Save the Children? A Sound of Freedom, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), and the White Savior Complex
Sex trafficking is an incredibly serious issue within the larger context of human trafficking, that transcends international borders and involves perpetrators across “racial, ethnic, and gender demographics”. Of all human trafficking victims worldwide, some 27% are children and are used for forced or sexual labor. Child sex trafficking is a serious human rights issue and combatting it should be (and already is in many cases) a priority for all international organizations and nation-state governments. There is also no denying that this issue is often not placed at the forefront of mainstream Hollywood films. If they are, such as in “Taken” (2008), they are quite problematic. The recent release of Sound of Freedom has changed that.
Destroying the Foundation of Democracy under the Mantle of Free Speech
For long enough, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so many other social media platforms have allowed the creation of echo chambers promoting wild conspiracy theories and false news. If not all the incidents before, at least what happened at the US Capitol should show us that violence, incited through various online disinformation campaigns, has moved from the online to the offline world already a long time ago.
The Rise of QAnon – How Conspiracy Theories Became Mainstream
All tough Conspiracy theories are not new, as they exist since as early as the Middle Ages, there is something special about the QAnon movement. It is a global phenomenon, attracting large numbers across the globe and there are many different factors contributing to its success. How can a far-right conspiracy theory about a global child sex-trafficking ring, run by a cabal of paedophiles who are worshipping Satan become that successful?
