FBI Flags Right-Wing Internet Slang as ‘EXTREMISM’

The Federal Bureau of Investigations has long been a controversial agency within the federal system, but their reputation for scandal has been under increased scrutiny of late.

A vast number of American politicians, on both sides of the aisle, have accused the agency of being weaponized by the administrations that they serve.  This appeared to be very much the case during the James Comey FISA scandal, as well as during the January 6th Capitol riot.

Now the Bureau is once again feeling the heat after it was revealed that the agency is targeting online conservatives who use several rather innocuous terms.

New documents released Monday warned that common internet lingo is being associated with “Violent Extremism” by the FBI.

The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project said it used a Freedom of Information Act request to expose FBI documents that include glossaries showing that common internet slang has been flagged as an indication of “Involuntary Celibate Violent Extremism” or “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism.”

Part of the document refers specifically to “incels,” or those “involuntary celibate,” whom the “threat overview” describes as possibly seeking to “commit violence in support of their beliefs that society unjustly denies them sexual or romantic attention, to which they believe they are entitled.” The assessment notes, “While most incels do not engage in violence,” some have been involved in “at least five lethal attacks in the United States and Canada.“

The terms being targeted are not uncommon.

The one term in the glossary is “Red Pill,” which comes from the 1999 film “The Matrix” and has been used a metaphor for seeing hidden or politically incorrect truths about the modern world, particularly when it comes to politics or dating. The FBI list of key terms defines it as “a belief shared by many online communities that society is corrupt, and that the believer is a victim of this corruption.”

Many of the terms listed are focused on self-improvement or the struggle to reckon with the marketplace of modern dating.

The glossary defines the term “Chad” as a “Race -specific term used to describe the idealized version of a male, who is very successful at getting sexual and romantic attention from women,” later noting, “incels unsuccessfully compete against Chads for attention.”

The list also included the term “Looksmaxxing” which is defined in the document as the “process of self-improvement with the intent to become more attractive.”

There are many terms associated with self-pity rather than violence, such as saying “It’s Over” to convey “the hopelessness of being an incel” or referring to a “heightcel” or “baldcel” to define people with short stature or baldness, respectively.

The vague nature of many of these terms has led lawmakers to worry about how the FBI could use these documents to justify the unethical targeting of Republicans as Joe Biden prepares to announce his 2024 reelection campaign.