Extremism in the Time of COVID-19
Bussola Research Paper No. 6
24 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2020
Date Written: July 15, 2020
Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 upon the world in 2020 has been profound. Measures to contain the spread of the virus have had, and continue to have, significant impact on the day to day lives of people. Extremists and ideologues have been swift in their efforts to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to blame established governments, to disseminate misinformation and to sow further unease amongst vulnerable, and sometimes naïve, populations. This contribution discusses how extremists are taking advantage of global uncertainty to further divisiveness and hatred, sometimes leading to acts of violence. There is no single solution for mitigating the extent to which extremists are able to exploit current circumstances but the ongoing impact of the pandemic is likely to be used to propagate extremist views and in efforts to put further pressure on national governments.
Keywords: COVID, extremism
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