The End Justifies the "Nothing": Nihilism in StormFront.org vs Incels.is - CANCELLED

• In Event: Analyzing Extremist Communications and Narratives

Abstract

Radicalization is traditionally understood as growing hostility toward outgroups. However, a growing concern in violent extremism is radicalized nihilism, where violence is framed through apocalyptic despair and self-destruction in response to a reality seen as irreversibly doomed. Little is known about how nihilism manifests within different extremist communities and ideological frameworks. This study conducts a thematic content analysis of two of the most engaged discussion threads from Incels.is and Stormfront.org between January 2024 and January 2025. The StormFront.org thread was a response to a post about the recent BRICS Summit talk on a new currency, while the Incels.is thread responded to a post on the impossibility of a “white revolution.” Findings suggest that while both communities exhibit a shared sense of moral detachment from society, they frame nihilism differently. StormFront.org users largely justify accelerationism through nihilism to achieve redemption, while Incels.is users largely embrace nihilism with pride, viewing themselves as the enlightened ones reclaiming righteousness in a world they see as unchangeable. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings will also be discussed.

Author

• Bomin Keum, Simon Fraser University