It Could Happen Here Nihilist Violent Extremism
14 snips
Apr 23, 2025 Garrison welcomes Michael Burns, a philosopher and comedian known from the YouTube channel Michael O. Burns, to delve into the concept of 'nihilist violent extremism.' They unpack this new classification term that could shift focus from right-wing militias to extremists aiming for societal collapse. The conversation ranges from the philosophical roots of nihilism and its exploitation in extremist ideologies to real-life cases, like a Wisconsin teen's violent plot, shining a light on the troubling normalization of these beliefs today.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Nihilist Violent Extremism Defined
- Nihilist violent extremists (NVEs) aim to collapse society through chaos and exploit vulnerable populations.
- Their tactics include using social media to desensitize individuals to violence and groom them for violent acts.
FBI's Nihilism Misused
- The term "nihilism" as used by the FBI conflates philosophical meaninglessness with emotive hatred.
- This differs from classical nihilism, which questions inherent meaning without necessarily involving hatred or destruction.
Nikita Kassip's Extremist Plot
- A Wisconsin teen named Nikita Kassip killed his parents to financially support an assassination plot.
- He was influenced by the Order of Nine Angles and was coordinating with people in Russia and Ukraine.
