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Intellectual Dark Web
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The Intellectual Dark Web is a neologism coined by economist Eric Weinstein to refer to a group of (mostly right-wing, libertarian and centrist) pundits, media producers, academics, and so on.[1]
Individuals associated with the term
- Eric Weinstein, American economist, mathematician, conspiracy theorist, and managing director of Peter Thiel's Thiel Capital.[2]
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Somali-born American anti-Islam activist.
- Sam Harris, American neuroscientist and one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism
- Claire Lehmann, Australian alt-right editor-in-chief and founder of Quillette
- Maajid Nawaz, British activist who advocates for a "moderate, secular Islam"
- Steven Pinker, American linguist and psychologist
- Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist and social conservative activist
- Joe Rogan, American Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
- Dave Rubin, American libertarian/self-proclaimed "classical liberal" host of The Rubin Report
- Ben Shapiro, American conservative pundit, conspiracy theorist, former-Breitbart writer and co-founder of The Daily Wire
- Michael Shermer, American science writer, editor-in-chief of the magazine Skeptic, and bicyclist.
- Christina Hoff Sommers, American writer for American Enterprise Institute.
- Bret Weinstein
(Eric's brother), American biologist and the sole progressive of the group.
Patreon
After Sargon of Akkad was banned from Patreon, Rubin, Peterson and Harris left Patreon in protest.[3] Since then, Rubin and Peterson have suggested creating a Patreon equivalent.[4]
A gateway to alt-right radicalization
In 2019 a study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais by Manoel Horta Ribeiro et al. found the Intellectual Dark Web's YouTube channels were a gateway from the "alt-lite" to alt-right radicalization.[5] The study looked at 331,000 videos that an algorithm had classified as right-wing, and analyzed 72 million YouTube comments.[5]:4 A large number of those users who had posted comments on IDW channels later migrated to leaving comments on more radical YouTube channels.[5]:7-8 As Ribeiro puts it, "there is migration among users from the Alt-lite and the I.D.W. to the Alt-right," confirming that less extreme right-wing content did indeed serve as a gateway of sorts for radicalization.[6]
See also
- Koch Industries, who provide funding for numerous members of the IDW.[7]
- Dennis Prager, as many members have hosted PragerU videos, such as Shapiro,[8][9][10] Rubin,[11][12] Peterson[13][14] and Sommers.[15][16][17]
- Alt-lite, the less impressive name given to them by the alt-right.
References
- ↑ Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web: An alliance of heretics is making an end run around the mainstream conversation. Should we be listening? by Bari Weiss (May 8, 2018) The New York Times.
- ↑ Why capitalism won’t survive without socialism Vox. July 25th, 2017.
- ↑ Patreon Bars Anti-Feminist for Racist Speech, Inciting Revolt The New York Times. December 24th, 2018.
- ↑ Top Patreon creators, of the 'Intellectual Dark Web,' say they're launching an alternate crowdfunding platform not 'susceptible to arbitrary censorship' Business Insider. December 17th, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Auditing Radicalization Pathways on YouTube by Manoel Horta Ribeiro et al. (2019) arXiv 1908.08313v3.
- ↑ Dickson, EJ (August 28, 2019). "Study Shows How the 'Intellectual Dark Web' Is a Gateway to the Far Right". Rolling Stones Magazine.
- ↑ The “Intellectual Dark Web” is a Billionaire-Funded Echo Chamber Medium. August 13th, 2018.
- ↑ "What Is Intersectionality?" (Jun 18, 2018)
- ↑ Hollywood Wants Your Money...and Your Mind" (Dec 18, 2017)
- ↑ "Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" (May 11, 2017)
- ↑ "So, You Think You're Tolerant?" (Jul 9, 2018)
- ↑ "Why I Left the Left" (Feb 6, 2017)
- ↑ "Dangerous People Are Teaching Your Kids" (Jun 11, 2018)
- ↑ "Fix Yourself" (Jan 29, 2018)
- ↑ "The Myth of the Gender Wage Gap" (Sep 22, 2014)
- ↑ "War on Boys" (May 19, 2014)
- ↑ "There Is No Gender Wage Gap" (Mar 16, 2017)