How The Far Right Weaponises Memes
Their "jokes" are Trojan horses
The Kansas Young Republicans got in trouble recently.
Politico reported racist memes circulating in their group chats. It sparked concern. Were these just jokes, or more nefarious?
Humour may be harmless, but it can be used as cover for bigotry.
Historically, coded language is a far-right propaganda tool.
In the 20th century, the National Socialists spoke of “the Jewish question”. But, in their vocabulary, it was a deceptive term. They implicitly meant “the Jewish problem”.
The Nazis believed the Jews were a problem, but could not always state it openly. The term “Jewish question” was a loophole.
Soft language allowed them to get away with it.
Although seemingly light-hearted, jokes sometimes serve the same purpose.
Edgy memes seem harmless. However, they can be tools to circulate extremism. This method provides plausible deniability and, therefore, safety.
If welcomed, extremists express their true beliefs. If resisted, they say they were just joking.
Humour allows them to groom sympathisers without risk.
Irony is the mask and the method.
It protects groomers from having to reveal their radicalism. Backpedaling is always an option. The ever-present option of retreat allows for maximal advance.
It allows them to spread their views without being held accountable.
Humour makes taboos accessible.
It makes light of otherwise painful subjects. That has a use: grim things should be freely discussed. But they should not be distorted (in the form of, e.g, Holocaust denial).
Irony is how far-rightists get through the door. Only once inside, they begin spouting their poison.
Trolling, to them, is a manipulation tool.
If you share a Hitler meme, you can identify those who do not get offended. They are (for now) not repelled by your ideas, and therefore viable prospects for radicalization. The more they allow for, the more extreme you get.
It starts with jokes, because that is the safest way to introduce the doctrine. The core message is introduced only gradually.
Once fully initiated, newcomers no longer separate irony from conviction.
They get accustomed to what they engage in.
Initially, the memes may seem extreme. But continued exposure removes the emotional charge. The Overton window extends, normalising the ideology.
Then, the reluctance is gone, allowing for actual indoctrination.
Humour, while often innocent, is also an innocent-seeming bonding mechanism for would-be fascists.
It creates community. As with any community, non-participants are left out. Emotionally invested in their peer group, it is hard for members to leave.
They would rather not be outcasts.
This is how light-hearted humour becomes dead serious dogma.
In the beginning, it is all fun and games. Incessant engagement, however, makes it impossible to distinguish absurdity from reality. The trolling behaviour, even if in jest, becomes the identity.
In social psychology, this identity formation through repeated behaviour is described by Self-Perception Theory.
The jokes serve a dual function.
They alienate outsiders and attract (potential) insiders. Trolling torments your enemies. However, it also attracts allies.
It is a gun and a gate.
Once locked in, recruits are entrapped.
First, they are pressured to participate. The group becomes their identity. Since all members are believers, their identity fuses with the shared ideology.
The vicious cycle produces committed followers.
Most far-right trolls are in the early stages.
Only a small number believe it all. But to these select few, the purpose of humour is grooming. The jokes are just bait: a way to sneak in the message.
As the groomer-in-chiefs succeed, newbies join their ranks. The cycle resets.
Extremism multiplies under the guise of irony.
The humour is there, but it is a Trojan horse.
It seems playful. Even bad jokes can be entertaining. The problem is that the laughs are not the point; they are the distraction.
Through laughter, the ideology is smuggled in.
It is a step-by-step procedure.
First, groom (lonely) candidates for radicalization with ironic memes. Then, form a community: bonding over the memes. Repeat it until everyone thinks the same way.
A common identity is now achieved. Fully immersed, the propagandized turn into propagators.
Irony has been transformed into orthodoxy.
Jokes are the bait; extremism is the trap.
The jokes cover a hidden pipeline from point A (innocence) to point B (indoctrination). Coursing through, initiates become initiators. Thus, while in itself benign, far-right humour serves a sinister purpose.
The cheese in the mousetrap is harmless; the trap is not.