It is time to confront the stunning number of Republicans with deep Kremlin ties

Posted by | Mar 7, 2022

In 2014, the Putin regime invaded Ukraine’s Crimea. In 2016, the same regime invaded the United States. The former took place as a conventional military operation; the latter was a spectacular case of cyberwarfare, including disinformation that it was happening at all and promulgation of a lot of talking points still devoutly repeated by many. It was a vast social-media influencing project that took many forms as it sought to sow discord and confusion, even attempting to dissuade Black voters from voting. Additionally, Russian intelligence targeted voter rolls in all 50 states, which is not thought to have had...

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A Bot Holiday: Russia pivots from COVID to Ukraine with its onslaught of disinformation across social media

A Bot Holiday: Russia pivots from COVID to Ukraine with its onslaught of disinformation across social media

Posted by | Mar 6, 2022

When David Fisman tweets, he often receives a deluge of hate within moments of posting. Fisman, an epidemiologist and physician, has been outspoken about COVID and public health. Even when he tweets something innocuous – once, to test his theory, he wrote the banal statement “kids are remarkable” – he still receives a flood of angry pushback. But in recent days, Fisman noticed an “astounding” trend, he said. He posted about topics like requiring vaccination and improving ventilation to prevent the spread of COVID – and the nasty responses never came. No support for the trucker convoy, no calls...

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A non-White fantasy world: Why Tolkien’s “The Rings of Power” is no less authentic with a cast of Black actors

A non-White fantasy world: Why Tolkien’s “The Rings of Power” is no less authentic with a cast of Black actors

Posted by | Feb 27, 2022

As the new “Lord of the Rings” series gears up for its September launch on Amazon, the company finds itself navigating treacherous, if familiar, waters and has already triggered a fierce debate over race by introducing characters of color into JRR Tolkien’s fantasy world. The tech giant has spent a dragon’s dungeon of gold on adapting the beloved story famous for its cultish fans, some of whom are deeply enmeshed in the rightwing culture war industry. Yet it is fully aware its final product has to reach a broad and modern audience to justify its eye-popping expenditure. Co-produced by...

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Convoy of Crackpots: Far-right conspiracy groups set sights on Canada-inspired blockade of U.S. Capitol

Convoy of Crackpots: Far-right conspiracy groups set sights on Canada-inspired blockade of U.S. Capitol

Posted by | Feb 19, 2022

The effort to launch an American “freedom convoy,” inspired by the Canadian truckers who have shut down parts of Ottawa for several weeks initially to protest vaccine mandates, is taking shape in a somewhat haphazard fashion. At least three national organizations, and a constellation of regional ones, say they will depart for Washington in early March. One proposed convoy aims to leave from Fresno in California on March 2, taking the I-10 interstate straight to the capital, where it would arrive on March 6. “What brings us here tonight is unity, solidarity and a mindset of America,” the group’s...

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The Wall Street putsch: When powerful Bankers sought to overthrow FDR with a fascist dictator

The Wall Street putsch: When powerful Bankers sought to overthrow FDR with a fascist dictator

Posted by | Feb 19, 2022

Business leaders like JP Morgan and Irene du Pont were accused by a retired major general of plotting to install a fascist dictator. Donald Trump’s elaborate plot to overthrow the democratically elected president was neither impulsive nor uncoordinated, but straight out of the playbook of another American coup attempt – the 1933 “Wall Street putsch” against newly elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt. America had hit rock bottom, beginning with the stock market crash three years earlier. Unemployment was at 16 million and rising. Farm foreclosures exceeded half a million. More than five thousand banks had failed, and hundreds of thousands...

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