Conspiracy & Populism (eBook)

The Politics of Misinformation

Eirikur Bergmann (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2018 | 1st ed. 2018
186 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-319-90359-0 (ISBN)

Infos

Europeans are being replaced by foreign invaders, aided by cultural Marxists who are plotting an Islamist subversion of the continent. The Bilderberg group – and/or the Illuminati – are instating a totalitarian New World Order. Angela Merkel is the secret daughter of Adolf Hitler, Barack Obama was illegitimate, and George W. Bush was in on the 9/11 attacks. Also, the Holocaust is a hoax, members of Pussy Riot are agents of the West, and the European Union is resurrecting the Roman Empire, this time as a communist super-state. These are some of the tales that are told by populist political actors across Europe, were raised during the Brexit debate in the UK, and have been promoted by presidents of both the US and Russia. Rapid rise of populist political parties around Europe and across the Atlantic in the early new millennium coincided with the simultaneous increased spread of conspiracy theories. This book entangles the two tropes and maps how right-wing populists apply conspiracy theories to advance their politics and support for their parties.

 

Autor

Eirikur Bergmann is Professor of Politics at Bifrost University, Iceland, and Director of its Centre for European Studies. He is the author of eight academic books and three novels. He is a frequent commentator in the media on politics and European affairs.

Inhalt

Preface and Acknowledgements 6
Contents 9
Abbreviations 13
1 Introduction 15
Rise of Populist Conspiracy Theories 17
In History and All Around 19
Stigma 20
Links to Extremism 21
Moving into the Mainstream 21
Multi-disciplinary 23
Definitions and Concepts 26
Aim and Frame 27
Structure of the Book 28
References 30
2 Kinds of Conspiracy Theories 32
New World Order 35
Antichrist 36
Early Illuminati 38
Interwar Illuminati 39
Contemporary Illuminati 40
Protocols of the Elders of Zion 41
Anti-Catholic 43
Holy Grail 44
Anti-Islam 45
Bilderberg Group 46
Deep State 47
Assassinations—Dead and Alive 48
Deceptions, Disasters, Diseases and Medicine 48
False Flag Operations—And 9/11 50
Sinister Politics—The Birthers 52
Black—And White—Genocide 53
Rankings 54
References 55
3 The Anatomy of Conspiracy Theories 59
Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories 61
Stigmatized Knowledge 62
Divisions and Categories 63
Practical or Pathological Paranoia 64
Design 67
Unverifiable Truths 68
Secrecy and Agency 69
Good and Evil 70
Making Sense 71
For Losers? 73
Predispositions 74
Conspiratorial Correlations 75
General and Widespread 76
Precariousness 78
References 79
4 Dissecting Populism 82
Populism 84
Nationalism 86
Fascism 90
Internationalization and Migration 90
Cultural Racism 91
Oil Crisis—First Wave 93
Collapse of Communism—Second Wave 94
International Financial Crisis—Third Wave 96
Integration into the Mainstream 99
Erosion of Democratic Norms 100
Framing Nationalist Populism 102
Common Qualities 103
References 106
5 Disrupting the Trust—Nature of Populist CTs 109
Common Tropes 111
Political Arena 112
Disrupting the Trust 115
Populist Conspiratorialism 117
Of the Powerful 118
The National Front in France 120
Post-Soviet Russia 122
Trump’s America 125
Brexit and Anti-EU 127
References 129
6 The Eurabia Doctrine 133
Migration 135
Sharia Panic 136
Brexit—Fear of Muslim Migration 139
Muslim America 140
Charlottesville—White Genocide 143
Infiltrating the Nordics 144
Welfare Chauvinism 146
Ethno-Cultural Cohesion 147
Cartoon Crisis 148
Dominant Discourse 149
Us and Them 150
Ultra-Nationalists 152
Fighting Islamisation 153
References 155
7 Transmission and Fake News 160
Framing Fake News 162
Social Media and the Post-truth Era 164
Pizza-Gate and the USA 166
Russia’s Misinformation Tactics 168
Pussy Riot 169
References 171
8 Conclusions: The Politics of Misinformation 173
Index 183

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 20.8.2018
• Zusatzinfo: XVI, 186 p.
• Verlagsort: Cham
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Geschichte / Politik ► Politik / Gesellschaft
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
• Schlagworte: 9/11 conspiracy theories • Anti-Catholic conspiracy theories • Anti-Islam conspiracy theories • Assassination conspiracy theories • Brexit and conspiracy theories • conspiracy and populism • Conspiracy theories • Democracy • Eurabia conspiracy theory • Fake News • Illumaniti conspiracy theories • National Front and conspiracy theories • nationalist populism • New World Order • populist political parties • post-truth era • right-wing nationalism • right-wing populism • Russia and conspiracy theories • Russia and misinformation • Trump and conspiracy theories
• ISBN-10: 3-319-90359-4 / 3319903594
• ISBN-13: 978-3-319-90359-0 / 9783319903590