S9 Ep53: Terror Without a Cause: Nihilism, Youth, and the New Extremist Threat with Jacob Ware

This week, Matt is joined by terrorism researcher Jacob Ware to unpack the rise of nihilistic violent extremism—attacks carried out by disaffected young men radicalized online without any clear political goal. They explore how social media fuels this chaotic new threat, why the FBI created a new classification for it, and what makes networks like 764 and the Order of Nine Angles so dangerous. Then, they turn to the recent string of violent antisemitic attacks in the US and what they reveal about the blurred lines between far-left, far-right, and jihadist extremism. It’s a disturbing look at the future of terrorism, and what it means when violence itself becomes the ideology.Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.Get Jacob’s book, God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America:https://www.cfr.org/book/god-guns-and-seditionhttps://www.amazon.com/God-Guns-Sedition-Far-Right-Terrorism/dp/0231211228Jacob’s work for the Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/expert/jacob-wareJacob’s work for Lawfare: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jwareFollow Jacob on Bluesky & Twitter/X:https://bsky.app/profile/jacobware.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/Jacob_A_WareReporting discussed in the episode"Nihilistic Violent Extremism: A Valuable Stride Forward in American Counterterrorism" by Jacob Ware | Just Security: https://www.justsecurity.org/113463/nihilistic-violent-extremism-american-counterterrorism/"Killing for Nothing: The Bizarre Logic of the Palm Springs Bomber" by Luke Baumgartner | Lawfare: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/killing-for-nothing--the-bizarre-logic-of-the-palm-springs-bomber"Order of Nine Angles" by Nick Lowles | Hope Not Hate: https://hopenothate.org.uk/2019/02/16/state-of-hate-2019-order-of-nine-angles/"The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S." by Callum Sutherland | Time Magazine: https://time.com/7287941/rise-of-antisemitism-political-violence-in-united-states/"Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’" by Eric Tucker, Michael Kunzelman, and Alanna Durkin Richer | Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcbSupport Secrets and SpiesBecome a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpiesBuy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dgFor more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.comConnect with us on social mediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspiesFacebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspiesSpoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpiesFollow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.netSecrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.Music by Andrew R. BirdSecrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.