US Hate Groups, Pakistan’s Proxies, Film Tariffs, and More
The latest at Inkstick Media.
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The Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based watchdog, has released its annual rundown of hate groups and extremist outfits in the United States. As this week’s Deep Dive column points out, the tally dropped by 5%, but the watchdog warns that hate groups have the ear of the White House.
Meanwhile, that news comes as the Trump administration continues to hack away at diplomacy, foreign aid, and global health services. As Mike Merryman-Lotze and Bashir Elhassan argue, the hawks in Washington are agitating for military confrontation, but the Trump administration has decimated the country’s capacity to prevent conflict and to respond diplomatically.
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“Pakistan’s Armed Proxy Web Runs Much Deeper than Just Kashmir” by Marcus Andreopoulos (May 27)
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan dominated international attention throughout the start of May. Islamabad insists it doesn't provide armed support to groups in Indian-administered Kashmir. What does the record say?
“Hollywood vs. Tariffs: How Trump’s Foreign Film Ban Could Backfire” by Mariel Ferragamo (May 28)
Trump wants to put harsh tariffs on foreign-made films. Yet, “Made in the USA” is not a cut-and-dry concept when it comes to moviemaking. In reality, filmmaking has become one of the most collaborative and globalized industries we have today.
“Washington’s $1 Trillion War Budget Leaves No Room for Peace” by Bashar Elhassan & Mike Merryman-Lotze (May 29)
The belief that the US needs to be prepared to go to war with Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran is used to justify record levels of investment in upgrading the US Nuclear weapons arsenal. The US just spent more than $110 billion on nuclear weapons. That sum will only go up over the next decade.
“Deep Dive: Times Change, Hate Groups Remain" by Inkstick (May 30)
The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released its 2024 Year in Hate & Extremism report, documenting 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the US. That’s a slight decrease from 2023, but the watchdog warns that extremism is becoming mainstream.