Male supremacy: will it rise?

Intro:

Despite everything, Donald Trump will once again be el candidato republicano in the next elections. With him, the feelings of hatred that we already know will grow like weeds. One of these weeds that can even end up with the best-kept gardens, in my opinion, is the so-called manosphere. Until a few days ago, I admit, I had no idea about the concept or its various communities, and that is why I dare to share it with you because I have been reading for several days and I can't believe it.

The members of this phenomenon demand men's rights and masculinity, but the manosphere, for me, is the true expression of misogyny. They manifest themselves, particularly in the United States and Canada, but Europe is beginning to see some warning signs. In Latin America, at least from what I could research, there is still no substantial evidence describing this "line of thought," but on the contrary, femicides ravage the headlines of the media day after day.

The manosphere clans have diverse nicknames. Unlike some religious congregations or sects that until recently met in temples or secret places, the manosphere meets in digital environments such as Twitch, Discord, Telegram, Reddit, or even YouTube itself. They also spread their messages through video games such as Valorant, Call of Duty, and Fortnite, among others.

The phenomenon of the manosphere has its nuances. Some groups only seek to promote genuine and positive values of masculinity (whatever they may be!). But there are also more radical communities that are beginning to worry about their growth and actions. Some even call for them to be labeled as terrorism.

Their target: women.

Among the most prominent communities are MRA (Men's Rights Activists), MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), PUAs (Pick-up Artists), and Incels (Involuntary Celibate). Of these 4 groups, Incels cause the most controversy because they have been associated with massacres and attacks, mainly against women since the famous attack by Elliot Rodger in 2014, in which 6 people died. After the attack, videos of Rodger declaring himself an Incel and postulating a manifesto of more than 136 pages in which he blamed women for all the suffering he had endured in his 22 years of life were disseminated.

Although American authorities closely inspect all these virtual places where not only misogynistic but extremist attitudes can flourish, it is estimated that up to 200,000 people interact daily in some Reddit groups. A report published last year by The Center for Countering Digital Hate analyzed more than a million posts related to the Incel movement and concluded that there was an increase in tension and the use of language that fosters violence against women. You can read the full report by Taylor Lorenz in The Washington Post at this link.

Problem

The manosphere finds fertile ground in many variables that coexist today. On the one hand, digital content platforms that permanently - en mi muy humilde opinión - promote sexualized content such as Tik Tok or Instagram, which also disseminates lifestyles based on stereotypes that go against the gender training intended to support equity in every possible way.

In addition to these well-known places, the rise of lesser-known platforms - for people aged 40 and over - such as Reddit, Twitch, or Discord, where younger audiences - from the age of 12 - have free rein to view and speak without any filter. Here, messages have been documented to indoctrinate various topics related to hate and violence. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) estimates that 15% of gamers in the United States have been exposed to messages from white supremacists. To read the full report prepared by the ADL entitled Hate and Harassment in Online Games 2022 go to this link. And as the cherry on top, the current conditions under which parenting is practiced. Parents are filled with obligations and problems, a condition (or cause) that prevents them from monitoring and understanding what their children consume among platforms, communities, and video games.

Plot Twist

There is no data that can quantify the manosphere, but it is a breeding clade for more misogynist and extremist stances.

Trump's campaign is about to begin. We know that this bad hombre is willing to do whatever it takes to take his campaign to the most favorable place to win the election: polarization.

On May 10, Trump was declared guilty of a sexual assault that occurred 27 years ago against journalist Jean Carroll. He still has to answer for 26 other similar lawsuits. And yet he will be el candidato republicano and most likely return to the White House. The scandal has allowed him to rise in the polls.

In a sane world, Trump the politician would have no place. In a sane world, the manosphere would not either. But guess what...

My list

If you think the supremacist movement is far from reaching Mexico or Latin America, you are wrong, just like me. I asked ChatGPT to summarize the state of the issue in the region for me. To this question "Is the evidence of white supremacy movement in Latin America? Please provide statistics."

• In Brazil, the number of hate crimes related to race or ethnicity has increased in recent years. In 2019, there were 1,445 reported cases, an increase of 20% from the previous year.

• In Chile, a study conducted in 2019 found that 58% of respondents expressed discriminatory attitudes towards indigenous peoples and 49% towards migrants.

• In Argentina, a survey by the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism found that 65% of Afro-Argentines had experienced discrimination, with the majority reporting incidents of racial profiling and exclusion from job opportunities.

• In Colombia, there have been reports of white supremacist groups targeting indigenous communities and Afro-Colombian populations, resulting in violence and displacement. However, specific statistics on these incidents are not widely available.

• In Mexico, there have been reports of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, but again, specific statistics on these groups and their activities are not widely available.

¡Vamos Carajo!

Fran Michavila