Proud Boys

Raw Story Sues OpenAI for Violating Copyright Act

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Raw Story, America’s largest independent progressive news site, today filed suit against OpenAI for using thousands of Raw Story’s news articles to train ChatGPT in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Key Points: 
  • Raw Story, America’s largest independent progressive news site, today filed suit against OpenAI for using thousands of Raw Story’s news articles to train ChatGPT in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
  • “Raw Story’s copyright-protected journalism is the result of significant efforts of human journalists who report the news,” said Raw Story Publisher Roxanne Cooper.
  • Begun as a small, one-man political blog, Raw Story grew to become the largest independent progressive news website in America.
  • The suit is case 24-cv-01514, Raw Story Media, Inc. et al v. OpenAI, Inc. et al.

How religion and politics will mix in 2024 – three trends to track

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election – much as it did in previous years.

Key Points: 
  • Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election – much as it did in previous years.
  • Despite an overall shift away from participation in organized religion in the U.S. populace, religious rhetoric in the political arena has intensified.
  • In the 2016 race, evangelical voters contributed, in part, to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s victory.
  • Historical evidence can help identify trends that will likely influence the mix of religion and politics in the year ahead.

1. End-times rhetoric

  • End-times rhetoric has long played a prominent role in American politics.
  • Ever since Puritan John Winthrop first called America a “city on the hill” – meaning a shining example for the world to follow – the threat of losing that divinely appointed status has consistently been employed by presidential candidates.
  • John F. Kennedy employed that exact image of the “city on the hill” in a 1961 speech on the cusp of his inauguration, claiming that – with “God’s help” – valor, integrity, dedication and wisdom would define his administration.
  • By March 2023, at the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference, he predicted that “if they [Democrats] win, we no longer have a country.” Biden has likewise drawn on the image of final battles.
  • In a speech at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on Sept. 1, 2022, he said that he and his supporters are in “a battle for the soul of this nation.”

2. Divine mandate

  • Since the establishment of the republic, many U.S. political leaders have claimed a divine mandate.
  • Scholars have long documented how those in power employ claims of divine authority to legitimize their role in a host of different countries.
  • Recently, some U.S. politicians and public commentators have shifted to claiming divine authority for anti-democratic actions.
  • Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 election, the switch from historical claims of divine authority for democracy to divine authority to challenge democracy is already obvious and apparent.

3. White supremacy and Christian nationalism

  • Likewise, the unapologetically white supremacist “alt-right movement” that coalesced in 2010 around the philosophies of biological racism and the belief in the superiority of white peoples around the world have likewise mixed overt white supremacy with religious doctrines.
  • This close connection between religious claims and white supremacy among overtly racist organizations has shown up in mainline political arenas as well.
  • Evangelical leaders have consistently failed to condemn or disassociate themselves from leaders with overt white supremacy connections.
  • In spring of 2023, 26 members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee refused to sign a letter denouncing white supremacy.


Tobin Miller Shearer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Why have authoritarianism and libertarianism merged? A political psychologist on 'the vulnerability of the modern self'

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

To be libertarian is to see the freedom of the individual as the supreme principle of politics.

Key Points: 
  • To be libertarian is to see the freedom of the individual as the supreme principle of politics.
  • It is core to the economics and politics of neo-liberalism, as well as to some bohemian counter-cultures.
  • Consider Donald Trump, whose re-election in 2024 would be seen by many as adding to the international rise of authoritarianism.
  • Alongside them were the Proud Boys, whose misty libertarianism is paired with a proto-authoritarian commitment to politics as violence.

New age meets anti-vax

  • But they were also facilitated by libertarian ideologies which rationalise suspicion of and antipathy towards authority of all sorts – and support refusals to comply with public health measures.
  • One might have thought that Totnes and some other towns like it would be the last places we’d find sympathy for authoritarian politics.
  • And of that group, 60% believed the use of violence in the name of such a movement would be justified.

Two responses to the same anxiety

  • As Erich Fromm and others have shown, our ideological affinities are linked to unconscious structures of feeling.
  • At this level, authoritarianism and libertarianism are the interchangeable products of the same underlying psychological difficulty: the vulnerability of the modern self.
  • Authoritarian political movements offer a sense of belonging to a collective, and of being protected by its strong leader.
  • This may be completely illusory, but it nonetheless provides a sense of safety in a world of threatening change and risk.


Barry Richards does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

How pardoning extremists undermines the rule of law

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 22, 2023

At the same time, a number of conservative elected officials and politicians have publicly expressed interest in pardoning some of these same people.

Key Points: 
  • At the same time, a number of conservative elected officials and politicians have publicly expressed interest in pardoning some of these same people.
  • Research shows that this use of the pardon power can damage the rule of law in the United States.
  • It undermines one of the tools against violence that law enforcement can bring to bear - deterrence.

Diminishing deterrence

    • The pardon power is not limited to a sitting president, however; state governors can issue pardons for state crimes.
    • And some have expressed similar interest in pardoning those convicted of politically motivated criminal acts in recent years.
    • At its simplest, deterrence means that when people consider whether to do something wrong or illegal, they think about the consequences that they, and others, face or have faced.
    • This is important, because when a pardon is offered, the certainty of punishment is dramatically diminished – lowering the potential deterrent.

Criminal sanctuary

    • This message of criminal sanctuary – relief from punishment – is what former President Trump, Gov.
    • Recent research draws a direct connection between criminal sanctuary and political violence.
    • “When people perceive that they will be provided sanctuary for their criminal actions … this too leads to crime,” write scholars Laura Dugan and Daren Fisher.
    • In my research, I look at how these signals of criminal sanctuary by politicians and elected officials are interpreted and acted upon by far-right online communities in the United States.
    • Despite the “tough on crime” stances taken by many conservative politicians, the use of pardons to offer criminal sanctuary likely undermines the rule of law and increases the risks of political violence.

Despite threats of violence, Trump's federal indictment happened with little fanfare -- but that doesn't mean the far-right movement is fading, an extremism scholar explains

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 15, 2023

But the court appearance had little of the fanfare Trump typically attracts at his events.

Key Points: 
  • But the court appearance had little of the fanfare Trump typically attracts at his events.
  • The former president entered and left the building through an underground garage, and no photographs were taken of him inside the courtroom.
  • And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA,” Lake said.
  • A Florida chapter of the extremist group Proud Boys advertised it expected protests outside the courthouse.
  • But in the end, Trump’s second indictment, this one in federal court, did not immediately prompt any notable, widespread political violence.
  • Has there been a decline in political violence or extremism over the past few years, especially sincce the Jan. 6 attacks?
  • Again, we are not seeing super specific threats, or actionable things that law enforcement can do something about, but the rhetoric is very hot.

Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy in lead-up to Jan. 6 insurrection – 4 essential reads

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, May 27, 2023

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on May 25, 2023, in the wake of his November 2022 conviction for seditious conspiracy.

Key Points: 
  • Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on May 25, 2023, in the wake of his November 2022 conviction for seditious conspiracy.
  • For instance, “In 2014, the Oath Keepers joined an armed standoff between far-right patriot groups in Nevada on behalf of Cliven Bundy.
  • In 2015, Oath Keepers showed up heavily armed in Ferguson, Missouri, during protests over the killing of Michael Brown.
  • Read more: Behind the 11 Oath Keepers charged with sedition are many more who have been trained by the US military
    4.

Our hybrid media system has emboldened anti-LGBTQ+ hate – what can we do about it?

Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 15, 2023

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate from religious conservatives and far-right extremists in the United States, and now in Australia, is a worrying trend.

Key Points: 
  • Anti-LGBTQ+ hate from religious conservatives and far-right extremists in the United States, and now in Australia, is a worrying trend.
  • Out gay politician Alex Greenwich has brought a defamation suit against Latham over an offensive homophobic tweet.
  • Yet the issues remain a concern in any jurisdiction where US news media has audiences and digital platforms operate.

Commercialising hate and emboldening extremists

    • Notions of “sexual purity”, linked to nationhood by religious groups and far-right extremists, are circulated via the “manosphere”: an overlapping group of websites, online forums and blogs that promote masculinity and misogyny.
    • The Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates that anti-LGBTQ+ extremists are picking up followers at quadruple the rate since Elon Musk acquired Twitter.
    • The monetising of hate through YouTube includes the sale of mundane items such as sweatshirts and mugs adorned with homophobic slurs.
    • TikTok is the only platform to have improved on the timely removal of hate speech.

Political permissiveness and the ‘Trump effect’

    • It can also undermine confidence in democratic elections and propagate climate denialism, feeding the misinformation and disinformation ecosystem.
    • This has occurred within a broader context of misinformation driven by domestic politicians and permissiveness by digital platforms towards hateful conduct.
    • Read more:
      Clickbait extremism, mass shootings, and the assault on democracy – time for a rethink of social media?

Visibility as a double-edged sword

    • In Australia, an estimated 11% of the population have a diverse sexual orientation or gender identity.
    • In the US, 7.1% of the adult population identify as one of these non-heterosexual identities, double the percentage from 2012.
    • This visibility has become a double-edged sword.
    • Communities have gained recognition through identity politics, but their visibility makes them a potential target for violence.

Addressing the hate feedback loop

    • What needs to be done to address the hate feedback loop?
    • Digital platforms also need to address online hate in a timely manner and their responses need to be coordinated across platforms.
    • The origins of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate feedback loop are complex.
    • Not addressing them will leave a growing number of people susceptible to violence, which diminishes us all.

Proud Boys members convicted of seditious conspiracy – 3 essential reads on the group and right-wing extremist white nationalism

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 4, 2023

Four members of the right-wing extremist group called the Proud Boys were convicted on May 4, 2023, on charges of seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with their efforts to lead an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Key Points: 
  • Four members of the right-wing extremist group called the Proud Boys were convicted on May 4, 2023, on charges of seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with their efforts to lead an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
  • Several scholars have written for The Conversation U.S. about the group, its ideologies and other elements of the right-wing extremist push for white nationalism.
  • “Proud Boys have identified themselves as ‘Western chauvinists’ who focus on opposing political correctness and white guilt.
  • Read more: Regardless of seditious conspiracy charges' outcome, right-wing groups like Proud Boys seek to build a white nation
    2.

Government of Canada lists 13 new groups as terrorist entities and completes review of seven others

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 3, 2021

The Government of Canada has placed 13 new groups on the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, including four ideologically motivated violent extremist groups: Atomwaffen Division, the Base, the Proud Boys and Russian Imperial Movement.

Key Points: 
  • The Government of Canada has placed 13 new groups on the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, including four ideologically motivated violent extremist groups: Atomwaffen Division, the Base, the Proud Boys and Russian Imperial Movement.
  • The Criminal Code mandates severe penalties for people and organizations that deal with property or finances of a listed entity.
  • Furthermore, persons seeking entry into Canada may be inadmissible if they are found to be associated with a listed entity.
  • The Government of Canada will continue to take appropriate actions to counter terrorist threats to Canada, its citizens and its interests around the world."

Million MAGA March | Letter to the United States of America

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 13, 2020

SPARTANBURG, S.C., Nov. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The Million MAGA March rally does not associate with Antifa or the Proud Boys.

Key Points: 
  • SPARTANBURG, S.C., Nov. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The Million MAGA March rally does not associate with Antifa or the Proud Boys.
  • The Americans we know joining the Million MAGA March are constitutional, law-abiding, United States citizens that love their country and the freedoms which it has always provided.
  • It's a shame that the establishment media would try to misrepresent the good-hearted United States citizens by saying they are a violent fringe group of white nationalists, fascists, or socialists.
  • If any acts of violence takes place during this march, it will not be the law abiding attendees of the Million MAGA March movement.