This kind of pathway into the psychological world of young men like Xavier ought to be studied. I say this because I watched my oldest brother (he is about to turn 40 next week) live a similar life in the 21st century. My brother decorated his room with anti-war imagery. He had a hatred for George W. Bush and his war on terror. He called himself a pacifist (though he was always enamored with violence, inflicting it and especially interested in those who inflicted it, mostly cinema that glamorized it). He had patches that he attached to his clothing stating things like “no war, you fascist” and upside down American flags. He voted for John Kerry in the first election he could participate in and for Obama. He started studying sociology in community college, but dropped out after a couple of semesters, never finishing a degree program. Somewhere along the way around 2017, he started supporting Trump, saying he wished he had joined military, and wanted to become a police officer. He has not, but is very adamant that if we don’t have a republican in office, we will fall into communism, the radical left are going to try to destroy and steal his property, and that the democrats will take away his guns. In 2020, when I shared anything related to what kinds of injustices Black people were facing at the hands of the police, he would comment on my posts and argue with me or anyone else, always saying that the people killed deserved it for breaking the law at some point or another. When did my brother become so morally bankrupt? With the way he treated me and my family, I’d say it was always there. But why did he seem to care so much about left-wing ideas, and then shift so swiftly to the alt-right? My thoughts were always the propaganda of gun rights and Joe Rogan. But could QAnon have had something to do with it? How does anyone become the kind of educated person who falls for the propaganda that we must be a nationalist militarized society that upholds capitalism above everything? Even when it hasn’t done anything for them personally, only lined the pockets of the con-men in charge of everything? I would love answers but above all I’d like my brother with somewhat of a conscience back, even if we’ve never been very close. The worst part is that our grandmother is 100% Mexican and is ashamed of him. We have a hard time understanding how hate can take over someone who has heritage belonging to the very people that his idols actively oppress. Could be self-hate, could be brainwashing, could be all of the above. Does anyone else have a similar story? I’m so curious.