Caolan Robertson: Walking Away from Extremism
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2025
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Caolan Robertson tells Byline TV his story.
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It takes someone strong to announce to the world when they were wrong.
_Let’s normalise changing our minds in light of new information_
_and not making people enemies in so much as they can’t join the other side_
This should be pinned to the top. 💜
I've changed my mind... You are so right. But seriously great comment
NocturnalDoom Totally agree.
@Zh Great comment. Thank you.
Idiots assume they are right and will never change their minds. They wrongly assume it’s a sign of weakness.
The Smartest people never assume they are right, are always ready to change their minds, and continually seek new information which they accept could change their minds. Indeed, some even celebrate being wrong - because they know that is how they learn their best lessons.
Peace
This^
This guy is spot on and if progressives ever have a chance of coming out on top we must listen to what he is saying and doing. I respect him immensely.
i am so glad i've found this channel, high quality content, genuine interview, absolutely brilliant
It's a left-wing echo-chamber. Try not to get sucked in like the gentleman in the video.
@@0w784g Thanks for the heads up.
Subscribed.
@@thekaiser1156 Lol. GG fam.
@@thekaiser1156 Nice! 😅
I think this is an excellent interview. I am a gay man myself and I have taken an interest in LGBTQ+ rights and other political issues for many years. Caolan identifies something which I have seen which is the weaponisation of the progress we have made with LGBTQ+ rights into hatred against Muslims. The argument seems to go, look at how good it is for LGBTQ+ in the west and how terrible it is in the Middle East.
What is omitted is that actually things are terrible for LGBT+ people in Christian sub-saharan Africa, just as terrible as in many Islamic countries. We see monstrous homophobia all over the world in many different cultures.
LGBT+ rights groups have generally avoided partisanship and I think this is a very good thing. We must fight homophobia in all cultures be they Christian, Islamic,Hindu, atheist or whatever.
EXACTLY - a country like Uganda comes to mind!
Where American Evangelicals has been funding far-right policies - and it ended up with suggestions to implement The Death Penalty as punishment for being gay!
How f...ing crazy is that?
And not once have I heard any of the cretins like Dummy Robinson talk about that!
Homophobia is entirely due to the middle eastern cults derived from the old testament. Judaism, Christianity and Islam with all their offshoots are source of all this. Hindus and Buddhists have none of this. I have spent a great deal of time in South East Asia and even in remote and traditional villages I have seen people who are obviously lgbt completely free to live as they wish. It is remarkable to see how free people are to live without persecution for their sexual orientation. Don't get me wrong, I know quite a few gay men in Cambodia who still struggle with being gay, but this is only because they can't make their mothers happy in the way that they expect.
@@tonycook7679
I’m sorry, but this is simply not true.there’s homophobia within both Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as a range of other religions.
In some versions it is slightly less explicit.
As an example, the Dalai Lama once expressed that homosexuality in society in general isn’t a problem, but a Buddhist being homosexual was wrong!
So while it’s a less vile form of homophobia, it is still a form of it!
And there is branches within both Buddhism and Hinduism that is far less tolerant towards homosexuality.
Sure, there’s also branches that is far more tolerant, but such groups can be found within the Abrahamic Religions as well!
Well said 🧡
+brightondude incase you hadn't noticed, in every islammic country there's no gay rights. You just managed to find some christian countries with no gay rights!
It takes a lot of courage to admit you were radicalised. Well done for being honest using your experience for helping others who are going through this.
Respect to you for this sir.
A very necessary and deeply needed pursuit. All of it is heartbreaking. Thank you. Great interview
Fair play, like to add Caolan Robertson is a brave young man and we need to judge him on his actions now, he can't change what he's done but he can change how its seen and perceived, now and in the future, keep up the great work
Very eye opening and important conversation.
I remembered when the youtube algorithm recommended me sjw compilation videos. I think that's another way you can go into the alt right rabbit hole.
oh yes be really careful
That's how I first discovered it years ago
Same
Yes, that’s exactly where it all started for me..
Great video. What is more concerning however is the effects of these algorithms on even younger people such as teenagers (and even kids), who probably do not have the same means of introspection and self reflection like young adults. Essentially those who posses “feelings over facts” and maybe are disaffected one way or another in their general well being. You never know but even a young child watching Minecraft content is one click away from watching anything and becoming normalised to a certain style of content.
Young children should have parents keeping an eye on the media they consume....it doesn't always happen unfortunately. The algorithms push extreme content on all ages and some adults haven't developed critical thinking or self-reflection skills either.
Always interested to hear from people who’ve been de-radicalised.
😂😂😂
He’s always been so eloquent
It’s great to see him in a space where he can be utilised for good and growth
A Swedish research project documented how long it took from people who expressed some concerns in regards to refuge policies in Sweden entered closed far-right forums on Facebook, and similar Social Media platforms, til they had adopted extreme far-right rhetoric on the issues - as I recall it, the average was around six weeks!
Wow,thats scary.i like ur name.stay safe,God Bless
@@saoirsehaslonglegs2313
Oh, thank you... 😁
There’s a long story behind it, but yeah, I like it too... 😁
And yes, it is a scary thought - before it took a more social effort to get people radicalized.
People with such an intention had to seek out good prospects for such a process and weave them into a group with likeminded - now, thanks to the internet, people can get heavily radicalized, without ever leaving the comfort of their own homes!
And groups utilizing several variations of measures to get young minds radicalized can in three to four months impact a shy young man so much that he replaces his football, and hanging around playing soccer with friends in the local parks in a Scandinavian country, with an AK47, and joining ISIL, just to end his life driving a Suicide Bomb Truck towards a group of Soldiers....
(RIP Victor Kristensen - you got lost kid, may we all learn from your mistakes)
@@gorillaguerillaDK 👍
Caolan gives a top perspective on how people are being sucked in far right rhetoric... Top interview!!!
I've met a few people who've escaped right-wing radicalisation (not difficult as I live in East Germany) so I know it's incredibly difficult to reintegrate and often involves moving to a new place and starting over, keeping a very low profile. I also understand that getting into a radicalised cult is easier than most people think, and most people don't fully realise they're in one until it's too late. Caolan manages to own his mistake without a trace of self-pity, and doesn't promise to make good on his mistake but actually does it. Respect!
He was radicalised by TH-cam. The algorithm. is abhorrent. It doesn't push content that I subscribe to. If I leave my bubble and look at something else youtube pushes that stuff at me for weeks after even though I dislike it
Hah, don't leave your bubble mate!
@@0w784g If we could rid ourselves of lies and disinformation there would be no bubbles just truth and love.
@@richardswaby6339 OK, so I'm trying my best to imagine a world with no lies. I'm guessing this world is devoid of sapiens, 'cos I can't see a world extant with them.
I've never been suggested anything extreme....just a lot of junk. But I do not follow the algorithm or suggestions. I watch what I've subscribed to and deliberately searched for only.
Muslim speaking here, I completely understand what Caolan went through, I admire his integrity and completely understand how he got into the movement, fear is a dangerous weapon to groups like the far right or terrorists. it's sad that they used the Orlando massacre to feign sympathy for the lgbtq, good old divide and conquer
@y2k704:
Excellent point. Divide and conquer. Should be a huge red flag.
Wasn’t that the guy who took part in making some of Lauren Southern's videos?
(Oh, it was)...
I’m so glad to see he was able to get de-radicalized!
Huge applause to him!
It really takes a lot of courage not only walking away, but also being public about it!
And for a moment it looked like Lauren Southern was getting a consciousness as well - but sadly the money and fame is more interesting to her, so she’s back grifting....
I'm as far left as you get, and even I was effected by these channels he's exactly right, once you click on one video your TH-cam is flooded with right-wing conspiracy videos. I remember watching a video that genuinely frightened me where someone secretly recorded a group of women discussing converting people and killing non believers and I was really frightened. These people take vulnerable people who want to help and feed them lies. I am so ashamed that I fell for any of this and even thought I only ever really thought about these things in private and worried over them I still felt so deeply saddened that I for one minute looked at others as evil or frightening. I pulled myself out of it when I found their further right videos, but believe me I had no idea what their agenda was.
It’s the same way a wide range of conspiracy assumptions grow!
Just look at Qanon and how it moved from 8kun and in to mainstream Social Media....
If you're 'as far left as you can get', that's not a good place to be, friend.
@@0w784g
Luckily there is several ways one can be far-left in.
And if it's far-left authoritarian social conservative it surely isn't.
So was the video about killing non-believers real or fake? If it was real then you should be genuinely frightened. And there is no doubt that in Islam the penalty for apostasy is death.
@@TonyLoco23 Who said Islam permits the killing of civilian non-believers? And yes apostasy law does exist under a shariah state. However, this has nothing to do with non-muslim lands. If Muslims apostate in countries that are not ruling by shari'ah law, the apostasy law does not apply. In fact, Muslims living in the west are obligated to follow the law of the land.
Great video, I wish caolan a healthy and successful life
Kudos to Caolan for owning his part of this. We need Google to do the same. Several times I have searched out a particular video as I want to understand other people's views only to be recommended increasingly radical videos for weeks after. Very easy to see how people can get sucked into this.
Very timely, well done. I believe him, he knows better, clearly a super smart fella who got pulled down the rabbit hole.
The algorithm is biased towards the right, I live in Mexico and last year was intrigued by Brexit so I watched some videos online about it, but after that constantly I would get bombarded with alt right videos. I would even get videos with that robotic voice but with like 2k views, like how is the algorithm giving me those videos? Yet I would never get recommended from channels like this, it has gotten better giving better recommendations since I started ignoring those videos, but jeez I understand how he went to the right.
Trump used bots aswell mate.
Thanks for your efforts to right some of the turmoil that exists because of the people you worked for and with. Good interview on Reliable Sources today.
I honestly find you inspiration
Compassion for the conned.
I'd always struggled to understand how LGBT people could themselves be a member of a marginalised group and unable to see the pain of hatred and oppression of people that is espoused by the far right. I feel like I understand more now the path he went down. Much respect for him fully owning his responsibility. Let us all be motivated by love, not fear.
Caolan was working with Tommy Robinson, who was speaking up to defend marginalized groups and how they are treated in Islam.
🤠💜
Has the overton window shifted so far that JP is now considered far right?
Good on you, it takes extraordinary courage to leave a cult.
Brilliantly honest video.
He is like a real life version of ste from hollyoaks.
god he is so pretty
Brilliantly articulated
Wish these topics/interviews would make it to mainstream media, like Brexit, people are slowly waking up to the lies and the manipulation of politicians, but not to social medias role, they still believe they weren't/aren't influenced by it.....even though there are now ppl called "influencer's" who are paid to promote to their followers!
Yes,brilliant comment.😁
This dudes channel the culture report was very far right. The alt right is actually what made me get out of the right wing rabbit hole.
Good interview.
I think Caolan makes a very good point about not trying to push those leaving the far right, to become progressives. To me, it’s not ‘right wing’ that’s the problem, but extremism. I also think that we on the progressive / centre-left side oftentimes cast the entire right wing as ‘evil’ and this is counter productive.
I would rather see a discussion about pragmatism versus ideology than left versus right. Pragmatism and the political centre ground are the only places we can move forward without the necessity of violence.
I lived in Orlando during the Pulse massacre. At the time, I thought our community in general supported the LGBTQ community during the mourning of 49 lives. Just last year I learned that the annual memorial vigils attract protesters. IME, the real threat to white men is white men turning to hate. I even told my racist grandma that her irrational hatred of Muslims makes sympathize with them more, because I can see how they are dehumanized by people who themselves are religious zealots.
Interviewee and other replies have a very important point though, we need to respect those who can acknowledge they were wrong and willing to help us understand.
Very few can take such a bold step from such a hateful stuff
Fuckin respect brother.
Interesting interview
Cant help thinking of Christian Picciolini and his organization - I hope this guy can end up playing just as significant a role as Picciolini do today in the US!
We have to accept people like him back.
So a person he was following who changed him name went to prison and tax fraud and stealing donations is a liar?
I would have never guessed
He's got drip can't lie. Love ya videos byline but it would be nice if not every single one of your reporters sound straight out of boarding school but good news finally
Definition of a grifter
If you know what you are doing the TH-cam algorithm can be weaponised. The issue will not get any better without examining that and legislation.
It takes an intense amount of strength and bravery to go left from the right wing gold mine.
Only a real man/woman would admit it when they were wrong. ( sidenote: women are never wrong. play along and have easier life :)
I’ve lost track of the amount of times the algorithm shows me TalkRadio polls that are racist and/or divisive. Stuff that does not appeal to me at all.
The algorithm is broken when it comes to community posts. As reported by other youtubers.
I’m glad he got out of it. And thanks for giving him the space to bravely speak about it.
"Save the world to protect gay people". What a mission 🤔
Are you going to do a video on people leaving the far left and walking away from extremism?
asking sincerely, are you referring to Antifa?
@@y2k704 Most definitely, among other things.
@BarterTom:
Leaving any type of extremism is an important topic. If you feel passionate about this, you could always make a video yourself, rather than asking others to do it for you.
@@patchso But I’ve never been on the far left.
@@BarterTom: Never said you were. I presume you can make a video though, rather than asking someone else to do it for you?
You're still working with ex-BBC (fired) John Sweeney... How credible do you expect us to believe you are?
🤔🤔
☹️
What a coward