The self-inauguration of indignity and fanaticism by Thanos Kalamidas

The hooligan trolls are back. But they don’t come wielding axes or riding skeletal horses to the city gates; they arrive with hashtags, slogans, and rally cries, ready to inaugurate themselves as the vanguards of a chaotic new order. Their weapons are not battering rams but ideologies sharpened to extremes. And they carry with them the most dangerous tool of all: a mob of record fanatics, each one more eager than the last to set fire to reason.

Fanaticism is not a new phenomenon; it has been humanity’s unwelcome companion for centuries. But what we are witnessing now is different. This is not the fanatical devotion of lone zealots or fringe groups; this is a full-scale, self-inaugurated movement of chaos, where boundaries of truth and falsehood blur in the name of tribal allegiance and now they own the throne. The supreme power.

What makes this wave of barbarism unique is its self-inauguration. These modern hooligan trolls don’t wait for coronations or elections. They don’t respect the institutions that define civilization built through the blood, sweat, and ideals of generations past. Instead, they declare themselves leaders of movements with a click of a button or the wave of a placard.

Their philosophy is simple: if they shout loud enough, often enough, and in unison, they can drown out dissent, overwhelm debate, and claim the mantle of authority. In their world, being "right" is not about being factual or just but about being the loudest, most uncompromising, and most willing to obliterate nuance.

At the heart of this self-inauguration lies the record fanatic: a person so consumed by their cause that no amount of logic, evidence, or alternative perspective can penetrate their belief. The fanatic thrives on extremes and abhors moderation. They are fuelled not by constructive discourse but by the thrill of destruction, of ideas, reputations, and even societal harmony.

Social media has become their amphitheatre, where the loudest voices win and algorithms reward outrage over reflection. Fanatics compete to outdo each other in their displays of loyalty, sacrificing reason on the altar of tribalism. Facts are secondary; what matters is whether an argument serves the narrative. And for that they have Elon and Mark, their leading provocateur ruffians.

The hooligan trolls’ return signals more than a cultural shift. It is a full-blown crisis of civilization. Societies thrive on the delicate balance of individual freedoms and collective responsibilities. When one side dominates without regard for the other, that balance collapses. The hooligan trolls and their orange leader understand this, and they exploit it with surgical precision.

Consider how they erode trust in institutions. They paint science as conspiracy, journalism as propaganda, and education as indoctrination. They sow seeds of doubt until the very foundations of truth crumble. In this barren intellectual landscape, the only voices left standing are those of the barbarians themselves.

Yet, as bleak as this picture may seem, history reminds us that barbarism is not invincible. The barbarians have come before, and they have been pushed back—not by force but by the resilience of those who refuse to succumb to their chaos.

The hooligan trolls are back, ready to self-inaugurate themselves with record fanatics in tow. But their success is not inevitable. The choice remains ours: to watch passively as they burn the metaphorical city gates, or to rise as guardians of reason, dialogue, and progress.