How 4Chan Took Over The Republican Party

[DocWatts]

4Chan, for those of you lucky enough not to know, is an online message board where incels, white nationalists, and Nazis would go to look at porn, post memes, and share brain-rot conspiracy theories. In short : a breeding ground for online extremists, some of whom went on to become right-wing terrorists.

Adam Conover has a fascinating discussion with journalist Elle Reeve, about how 4Chan culture went from being a fringe corner of the Internet to the mainstream culture of the Republican Party 

 

 

 

Edited August 28 by DocWatts

[Leo Gura]

Oh God, truly the hive of scum and villainy.

[DocWatts]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

Oh God, truly the hive of scum and villainy.

'Scum and villainy' makes them sound way cooler than they are. Socially awkward, basement-dwelling racists with self esteem issues is closer to the mark.

Edited August 28 by DocWatts

[Leo Gura]

4chan rats?

[BlueOak]

I didn't watch the video as I have little time these days. These groups started off with teenagers, they had a lot of investment and passion about their beliefs in a concentrated echo chamber. A few of the masses got older, got money, and used it. 

Edited August 29 by BlueOak

[Recursoinominado]

She is weirdly hot.

[Fluran]

It used to be cooler like it helped occupy wall street movement, kinda grassroot civil movement

 

I wonder why these anonymous forums tends to become incel spots world wide, and ethno centric nationalism. origin of 4chan, 2ch in Japan became similar, same for South Korea, and so on I don't know any else, maybe similar case in Germany.

[DocWatts]

34 minutes ago, Fluran said:

It used to be cooler like it helped occupy wall street movement, kinda grassroot civil movement

 

I wonder why these anonymous forums tends to become incel spots world wide, and ethno centric nationalism. origin of 4chan, 2ch in Japan became similar, same for South Korea, and so on I don't know any else, maybe similar case in Germany.

Q: How did the website 4chan come to be a breeding ground for far right politics?

Claude AI:

The evolution of 4chan into a space associated with far-right politics is a complex phenomenon that occurred over time. Here's an overview of some key factors:

1. Anonymous nature: 4chan's design allows users to post anonymously, which can encourage more extreme views and reduce accountability.

2. Counterculture origins: 4chan began as a place for anime fans and internet subcultures, fostering an "outsider" mentality that sometimes aligned with anti-establishment views.

3. Trolling culture: The site's ethos of provocative humor and "trolling" sometimes blurred lines between ironic and genuine extremism.

4. Lack of moderation: Minimal content moderation allowed fringe ideas to spread more easily compared to mainstream social media platforms.

5. Echo chamber effect: Like-minded individuals found each other, reinforcing and amplifying certain viewpoints.

6. Gamergate controversy: The 2014 Gamergate controversy, which began on 4chan, drew in many users sympathetic to anti-feminist and right-wing views.

7. Political shifts: During the 2016 US election, some boards became hubs for pro-Trump activism and alt-right rhetoric.

8. Spillover from other sites: As other websites banned extremist content, some users migrated to 4chan.

9. Media attention: Increased scrutiny from mainstream media paradoxically attracted more users interested in far-right content.

10. Recruitment ground: Some extremist groups began deliberately using 4chan to spread propaganda and recruit new members.

It's important to note that not all of 4chan is focused on far-right politics, and the site remains diverse. However, certain boards have become particularly associated with these ideologies.

Edited September 8 by DocWatts