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https://theconversation.com/australia-is-too-often-a-leader-in-conspiracy-thinking-from-port-arthur-trutherism-to-christchurch-256476>
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Review: Conspiracy Nation – Ariel Bogle & Cam Wilson (Ultimo)
The Australian government officially categorised the white supremacist
Terrorgram Collective as a terrorist organisation last month – after it was
linked to an alleged plot to kill a New South Wales Labor MP. A decentralised
network, Terrogram mostly operates on the messaging app Telegram.
Perpetrators of mass violence – including the Australian perpetrator of the
Christchurch mosque shootings – are called “saints” by its users. They are
treated as icons, martyrs and even role models.
Terrorgram promotes white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs, and encourages acts
of violence. It also spreads propaganda and instructional guides for terrorism.
Ariel Bogle, an investigations reporter at
Guardian Australia, and Cam
Wilson, associate editor of
Crikey, argue artefacts circulated online (like
footage of the Christchurch shootings, and the perpetrator’s 74-page manifesto)
serve as blueprints for subsequent atrocities.
Conspiracy Nation, their impressively researched new book of investigative
journalism, explains how conspiratorial thinking, misinformation and
radicalising narratives move through online platforms and real-world
communities in contemporary Australia. They find them in fringe forums,
mainstream politics, encrypted group chats, rallies and physical attacks.
One of this riveting book’s most surprising takeaways is how often Australia
has proved to be a forerunner rather than a follower when it comes to
conspiratorial thinking. For example, the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, our
deadliest mass shooting, has spawned a set of conspiracy theories to rival
those around Lee Harvey Oswald."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
