It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
'Psychological projection': MAGA’s 'very weird about sex' — and it’s hurting them
The community of “involuntary celibate" men that trend toward President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have had a difficult year.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump walks by Elon Musk during the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 14, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The community of “involuntary celibate" men that trend toward President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have had a difficult year.
Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte noted Wednesday that the biggest loser of 2025 appears to be the incel movement, which seems to have reached its peak.
Marcotte began with popular MAGA influencer Sólionath, who "[defended] white supremacist murderers, [tried] to get people fired for not mourning Charlie Kirk ... and [concocted] lies about the [Jeffrey] Epstein files."
Sólionath ended his year by bashing the 99 percent of the world that has had sex at some point in their life, claiming that few people have actually ever done it.
Mocking "Nazi apologist" Nick Fuentes, Marcotte recalled the Piers Morgan interview asking if he's ever had sex.
“No, absolutely not,” Fuentes said. He then admitted he finds it "very difficult to be around” women. Any man who does manage to score will end up “henpecked.”
"You think you’re an expert on women, given you never got laid?" Morgan asked.
After a year in office, Trump's MAGA movement is faltering, young white men are bailing in droves and the "incel" world has stumbled into a marketing problem, Marcotte wrote.
“Trumpist leaders love pointing the finger at LGBTQ+ people and liberals, calling them ‘groomers’ and suggesting they’re violent perverts," she continued. "But in 2025, the nation really saw how much that behavior is old-fashioned psychological projection.”
The best example of that comes from the investigation files around sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to Marcotte. Trump has spent the past six months frantically trying to stop the release of the "the 5.2 million pages of documents" the government has on the federal investigation into Epstein
"The nation got a glimpse of the sexual world the president apparently inhabited, or at least stood in close proximity to, one which wasn’t glamorous but simply gross," said Marcotte.
“In 2025, ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ entered the lexicon, a term used to describe the combination of plastered-on makeup and aggressive plastic surgery that makes women look like inflatable sex dolls, as Trump’s apparent sexual tastes have morphed MAGA aesthetics into something inhuman," Marcotte continued.
Allthewhile, the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and self-appointed "First Buddy," was exposed for having "a fetish for impregnating women."
"It may not initially seem obvious why Mar-a-Lago face, incels, Elon's pregnancy fetish or the Epstein files are linked," wrote Salon's Amanda Marcotte. "But this is a year in which MAGA showed they are very weird about sex. And it's hurting them."
Ultimately, the right wing populates the internet with "sexually dysfunctional straight men who argue that their romantic woes aren’t due to their own failures, but because feminism has ‘ruined’ women," Marcotte closed. “Either way, there’s one thing I can predict with confidence: We’ll get another round of articles handwringing about why it’s so hard for Republicans to find a date, which will show no understanding that the answer was always obvious.”
Apr 7, 2020 ... The murder of Christ : the emotional plague of mankind. by: Wilhelm Reich. Publication date: 1953; Usage: Public Domain Mark 1.0 Creative ...
Fifth Estate #383. plain PDF A4 imposed PDF Letter imposed PDF EPUB (for ... Reich obscures his own radical insight into the nature of the emotional plague.
Video game developers like Angel Villaverde, 19, say the more realistically gruesome a game is, the more popular - Copyright AFP Julio César Aguilar Arturo ILIZALITURRI
In violence-riddled Mexico, children as young as 13 are hooked on bloody video games that vividly recreate the horrors of the country’s narco war.
Some experts say it’s a way of coping. Critics, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, see it as monetized glorification of a genre known as “narco culture.”
With thousands of daily users, the games allow players to choose whether they want to be a cartel hitman, a police officer or a soldier.
There are wild chases and brutal shootouts, gold-plated pistols, personalized bulletproof helmets, and souped-up cars.
“It really draws me in, seeing things I’d like to have in real life — for example, who wouldn’t want to have a Lamborghini, or a big truck, a big house?” gaming fanatic Alan Crespo, a 24-year-old farmer from San Blas on Mexico’s Pacific coast, told AFP.
Crespo is on the older side of the player age spectrum, with most between 13 and 18 and hailing primarily from northern Mexican states like Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Baja California — synonymous with cartel violence.
This age group was born amid the wave of violence unleashed in 2006, when the Mexican government militarized the fight against drug trafficking — a strategy that has claimed nearly half a million lives.
– Hell’s Troop –
Dozens of war-like games can be found on online platform Roblox, which allows programming enthusiasts to design their own video games for others to play.
The most popular ones attract up to 1,000 users a day. The games are free, though players can purchase better weapons or uniforms with real money.
The more realistic and gruesome a game is, the more popular, developers say.
“Players aren’t interested in seeing made-up names of criminal groups,” said Angel Villaverde, a 19-year-old who designs games on his computer in Monterrey in Mexico’s northeast.
Users of the game “Tamaulipas Belico,” for example, can choose to play as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) or of the Northeast Cartel (CDN).
Both have been designated “foreign terrorist organizations” by US President Donald Trump and are responsible for innumerable deaths, including of civilians.
Matches entail killing off one’s enemies to take control of buildings, usually gas stations or shops.
Opponents patrol in camouflaged army pickups or in vehicles decorated with a demon drawing and the number 666 — the insignia of the CDN’s Tropa del Infierno (Hell’s Troop) armed wing, known for its extreme brutality.
– ‘Apology for violence’ –
Mexico’s so-called “narco-culture” can also be found in music, films and fashion items glorifying the criminal life.
Sheinbaum rejects what she considers an “apology for violence” and has launched a campaign against the sub-culture, including an eight-percent tax on video games with violent content.
Behavioral scientists say that through gaming, young people may feel they have a sense of control over a violent reality that makes them anxious.
Student Alejandro Solorzano, 18, a game developer from Tijuana, notes that players are “fascinated by going around doing criminal activities.”
“It’s something warlike, it’s something grotesque, but it’s fictional at the same time” he told AFP.
Ainhoa Vasquez of Chile’s Federico Santa Maria Technical University, says gaming may also be a way of “making sense” of a violent society, of “transferring real anguish” to a fictional realm.
These experiences can be “a catharsis,” said Vasquez, who studies cultural representations of the drug trade.
The platform Roblox, which reported some 112 million daily users worldwide in the second quarter of this year, recently tightened its controls to protect minors.
Among other measures, it implemented a system to verify users’ ages to prevent harassment by adults on the platform.
In 2018, 25-year-old Canadian Alex Minassian carried outa deadly rampagethat left 10 people dead and injured 16 others. Shortly before carrying out the attack, he posted a message on social media that drew widespread attention: “The Incel rebellion has begun.”
To fully understand the term incel—short for involuntarily celibate—it is necessary to go back to the 1990s, when a movement emerged to create a stigma-free environment where people struggling with maintaining sexual relationships could share their feelings. The community avoided violent rhetoric and sought to eliminate taboos, including those surrounding virginity. However, what originally began three decades ago as a harmless initiative has since evolved into a misogynistic subculture that is drawing increasing attention from both the scientific community and the media.
The Conflict and Human Security research group at the University of Córdoba has recently published one of the most comprehensive reviews to date on this phenomenon. The study, published in Aggression and Violent Behavior, synthesizes the recent scientific literature on the topic and offers an empirical analysis aimed at deepening our understanding of the movement’s causes, consequences, and social dynamics.
Although the incel phenomenon is somewhat more heterogeneous than it might initially appear, its members—mainly young heterosexual men—share several core beliefs. They view sex as a fundamental right that is denied to them as a result of female empowerment and blame women for their inability to have relationships. They also argue that only men who conform to heteronormative standards of masculinity are considered attractive and regard sex as a transactional act devoid of emotional ties. This combination of beliefs fosters a toxic environment in which incels’ frustration is transformed into a misogynistic worldview that casts women as objects of hatred.
A language of their own that dehumanizes
As the study shows, language plays a fundamental role in constructing this ideological framework, with incels relying on a distinct lexicon that dehumanizes others and reinforces their narratives. “This terminology serves as a pretext for attacking others without guilt—for provoking a moral and emotional disconnection that justifies hate speech,” explains Reyes Rodríguez, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Córdoba.
Within this linguistic framework, women are labeled as femoids (female humanoids), Stacys are women perceived as sexually successful, and Chads are physically attractive men at the top of the male hierarchy; an alpha male figure incels resent and see as part of the problem.
The study examines several derogatory terms used to refer to women, including cattle, viper, roast beef, and sperm containers. These expressions are widely used on social media and online forums, which are central to understanding this phenomenon. According to the systematic review, such forums function as echo chambers: virtual spaces that validate and reinforce incels’ collective identity. In these environments, algorithms do not mitigate the issue; rather, they amplify incels’ beliefs, mirror their worldview, and promote content that deepens their perceptions and furthers their radicalization.
A mental health problem?
The study, which reviews more than 80 scientific articles published since 2017, offers several important conclusions: beyond examining these social dynamics, it is essential to address the mental health issues that may be driving the phenomenon. Indeed, the study presents striking findings: incelsreport feelings of loneliness and rejection, low self-esteem, limited social support, and higher rates of psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Notably, only 15% say they feel better after undergoing therapy.
There are several possible reasons why psychological interventions often fail with this group, notes Miguel Ángel Maldonado, co-director of the research. “When someone with such a deeply rooted ideology goes to therapy, they expect their beliefs to be validated, which doesn’t happen. Moreover, many of these individuals see the problem as residing in society rather than within themselves,” the researcher explains.
In addition to reviewing the existing research on this topic, the study seeks to identify knowledge gaps—areas requiring further investigation to advance our understanding of the phenomenon. According to the research team, several key issues require attention. Among the most pressing are the development of new approaches to psychosocial intervention, the creation of reliable methods for directly assessing incels, and the design of strategies to curb their influence in cyberspace. Although these avenues are yet to be fully explored, they all converge on a central question: How can we dismantle hatred?
A study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge provides a window into canine emotions, revealing why some golden retrievers are more fearful, energetic or aggressive than others.
The research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to show that specific genes linked to canine behaviour are also associated with traits like anxiety, depression, and intelligence in people.
The team analysed the genetic code of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog’s behavioural traits – assessed through a detailed owner questionnaire. This revealed genes underlying traits including trainability, energy levels, fear of strangers, and aggression towards other dogs.
By comparing their findings with a similar analysis in humans, the team discovered that twelve of the golden retriever genes they identified also underlie human behavioural traits and emotions.
“The findings are really striking – they provide strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers have shared genetic roots for their behaviour. The genes we identified frequently influence emotional states and behaviour in both species,” said Dr Eleanor Raffan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience who led the study.
One gene, PTPN1, was linked to aggression towards other dogs in golden retrievers - and is also associated with intelligence and depression in humans.
Another gene variation, flagged up in golden retrievers that are fearful of other dogs, also influences whether humans tend to worry too long after embarrassment or are high educational achievers.
The team says the findings could help owners understand their pets’ emotional worlds, and tailor training or care to suit their needs.
“These results show that genetics govern behaviour, making some dogs predisposed to finding the world stressful. If their life experiences compound this they might act in ways we interpret as bad behaviour, when really they’re distressed,” said Enoch Alex, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and first author of the report.
Insights for better training and care
The study showed that ‘trainability’ in golden retrievers is associated with a gene, ROMO1, that in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity. This means owners should appreciate that there’s an emotional component to training their dogs, say the researchers, in addition to rewarding desired behaviours.
The insights could also have implications for veterinary care: understanding that behaviour like fearfulness in a golden retriever, for example, is driven by a gene linked with human anxiety means that a medicine to reduce anxiety could help.
How genes drive behaviour and emotion
The dog genes identified by the team do not lead directly to any specific behaviour or emotion – rather, they influence behavioural regulation or broader emotional states. For example, dogs showing ‘non-social fear’ - that is, being scared of things like buses and hoovers - have a gene that in humans drives irritability, sensitivity, and ‘seeing the doctor for nerves or anxiety.’
“If your golden retriever cowers behind the sofa every time the doorbell rings, perhaps you might have a bit more empathy if you know they’re genetically driven to feel sensitive and anxious,” said Dr Anna Morros-Nuevo, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience who was also involved in the study.
“Dogs in our home share not only our physical environment, but may also share some of the psychological challenges associated with modern living. Our pets may be excellent models of some human psychiatric conditions associated with emotional disturbance," said Professor Daniel Mills, a specialist in problem animal behaviour at the University of Lincoln, who was also involved in the study.
Linking behaviour to underlying genes
The team used data on the behaviour of 1,300 dogs - aged between three and seven - involved in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which has been run by the Morris Animal Foundation since 2012. Enrolled dog owners answer questionnaires about 73 different behaviours of their pet, which are then grouped to give scores in 14 categories that reliably predict various behavioural traits.
Using blood samples, the team searched the entire genome of each golden retriever for genetic markers that were more frequent in dogs with each of these 14 behavioural traits, compared to those without it. This allowed them to link specific regions of the genome with specific behavioural traits.
GWAS for behavioral traits in Golden Retrievers identifies genes implicated in human temperament, mental health, and cognition.
Article Publication Date
24-Nov-2025
The study showed that ‘trainability’ in golden retrievers is associated with a gene, ROMO1, that in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity.
This means owners should appreciate that there’s an emotional component to training their dogs, in addition to rewarding desired behaviours.
The study provides strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers have shared genetic roots for their behaviour.
A gene found in golden retrievers that are fearful of other dogs also influences whether humans tend to worry too long after embarrassment.
The study showed that ‘trainability’ in golden retrievers is associated with a gene that in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity.
Credit
Morris Animal Foundation.
Emerging human and canine leptospirosis in New South Wales: insights from a One Health geospatial study
Map of New South Wales showing clustering of canine cases of leptospirosis in Greater Sydney and the South Coast (A), whereas human leptospirosis cases were mainly centered around the North Coast with no significant clustering (B).
Credit: Christine Griebsch, Jacqueline Norris, Michael P. Ward.
As cases of leptospirosis continue to rise in both humans and dogs in New South Wales, a critical question has emerged: are our pets transmitting this dangerous bacterial disease to us? A geospatial study recently published in Science in One Health suggests that there is limited evidence of dog-to-human transmission, human-to-dog transmission, or shared sources of infection at the spatial level examined (SA3). Instead, the findings indicate that humans and dogs may have largely independent transmission pathways. Researchers from the University of Sydney, who analyzed nearly 300 human cases and 79 canine cases, found that infections in the two species occurred in different hotspots and were driven by different bacterial strains. This discovery shifts the focus from pet contact to broader environmental sources—such as rodents and climate factors—and calls for a refined One Health strategy that addresses the distinct pathways of infection for each species.
Why this spatial distinction matters
This study challenges the conventional perception that simultaneously rising outbreaks may be interconnected. Canine cases were predominantly clustered in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area and the South Coast, while human cases were concentrated on the North Coast, with no statistical correlation between their geographical distributions. This clear spatial separation serves as a crucial clue, indicating that human and canine infections likely originate from distinct sources.
Inside the serovar mismatch: a tale of two epidemics
Dogs: rodent-contaminated urban environments
Dominant serovars: In dogs, serovar Australis (29%) has recently overtaken Copenhageni (18%) as the most common cause of disease, representing a significant shift in the local leptospirosis landscape.
Reservoir Hosts: Both serovars are primarily associated with rats (Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) as reservoir hosts. Serovar Australis may also be maintained by native animals, including small marsupials such as bandicoots, as well as native and introduced rodents.
Urban hotspots: The clustering in Sydney aligns with known rat populations. Construction activities and the presence of recreational parks are hypothesized to facilitate contact between dogs and environments contaminated with rat urine, the primary source of these serovars.
Humans:mouse-plague-driven transmission
Dominant serovar: In stark contrast, 58% of human cases were caused by a single serovar, Arborea. While both mice and rats can serve as reservoir hosts for Arborea, mice appear to be the primary driver in the Australian context.
Outbreak drivers: Major human outbreaks, including one among raspberry farm workers in 2018 and another linked to a widespread mouse plague in 2021, were overwhelmingly caused by serovar Arborea. Transmission is thought to occur through wounds or mucous membranes exposed to environments contaminated with infected rodent urine, or through direct contact in agricultural settings.
Distinct transmission pathways: limited evidence of cross-species transmission or shared sources
The findings suggest limited evidence to support dog-to-human transmission or shared infection sources at the spatial scale examined in this study. At the SA3 level, no correlation was found between the number of human and canine cases (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient r = −0.053, P = 0.641). In the nine geographical regions where both canine (n = 38) and human (n = 51) cases were reported, there was no overlap between specific serovars at the spatial level.
While five serovars (Australis, Copenhageni, Hardjo, Pomona, and Robinsoni) were detected in both species across NSW, the serovar mismatch at the spatial level, combined with distinct geographic clustering patterns, indicates that humans and dogs may have largely independent transmission pathways requiring separate intervention or prevention measures.
A One Health path forward: separate threats, coordinated solutions
The study reveals a disparity in leptospirosis cases patterns between NSW and other developed regions: human cases significantly outnumber canine cases in NSW, while the reverse is observed in places like the United States and Europe. This contrast may be influenced by factors such as climate, occupational and recreational exposure risks, hygiene, public awareness, and disease surveillance practices. Therefore, control strategies should be tailored to address these species-specific transmission patterns.
For canine health: Stringent rodent pest control in urban areas and vaccination of dogs in endemic regions remain critical control measures.
For public health: Protecting outdoor and agricultural workers with personal protective equipment and targeted public health messaging about risks associated with exposure to rodent-contaminated environments, particularly during mouse plagues and after extreme weather events.
The value of geospatial analysis: This study demonstrates that geospatial analysis, combined with serovar identification, is an important tool for deciphering distinct transmission pathways in a One Health context. Such information is essential for developing species-specific risk mitigation strategies and surveillance systems for both dogs and humans within a One Health framework.
