Drones and fantasy in US counterterrorism

How does US Counterterrorism know that the hundreds of people killed by drones and justified as “signature” strikes (based on their pattern of life), of whom not even the names were known, are in fact actual or potential terrorists? It knows essentially by an act of fantasy. Fantasy is not understood here as equivalent to the “not-real” in some form of representational realism, but rather as constitutive of the very real. The paper examines the ways in which the fantasy surrounding the figure of “the terrorist” becomes a major component of any explanation why the president and the American public can have such a cavalier attitude toward targeted killings.     

“I'm going to do battle… I'm going to do some good”. Biographical trajectories,moral politics,and public engagement among highly religious young Catholics in Spain and Mexico

Public debates and controversies on moral issues have gained visibility in recent decades in both Spain and Mexico. Conservative Catholic groups and networks are increasingly playing a crucial role in raising and framing highly morally charged themes in the public arena, especially on intimacy-related policies, including sexual and reproductive freedoms. A new generation of young Catholic leaders becoming key political agents has emerged in this scenario. They are fostering new mobilisation repertoires in the public sphere (e.g., digital activism and public performances) and promoting new political narratives merging moral, cultural, and religious elements. These highly religious and conservative young Catholics consider themselves part of a cultural/cognitive minority and feel entitled to become what Howard Becker termed “moral entrepreneurs.” Most have been educated in Catholic schools and belong to Catholic movements. Still, they can also navigate secular politics and strategically use different regimes of justification and action. Within this context, the article aims to examine and compare the intersection of historical trends and the relevance of individual biographies to understand the role of these young Catholics in the public space in both countries.