Thread by @CasMudde

These type of articles will always go viral, because they "confirm" received wisdom, but life is much more complicated, and most radicalization has important online AND offline components. #Thread nytimes.com/2018/11/24/opi…

1. Let me start with an important caveat: I am NOT expert on online radicalization or (far right) terrorism. But this article is about far right/white supremacy in general.

2. Obviously, Internet plays a major role in radicalization these days because, well, Internet plays a major role in all our socialization. Most people (part. youths) get almost all info from Internet.

3. Hence, "the" Internet is even more diffuse and heterogeneous than "the" media. The Internet radicalizes, deradicalizes, and doesn't do anything.

4. White supremacy is so deeply ingrained in our cultures, that most of us get it through mainstream education and media, largely unconsciously and unintentional.

5. Only VERY FEW white supremacists, i.e. people with white supremacist attitudes, ever go to places of Internet that these pieces indicate. They get it from mainstream news, family, perhaps Fox News.

6. Much research on radicalization selects on dependent variable. In other words, they start with far right terrorists and trace back how they radicalized.

7. This leads to stepping stone theories, which we still know from drugs. Yes, (almost) all heroine addicts started with marijuana... however, only small minority of people who used marijuana will become heroine addicts.

8. Same applies to people surfing the Great White Net, i.e. Stormfront (who still really uses that?) or whatever other medium or subforum.

9. Real question is: why do some people who go on far right Internet sites radicalize, i.e, become politically active and/or engage in political violence, most others not?

10. Much research shows that offline factors, often of a personal nature, play a major role in this. In fact, it is often offline factors that drive people into these "digital alleys", as @cpicciolini called them on my podcast #RADIKAAL

buzzsprout.com/1134467/4173260

11. This all is not to say that "online radicalization" is not happening or that it is not important. It is to say that it is complicated -- yes, I know, but it really is.

12. It is therefore important that we assess studies -- and public statements -- on online radicalization critically.

This is important for (at least two reasons).

13. First, because they often downplay other (offline) factors, which might be more important.

14. Second, because they are often combined with calls for repressive measures, which might do little to offset radicalization, but do weaken liberal democracy. #TheEnd