Aurélien Mondon | Lightnews

Aurelien Mondon

@aurelmondon.bsky.social

13K followers 650 following 3.3K posts

Researching the mainstreaming of reactionary/far-right politics

Co-convenor of @reacpolrn.bsky.social

Reactionary Democracy w. @aaronwinter.bsky.social and co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right

Full profile:

https://shorturl.at/CiYKm .. more

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Political science 65%

Sociology 14%

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Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · Sep 24

Core to reactionary politics is a cowardly project that aims to protect and restore privilege and hierarchies of oppression

Some thoughts on terminology and the term reactionary @reacpolrn.bsky.social

reacpol.net/on-reactiona...

Article: On reactionary politics (Aurelien Mondon) - Reactionary Politics Research Network

This article by Aurelien Mondon explores the meaning of reactionary politics and its use in our current context

reacpol.net

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

Ruth Pearce @notrightruth.bsky.social · 3h

👀

In her ruling, Judge Michelle Sutherland said the toilet policy was a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim" to create an inclusive workplace environment for trans staff.

She dismissed Ms Kelly's argument that it was unfair to sacrifice the privacy of women, 20% of the workforce, for the interests of five transgender staff members, 0.5 % of the workforce.

Judge Sutherland pointed out that only a single person, Ms Kelly, had raised a complaint - which amounted to 0.05% of the female workforce.

Reposted by Mary Corcoran, Mark Priestley, Aurélien Mondon

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 4h

A Thailand-based crypto investor has handed a record-breaking £9 million to Reform UK, shortly before Nigel Farage used media interviews to plug his crypto firm and promise lower taxes and deregulation on the industry
bylinetimes.com/2025/12/04/c...

Crypto Investor Donates £9 Million to Reform UK After Nigel Farage Plugs His Company and Tells Industry 'I Am Your Champion'

The Reform leader recently used media interviews to back Christopher Harborne's company while promising to cut taxes and regulations on crypto firms

bylinetimes.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 4h

I've just started @angiebeeman.bsky.social's Liberal White Supremacy: How Progressives Silence Racial and Class Oppression and I've underlined pretty much every single word so far 🔥🔥🔥

More info here

www.ugapress.org/978082036228...

Liberal White Supremacy

In Liberal White Supremacy, Angie Beeman argues that white supremacy is maintained not only by right-wing conservatives or stereotypically uneducated working...

www.ugapress.org

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 5h

Annoying!

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 5h

I will be presenting new research on 'hegemonic defeatism' soon as part of the DemLab seminar series

📄Title: Hegemonic defeatism: How the liberal elite paved the way for the reactionary resurgence
🕛When: 18/12/2025
💻Where: Zoom

More info and registration:

www.polsci.auth.gr/en/polsci_ne...

Abstract for the talk also available via the link

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 7h

What is striking, as we are moving at pace towards fascism, is that there is no appetite from the mainstream elite who pretended to be a bulwark against the far right to even contemplate that their strategy, which has failed for decades and led us where we are, might be the issue

a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape

ALT: a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape

media.tenor.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 7h

This is something we're seeing happening very clearly in the UK at the moment, but it's been everywhere really and core to the mainstreaming process

theconversation.com/nigel-farage...

Nigel Farage’s alleged teenage comments are a distraction from the damage of his politics

Reports of such appalling behaviour – and Farage’s reaction – give us an insight into the leader of the UK’s rising far-right party.

theconversation.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 7h

My bad, my post wasn't clear enough. What I was referring to was the way the far right has been allowed to claim "non-racism" by avoiding its crudest forms

I agree with you though that requires a suspension of disbelief to take them at their word but that's where we are...

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 8h

I see what you mean but I'm not sure it works with the far right. Their racism remains pretty obvious for anyone who wants to look. It's just convenient somehow not to name it for what it is because racism can only be "extreme"

This is where mainstreaming takes place IMO

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Aaron Stewart-Ahn @badideas.bsky.social · 10h

Are we in a game of chicken to see how far a handful of freaks can push things until we bring back consequences and / or guillotines? How have we hyper-normalized them saying this shit out loud in public?

Gizmodo @gizmodo.com · 15h

Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business

Alex Karp vows to use his "whole influence" on immigration and defense policy.

gizmodo.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 16h

Instead of a real reflection, what we got was a quick move away from the little progress made towards reactionary panics about identity politics, reverse racism and free speech

This is why "extreme" racism is acceptable today

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 16h

Obviously, this is not about diminishing the impact of emboldened racism, whether in the US, UK or elsewhere. This is all truly frightening

However, many people who have been at the sharp end of ongoing racism have been pointing out for a long time that this is coming and that more needs to be done

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 16h

Interesting to see some people get really upset about what they term as "extreme" forms of racism as if it's ok when racism is more subtle, polite and systemic...

It's really saying the quiet part out loud

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 20h

Thank you, that looks great!

Reposted by Catherine Baker, Aurélien Mondon

Robin Moira White @robinmoirawhite.bsky.social · 20h

Good news for trans workers

After the Girl guiding and WI announcements, some comfort for trans workers.

A Scottish tribunal has ruled that a trans-inclusive workplace policy is NOT discriminatory against a woman with gender critical views in the workplace.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Woman loses sex discrimination case after toilet complaint - BBC News

Maria Kelly took legal action against Leonardo UK alleging harassment and discrimination after seeing a trans colleague in female toilets.

www.bbc.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 21h

😫😫😫

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 21h

🔥How Epstein Infiltrated the Silicon Valley Network Behind Trump’s New Tech Order

Epstein was not cast out after his child sex-crime conviction but remained embedded in a confidential inner circle of broligarchs, including Musk, Bezos, Brin, Page, Gates & Zuckerberg
bylinetimes.com/2025/12/03/h...

How Epstein Infiltrated the Silicon Valley Network Behind Trump’s New Tech Order

Documents show Jeffrey Epstein was not cast out after his child sex-crime conviction but remained embedded in a confidential inner circle of Silicon Valley founders with strategic influence on the mod...

bylinetimes.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

100%!

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

It really feels like groundhog day, doesn't it?

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

Looks great, looking forward to reading it! And absolutely, so important to push back although I doubt it will reach those who are making a career misusing the term...

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

Really glad to hear you found it interesting!

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

Seriously though, this article shows how comfortable the mainstream elite (including the Guardian) are with the far right as long as it doesn't cross the line into the crudest form of racism

No mention or link made to the allegations here

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Farage tells donors he expects Reform to do election deal with Tories – report

One donor tells FT that Reform leader described an agreement as ‘inevitable’, despite denials from both sides

www.theguardian.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

I'm so glad that the sole focus on allegations of past racism at the expense of linking them to the wider threat posed by the far right and its mainstreaming has not only led to a clear contrition from Farage but removed his ability to set the agenda

Phew!

(Yes, this is a sarcastic take)

Headline

Starmer faces Badenoch at PMQs as Farage denies election pact with Tories – UK politics live

Reform UK leader says report of an election deal with Conservatives is ‘false’, but suggests only under their current leadership

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

Le lien est dans le skeet :)

Et ici également:

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A critique of the polarisation narrative: expanding the limits of democracy, parties and political participation - Contemporary Political Theory

Contemporary Political Theory - Public discourse about polarisation has become one of the latest hypes in politics, whether it is in the political sphere proper, the media, or academia. Much like...

link.springer.com

Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.bsky.social · 1d

Glad you found the article interesting!

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon

Nicolas Brisset @nbrisset.bsky.social · 1d

The rhetoric of polarization has always bothered me. This article by Roch, Balinhas, and @aurelmondon.bsky.social shows how the concept functions as an ideological dispositive, and suggests how it could gain real analytical value if we properly redefine its contours
link.springer.com/article/10.1...