Axios: “It will take an all-out national effort to dismantle the radicalization pipeline that has planted conspiracy theories in the heads of millions of Americans and inspired last month’s attack on the Capitol, experts tell Axios. Two key measures that could make a difference: Keeping extremists out of the institutions where they could do the greatest damage – like the military, police departments and legislatures, and providing help for those who have embraced dangerous ideologies. Online platforms, meanwhile, must be unwavering in their commitment to root out conspiracy theories and lies that undermine faith in democracy, according to experts interviewed by Axios.”
“The U.S. needs a ‘Marshall Plan against domestic extremism,’ Daniel Koehler, director of the German Institute on Radicalization and De-radicalization Studies, told Axios. ‘The spread of extremist conspiracy theories in the United States is the second most dangerous pandemic the country faces right now,’ he said. ‘The damage that’s been done to the U.S. in terms of community and social cohesion will be immense and will be lasting.'”