The Social Chemist

Send us a textOn today's episode, Jacob Ware from the Council on Foreign Relations returns to discuss the state of U.S. domestic terrorism after the 2024 U.S. Elections. We cover whether the definition of terrorism has been weaponized against marginalized communities by the Trump administration, and debate on whether the charges against Luigi Mangione can be considered terroristic. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsJacob Ware's Social MediaJacob Ware (@Jacob_A_Ware) / XJacob Ware (@jacobware.bsky.social) — BlueskyJacob Ware's Lawfare Article Luigi Mangione and the Making of a ‘Terrorist’ | LawfareJacob Ware's BookGod, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America (A Council on Foreign Relations Book): Hoffman, Bruce, Ware, Jacob: 9780231211222: Amazon.com: BooksThe Social Chemist Substack ArticlesCan Liberals differentiate between terrorism and advocacy in the case of Luigi Mangione?Healthcare, Guns, and ExtremismRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob WareThe Contributing Factors Behind January 6 and the Unite the Right Rally w/ Timothy HeaphyThe Weaponization of Disinformation & Its Assault on Democracy w/ Barbara McQuadeThe Emergence of Christian Extremism & The Future of the Republican Party w/ Elizabeth Neumann

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and author of "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza". A book that assesses how the Zionist movement has rationalized the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza after the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel, and why the current Israeli policies towards Palestine are contributing to the next generation of jihadist terrorists. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsPeter Beinart's BookBeing Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning: Beinart, Peter: 9780593803899: Amazon.com: BooksPeter Beinart's Substack/Social MediaThe Beinart Notebook | Peter Beinart | SubstackPeter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) / XPeter Beinart (@peter_beinart) • Threads, Say morePeter Beinart (@peterbeinart.bsky.social) — BlueskyRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Global State of Antisemitism & an Examination of the Zionist Project w/ Kenneth SternThe Origins of the Rothschilds Conspiracy Legends & Rise of Modern Antisemitism w/ Mike Rothschild

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, to discuss her new book, "How to End Christian Nationalism," where she covers the eight steps you can take to help fight against the influence of Christian Supremacy in U.S politics.  InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsAmanda Tyler's BookHow to End Christian Nationalism: Tyler, Amanda: 9781506498287: Amazon.com: BooksAmanda Tyler Social MediaAmanda Tyler (@AmandaTylerBJC) / XAmanda Tyler (@amandatylerbjc.bsky.social) — BlueskyAmanda Tyler (@amandatylerbjc) • Threads, Say moreBaptist Joint Committee Website / Petition Home - BJCStatement from Christians Against Christian Nationalism — Christians Against Christian NationalismRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Emergence of Christian Extremism & The Future of the Republican Party w/ Elizabeth NeumannLeaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith w/ April AjoyThe Contributing Factors Behind January 6 and the Unite the Right Rally w/ Timothy HeaphyThe Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware

Dr. Joseph Pierre, a forensic psychiatrist and clinical professor at UC, explores the psychology behind disinformation and conspiracy theories. He discusses his new book, diving into how confirmation bias has intensified in the digital age. Joseph critiques the role of social media in shaping beliefs about hot topics like COVID-19 and climate change. He questions whether the addiction to conspiracy content reflects a broader societal mistrust and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in navigating today's information landscape.

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by the lead investigator of the January 6 committee and former US attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Timothy Heaphy, who also participated in the 2017 Unite the Right rally (UTR) investigation team. For our discussion, we cover his 2024 book "Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal about Rising Threats to American Democracy." Which follows Timothy's experience in investigating the attacks on Capitol Hill in 2021 and the far-right protests in Charlottesville in 2017. We cover Donald Trump's tactics to spread disinformation and doubt about the 2020 election and the contributing factors that led to J6 and UTR. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist Newsletter | SubstackTimothy Heaphy's Book Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy: Heaphy, Timothy J.: 9781586424015: Amazon.com: BooksThe Final Report of the Select CommitteeFinal Report of the Select Committee | January 6th-benniethompsonSocial Chemist Recommended EpisodesThe Weaponization of Disinformation & Its Assault on Democracy w/ Barbara McQuadeThe People Who Turn Lies into Reality w/ Renée DiRestaThe Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob WareHere Comes the Storm: The Origins of QAnon w/ Mike Rothschild

Barbara McQuade, a legal analyst for NBC News and former U.S. Attorney, dives deep into the alarming rise of disinformation under Trump. She connects historical propaganda tactics to modern strategies that threaten democracy. The conversation covers political polarization, the influence of government on social media during the pandemic, and the normalization of extremism. McQuade also emphasizes the necessity of bridging political divides through real-life interactions and highlights the importance of critical thinking in navigating today's complex information environment.

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by April Ajoy, TikTok content creator, former Christian Nationalist, and co-host of The New Evangelicals Podcast, to discuss her 2024 book "Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a Truth Faith." A book that touches on the history of Christian Nationalism, the tactics used to maintain followers within the movement, and the influence of Christian Nationalists have in today's social media world. We also talk about Pokémon.  InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist Newsletter | SubstackApril Ajoy's BookStar-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding A True Faith: Ajoy, April: 9781546006688: Amazon.com: BooksApril Ajoy's X/ Threads/ YouTubeApril Ajoy (@aprilajoyr) / XApril Ajoy (@aprilajoy) • Threads, Say moreApril Ajoy - YouTubeThe Social Chemist Episode Recommendations The Emergence of Christian Extremism & The Future of the Republican Party w/ Elizabeth NeumannThe Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob WareThe People Who Turn Lies into Reality w/ Renée DiResta

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by Renée DiResta, the technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, a program dedicated to the study of abuse in information technologies, to talk about her new book "Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality" a book that dives into how our information ecosystem has evolved in the 21st century and how health practitioners and policymakers should engage with misinformation on social media. In our conversation, we cover the difference between misinformation and propaganda and the future of misinformation research under Trump's presidency. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist Newsletter | SubstackRenée DiResta's BookAmazon.com: Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality: 9781541703377: DiResta, Renee: BooksReferencesMisunderstanding the harms of online misinformation | NatureRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob WareHow Susceptible are you to Misinformation? w/ Dr Rakoen MaertensNews Media Literacy: An Educators Tool Against Misinformation w/ DeMario Phipps SmithA New Era in Disinformation: AI Generated Imagery w/ Todd C. Helmus

Send us a textIn today's episode, Dr. Sophia Moskalenko joins me in the program to discuss the various factors that contributed to the insurrection on January 6 and how exposure to conspiracy theories can lead believers and non-believers to engage in political violence. We also cover the topic of how to label Q movement and whether a comparison between QAnon and addiction can be made with the current studies on the subject. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist Newsletter | SubstackSophia Moskalenko Literature Review / NBC Article(PDF) Mere exposure to conspiracy theories: effects on radical intentions among believers and nonbelievers (researchgate.net)Why QAnon followers are like opioid addicts, and why that matters (nbcnews.com)Sophia Moskalenko BooksPastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon: Bloom, Mia, Moskalenko, Sophia: 9781503630291: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: Friction: How Radicalization Happens to Them and Us: 9780199747436: McCauley, Clark, Moskalenko, Sophia: BooksRadicalization to Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to Know®: Moskalenko, Sophia, McCauley, Clark: 9780190862589: Amazon.com: BooksRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesQAnon: A Psychiatric Assessment of a Delusion Like Belief w/ Dr. Brian Holoyda (buzzsprout.com)Here Comes the Storm: The Origins of QAnon w/ Mike Rothschild (buzzsprout.com)A Psychosocial Assessment of QAnon w/ Dr. Joseph Pierre (buzzsprout.com)

Send us a textIn today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Jessica White, Acting Director of Terrorism and Conflict Studies at the Royal United Services Institute, to discuss her 2022 book "Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-Terrorism Policy: Building Transformative Strategies to Counter Violent Extremism" and her research on how extremists exploit the mechanics of online gaming to recruit and radicalize people to the far right. InstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist Newsletter | SubstackJessica White's WebsiteDr Jessica White | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)Jessica White's BookGender Mainstreaming in Counter-Terrorism Policy: Building Transformat (routledge.com)Recommended ReadingsUK riots expose double standards on far-right and Islamist violence | The far right | The GuardianRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Black Pill Radicalization Process of the Incel Community w/ Robert Green (buzzsprout.com)The Evolution of Far-Right Terrorism in the 21st Century w/ Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware (buzzsprout.com)How the Far-Right hijacked the Wellness Movement w/ Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker (buzzsprout.com)