@thesocialchemist
The official Bluesky page of The Social Chemist podcast. Social Worker studying disinformation, conspiracy theories, and far-right extremism. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-social-chemist/id1530316632
QAnon influencers have been trying to gloat about how right they were since the Epstein files were released. But how right were they? In this week's newsletter, I offer a brief recap of the core tenets of QAnon and how it’s failed to live up to its expectations.
open.substack.com/pub/thesocia...
What was it like in the Capitol on J6, and how has the media distorted the reality for the MAGA community?
On today’s episode, I am joined by Emmy-nominated producer and author Nora Neus to discuss her book, 24 Hours at The Capitol.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
In tomorrow's episode, I am joined by Nora Neus, an author and CNN producer, to discuss her new book “24 Hours in the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th Insurrection”. We cover eye witness testimony from people within the Capitol that day and how rioters from J6 have now joined ICE operations.
Deeply honored to contribute to RSIS NTU's annual threat assessment report for the Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses journal. My article looks at trends in Western far-right terrorism in 2025 and beyond. rsis.edu.sg/ctta-newsart...
In this week’s Substack article, I cover how the term narcoterrorism is being used to justify American Imperialism and why U.S. intervention should never be considered a saving grace by default.
open.substack.com/pub/thesocia...
Whatever the purported justification for invading a foreign country and abducting its leader, the real justification is oil, oil, oil, and more oil.
Here is my 2025 book list from all the scholars who appeared on The Social Chemist podcast, covering topics such as the psychology of disinformation, the threat of Christian Nationalism in the U.S, and the rise of lone actors.
Thank you as well to the audience who continue to support my work.
A pleasure to join Lucas Webber on the @techvsterrorism.bsky.social podcast, discussing the five-alarm fire of counterterrorism today: youth radicalization.
With @johnmooneyirl.bsky.social, discussing the ideological underpinnings of the far-right anti-immigrant movement, including the Great Replacement Theory, and how it manifests in violence. open.spotify.com/episode/6EUc...
I’m interested in seeing how the far-right ecosystem attempts to kill this story. For a movement that exploited the real consequences of human trafficking for political gains, it’s fascinating to see them try to ignore this.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
Latest polling shows Trump's approval among his base has dropped significantly.
Above is Ben Shapiro back in 2022, defending Tucker Carlson, who was documented promoting Great Replacement conspiracy theories, which motivated the Buffalo, New York Supermarket shooting.
A couple of reasons why Ben Shapiro’s recent attacks against Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson are ineffective are that, for years, Ben Shapiro has sanitized Republican antisemitism and denied the implications of stochastic terrorism.
“Now to suddenly try to stop that conspiratorial train will prove to be ineffective.”
A smart and rather ominous article on Nick #Fuentes by my friend Nelson Perez (@thesocialchemist.bsky.social) in @timesofisrael.com. blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-third-wa...
On the Times of Israel blog, I covered the re-emergence of Nick Fuentes in the far-right ecosystem and how the assassination of Charlie Kirk has opened the floodgates for neo-Nazism to thrive in the online conservatism movement
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-third-wa...
On today’s episode, I am joined by Robbie Parker, who lost his daughter Emilie in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
We cover his book about the conspiratorial extremism he faced and the journey in combating the infamous Alex Jones and InfoWars.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
“Whether racism is indeed the driving factor, Israel’s refusal to adopt a more surgical approach in Gaza will inevitably lead to further waves of violence that threaten the safety of Israeli civilians, empower clamors of “genocide,” and undermine peace and stability in the region.”
Today’s episode of The Social Chemist podcast features a conversation with forensic psychologist and author of “Mass Casualty”, Dr Nathan Brooks, to discuss lone actors and the rise of political assassinations in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
I’m surprised that Luigi Mangione’s terrorism charges were dropped. His actions were intended to change healthcare policies, which is why he selected his target.
@jacobware.bsky.social looks like you were right. 🙌
apnews.com/article/unit...
Just gonna leave this—written by me in 2002—right here.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
In this week’s newsletter, I cover the assassination of Charlie Kirk and how his contribution to U.S. political polarization led to his demise.
open.substack.com/pub/thesocia...
I am joined by @katherinestewart.bsky.social , journalist and author of “God, Money, Lies: The Movement to Destroy American Democracy,” which examines the finances, strategies, and influential donors funding the far-right anti-democratic movement eroding U.S.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Is this the first war in history where nobody knows if it's actually happening?
4/4 Because of this, MAGA influencers have now come out in defense of Trump's actions, but at the cost of exposing their hypocrisy and lack of principles.
Just check out Benny Johnson’s Instagram comments to see what I mean.
3/4 This is most evident regarding Iran. Recall that Trump stated we’d have no new wars under his presidency, yet less than a year into his presidency, we’re on the verge of direct conflict.
2/4 However, since returning to the office, the MAGA movement has been on defense, and its biggest advocates have been having difficulty defending Trump’s actions.
1/4 One of the fascinating things about MAGA is that it is a political movement designed to be on the offensive. It’s stronger when the “villains” are in power because it can frame itself as the victim and develop conspiracy theories about why the nation is crumbling.
1/2 We’ve seen this among white domestic terrorists.
For Neo-Cons, Trump’s strikes on Iran weaken any attack against the U.S., but with how radicalization works when combined with the internet. I fear Iran will modify its counterattack.
1/1 Iran doesn’t have the capability to confront the U.S. head-on in direct conflict, but it does have the power of social media.
Over the last three decades, terrorism has evolved from an organized endeavor to lone wolf terrorism, which the algorithm has accelerated.
Book cover, invisible rulers
📆1 year ago, "Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality" hit the shelves.
It's about who shapes what we believe: influencers + algorithms + online crowds.
About bespoke realities, fractured publics, and consensus collapse.
A 🧵 w/some updates...
bookshop.org/p/books/invi...
