I've been following on these /pol/ memes for a while, and I'm quite disappointed about the mainstream media. Because this, as a postmodern phenomenon, and their political and social implications need serious sociological and cultural studies. What are the social and cultural basis of these memes and the political movement of it? What is its underlying mechanism? If you can't understand it and just blindly discredit them it as "far-right troll campaign", then it is parts of the problem, not a solution.

"The Internet is an inherently platform of democratic and equality, which empowered the individuals to be free from the establishment", this narrative from the 80s has been proven to be wishful thinking. It appears to be true, because it coincided with the economic boom of 80s neoliberalism until ~2010. When middle east politics started to be destabilized, people celebrated because the revolution was liberal. There was even the "cute cat theory of digital activism", which says when there are funny memes involved, people are more likely to join the political protest of Internet freedom. And it was seen as a good thing - a faceless dictatorial government was overthrown by lolcat. Isn't it the miracle of the postmodern Internet?

But it has been clear that ANY idea, can by popularized and supported by a free Internet. Now in the current age of deglobalization and political and economic failure, naturally, nationalistic and conservative ideals are getting more and more popular support, like the Arab Spring, was supported by a number of people of the young generation who are frustrated by the status quo. And memes also played an important role in the movement, but now they are called hate symbols and should be banned by major platforms.

Now it has been clear that the Internet can surely empowers "individuals to be free from the establishment", it is very true, but unfortunately, any ideas, not only "democratic and equality" ideas, as long as long as it has popular support, can be empowered by the Internet.

When we've realizing an free and open Internet does not necessarily support liberalism, or democracy, or equality, the next question naturally arisen - when the important argument for Internet freedom is that they bring democracy and equality no longer works, should the Internet be free and open? Should we have free speech anymore? I believe the answer must be yes, including "them".

But the media are now just blindly discredit the trolls, and only solution they purposed was "don't feed the trolls", or Twitter and Facebook should ban "hate speech". If the mainstream cannot actually to study and understand its mechanism, and the underlying social-economical basis this conflict, of this new online anti-establishment and trolls, and to provide a social solution, I don't think the problem is going to be solved at anytime, and the answer to free speech, and a free, open Internet is going to be "No" soon.

If you want to understand more about the trolling culture and its mechanism, I recommend "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture", by Whitney Phillips, published by The MIT Press.