Tricksters of modernity

The economic, social and political crises in our so-called modern time have provided an ideal platform for tricksters to form the public sphere by spreading fear among citizens and by demonstrating that there are major threats from ‘Others’; the racialised ‘other’ as a threat to ‘our’ way of life. These tricksters, particularly far-right, highlight values such as self- interest, greed, xenophobia and racism to share them across borders and are increasingly seen as a transnational threat in recent years. The impact of their activities can be profound on people and communities at the receiving end of their action. They employ all possible opportunities to approach their pre-planned goals, usually by designation of an enemy. Drawing on sociological and anthropological theories and concepts and employing content analyses method, this paper explores how far rights form the public sphere, particularly through social media and AI, and how their tactics are designed to instil fear, dislike and hatred which, in turn, can create uncertainties, chaos and trauma in our societies.