Aurelien Mondon
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aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon
@aurelmondon.bsky.social
14K followers 650 following 3.5K posts

Researching the mainstreaming of reactionary/far-right politics

Co-convenor of @reacpolrn.bsky.social

Reactionary Democracy w. @aaronwinter.bsky.social and co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right

Full profile:

https://shorturl.at/CiYKm .. more

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Political science 65%
Sociology 14%
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aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · Sep 24
Core to reactionary politics is a cowardly project that aims to protect and restore privilege and hierarchies of oppression

Some thoughts on terminology and the term reactionary @reacpolrn.bsky.social

reacpol.net/on-reactiona...
Article: On reactionary politics (Aurelien Mondon) - Reactionary Politics Research Network
This article by Aurelien Mondon explores the meaning of reactionary politics and its use in our current context
reacpol.net

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Fabián Muniesa, Adrian Daub , and 5 more

adamserwer.bsky.social
Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 22h
one takeaway from the grok noncon porn thing is that much of the media just isn't interested in an issue they can't pretend has two sides or that doesn't give them an opportunity to shit on the left. Also it would be uncomfortable to justify remaining on twitter after acknowledging it

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon, Greg Linden

tressiemcphd.bsky.social
Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 22h
Today is one of those days where I’m struck anew by how *bad* the internet has gotten. It’s almost unusable. Clouds, apps, advertising — nothing is where it should be and it’s nigh impossible sometimes to do basic tasks online.

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d
Justifying using X because you "believe in freedom of speech" is either incredibly stupid or incredibly cynical and insulting at this stage...

There are no lows this government is not willing to reach and while doing so they insist on making clear they have no respect for any of us
adambienkov.bsky.social Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d
Cabinet Office Minister Baroness Anderson tells the Lords the Government will keep on using X.

"I still believe that X is an appropriate platform to use because I believe in freedom of speech..."

"It is incredibly important that there is a counter narrative on those platforms," she says.

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

uneheuredepeine.bsky.social
Denis Colombi @uneheuredepeine.bsky.social · 1d
Afficher Melenchon, un soc dém, comme une menace dont on se débarrasserait par un acte fasciste, c’est quand même pas innocent.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Aurélien Mondon, Christina Pagel

lilbazza.bsky.social
LiLBaz @lilbazza.bsky.social · 1d
Just checking with how Starmer's crusade to ban apps that produce deep fakes is going
Keir Starmer @Keir St... . 18 Dec 25 We are going to aim to make it impossible for children to take, share or view a nude image, and we're banning apps that create deepfakes. Here's the detail:

Reposted by Antoine Bernard de Raymond, Aurélien Mondon

albinwagener.bsky.social
Albin Wagener @albinwagener.bsky.social · 1d
Maintenant au moins, on sait qui est Charlie.

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d
😬 indeed!

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d
And entirely unsurprising

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d
Considering the way Trump and co are acting and how those institutions meant to stand in their way are doing nothing to hold them to account, let alone stop them, it's hard to imagine Trump will accept electoral defeat either in 26 or 28...
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
TAPPER: Can you rule out the US is going to take Greenland by force?

MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO

T: So force is on the table?

M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Amir Attaran, Serge Egelman , and 4 more

kashana.blacksky.app
Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 1d
30 years ago they were like we have to ban song lyrics for the children but it’s full steam ahead for the here’s how to do drugs until you die machine
drewmagary.bsky.social Drew Magary @drewmagary.bsky.social · 2d
“ChatGPT started coaching Sam on how to take drugs, recover from them and plan further binges. It gave him specific doses of illegal substances, and in one chat, it wrote, ‘Hell yes—let’s go full trippy mode’”
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
A Calif. teen trusted ChatGPT for drug advice. He died from an overdose.
"Who on earth gives that advice?"
www.sfgate.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Jan W. Mueller, Brendan Nyhan , and 33 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
TAPPER: Can you rule out the US is going to take Greenland by force?

MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO

T: So force is on the table?

M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d
This makes clear these are conscious editorial choices, not concerns over being sued etc

It's exactly the same logic behind the mainstream media using euphemisms like "populism" or "hard right" rather than far right, racism or fascism

These is a top-down legitimation of reactionary politics
owenjones.bsky.social Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 2d
BBC journalists have been banned from describing the kidnapped Venezuelan leader as having been kidnapped.

The BBC News Editor has sent this to BBC journalists.

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

jessothomson.co.uk
Jess O'Thomson @jessothomson.co.uk · 1d
I really don't think almost any of you realise how hard it is to be one of the bigger and more visible trans people, especially trans women, on the internet. Great job everyone.

Reposted by Timnit Gebru, Lisa W. Fazio, Amir Attaran , and 3 more

drewmagary.bsky.social
Drew Magary @drewmagary.bsky.social · 2d
“ChatGPT started coaching Sam on how to take drugs, recover from them and plan further binges. It gave him specific doses of illegal substances, and in one chat, it wrote, ‘Hell yes—let’s go full trippy mode’”
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
A Calif. teen trusted ChatGPT for drug advice. He died from an overdose.
"Who on earth gives that advice?"
www.sfgate.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 6 more

adambienkov.bsky.social
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 2d
Cabinet Office Minister Baroness Anderson tells the Lords the Government will keep on using X.

"I still believe that X is an appropriate platform to use because I believe in freedom of speech..."

"It is incredibly important that there is a counter narrative on those platforms," she says.

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Mel Bartley, Jeffrey Ian Ross , and 11 more

owenjones.bsky.social
Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 2d
BBC journalists have been banned from describing the kidnapped Venezuelan leader as having been kidnapped.

The BBC News Editor has sent this to BBC journalists.

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

paskokisic.bsky.social
Pasko Kisić-Merino @paskokisic.bsky.social · 2d
Hello again, algorithm. Just published in JDSR: My new article explores how social media shape far-right and liberal fantasies of security, belonging, and “love” through affect and algorithmic power. Thanks to WASP-HS & @pledge-project.bsky.social for their support.
publicera.kb.se/jdsr/article...

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

flyingrodent.bsky.social
flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 2d
Yeah, I feel like it might also embolden America, as evidenced by their threats to Mexico, Colombia and Greenland
Foreign policy Venezuela attack could embolden China and Russia, says Emily Thornberry Failure to condemn US intervention risks encouraging others to take similar action, warns senior Labour MP

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

mcneilwillson.bsky.social
Richard McNeil-Willson @mcneilwillson.bsky.social · 2d
Just as Denmark seizes the jewellery of asylum seekers, so the UK now seizes their phones.

The most vulnerable, far from home, will lose the lifeline to their families and their means for managing in a new place.

UK Government cruelty to woo far-right voters.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
UK’s plans to seize asylum seekers’ phones condemned by campaigners
People who are sent to Manston processing centre will be eligible for searches for electronic devices from Monday
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Shannon Vallor, Ben H. Ansell , and 21 more

dieworkwear.bsky.social
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
Matt Walsh tweeted last year: "We've spent the last 25 years bringing "freedom" and "democracy" to countries around the globe while our own country has been systematically invaded and now our largest cities are run by foreigners and communists. If you want to know why I'm so avowedly non-interventionist, this is why." Then he tweeted today: ""This is a war for oil!!!!!" First of all, the "war" lasted like 90 minutes. Second, going to war to secure vital resources for your own people is totally legitimate. Why should we allow some third world communist shithole to control trillions of dollars worth of oil?" Laura Loomer tweeted last year: "I’m America First, I don’t support “Regime Change”. I went on @Bannons_WarRoom to talk about Chinese aggression in Venezuela and why we need to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign Islamic terrorist organization." Then she tweeted yesterday: "Maduro has arrived at the DEA office in Manhattan. He was transported in an armored motorcade after being transported in a blindfold via helicopter & then by plane to New York after his compound in Caracas was raided by US Special Forces. Proud to be an American today! USA 🇺🇸" Catturd tweeted last year: "Name one U.S. inspired regime change that hasn’t ended in absolute disaster." Then he tweeted yesterday: "Venezuela is now more free than New York City." Will Chamberlain tweeted last year: "The Republican Party is no longer the party of regime change and endless wars If you want to be its standard-bearer that is a non-negotiable position" Then he tweeted yesterday: "I can think of few better uses of my tax dollars than black-bagging the head of a foreign narco-trafficking organization that enriches itself by addicting and poisoning my fellow Americans"

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 2d
My point is that if we seriously care about the dire state of democracy, we cannot rehabilitate those who paved the way for it

Nothing short of a full, radical regeneration of democratic debate (which would include radical economic reform) can fix this situation

Anything else is naive at best

2/

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 2d
Reading serious takes that make the whole situation about Trump as if he was the only reason we are where we are is incredibly depressing

Sure, he's pushed things further and faster than predicted but the rise of reactionary politics predates him and started in the mainstream

1/

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller , and 5 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Q: Rodriguez called it a 'kidnapping' of Maduro

TRUMP: That's alright. That's not a bad term.

Reposted by Ian Campbell, Anders Nilsson, Edgar Morgenroth , and 7 more

kattenbarge.bsky.social
Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 2d
The end goal of Grok sexual harassment is to make women afraid to be visible. It’s a punishment for daring to exist in a way the perpetrators can’t control. There’s no one solution to this, because the problem isn’t just technological. It’s cultural. It’s misogyny. This is just one expression of it.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Bruce D. Baker, Aurélien Mondon , and 1 more

nytpitchbot.bsky.social
NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 2d
Polls show that 70% of Americans oppose the war in Venezuela. But at this CBS News staff meeting, that number feels much smaller.

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 2d
It's getting harder and harder not to expect things to become a lot worse before they get any better...

It's particularly striking to see how easily so many governments and institutions gave up on the pretence that international law applies to all equally

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

premthakker.bsky.social
Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 2d
Reached out to the White House and the Pentagon to ask what they know about the death toll of their strikes in Venezuela.

The White House referred us to the Pentagon.

And the Pentagon referred us to the White House.

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

floatinginwaves.bsky.social
Alexander Williams @floatinginwaves.bsky.social · 3d
Whenever British journalists talk about including more GC voices on Bluesky, what they fail to account for is that many GCs would rather meet with open racists who agree with them on gender neutral toilets than with centrist liberals who don’t. This is from Maya Forstater’s review of the last year.

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 3d
Absolutely, nothing new about his behaviour. Regarding opportunism, I'm not sure he even has that sense of agency to be honest (not that he won't benefit obviously)

aurelmondon.bsky.social
Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 3d
What an incredible coward... What more facts does he need to know these actions are pure and simply unacceptable?

Whether it's against the far right and authoritarianism here or abroad, Starmer has demonstrated he will not stand for what's right...
Keir Starmer refuses to condemn US attack on Venezuela The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has been urged by opposition parties to condemn the US military action in Venezuela. Starmer has been repeatedly accused of kowtowing to the Trump administration, wanting to keep on side of Washington for economic and security reasons. On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this morning, Starmer was asked if he wanted to condemn the US attack on the sovereign country. “I want to get all the material facts together and we simply haven’t got the full picture at the moment – it is fast moving,” he said, confirming again that there was no UK involvement in the US military operation. The Labour leader said he needs to speak to Trump and other UK allies before commenting further. He said “he has been a lifelong advocate for international law” but refuses to condemn the US attack as he “wants to ensure he has all the facts” at his “disposal”.