History is cyclical and I'm very skeptical of any argument holding that, "So and so will now be in control forever." Mass delusion comes pretty easily to our weird little species. We seem designed to believe nonsense if a few people around us nod in agreement. I'm sure you don't need me to provide examples. Tech-bros didn't convince anyone that tulip bulbs were a great investment in 1634 or seduce sailors into thinking manatees were actually lovely lady-fish. Crazy is what we do best.
Another interesting and thought-provoking rant, but let me dispute some of your evidence. You say the jump in 3 Google searches -- “how do tariffs work?,” “can I change my vote?,” and “what is an oligarchy?”-- tells you that the mind-control program is now complete. I see the opposite. If people want to know how tariffs work, that means they don't automatically believe Trump's delusional BS about them. If people want to know if they can change their vote, it's probably not because they suddenly decided they no longer support Kamala Harris. And if they want to know what an oligarchy is... well, they have poor vocabularies but at least they're curious about the warning Biden issued in his farewell speech about the dangers to come in the near future. All good signs to me.
It suggests that rational thought comes in bursts. Since reason often leads one to conclusions that do not satisfy the emotions, the cycles can be manipulated.
Scary times for certain, but I'm skeptical of there being this much intention behind it. I think it's likely that there is quite a lot of calculated manipulation, but also, organic cultural shifts are a form of mind control in and of themselves without a distinguishable individuals behind the force. Like you said, it works at the societal level. Perhaps there are many forces, for example, pushing young people to be more conservative leaning. A desire to slow down the inevitable law of entropy by returning to values of past-times and resisting new social norms? A longing for the family dynamics of simpler times with defined roles and expectations to prevent the ever-growing trend of broken families that most young people have experienced the traumas of throughout their lives? We're likely reaching the peak of the mountain where the condition of the descent on the other side is very much unknown to any of us. Will we find a gradual descent into a picturesque valley clear mountain lakes? A cliff edge with no potential for survival of any of us? We may have even already reached the peak and we're scrambling down a rocky slope bruised and battered, hoping that enough of us are tough enough to set up camp at the bottom and regroup to prepare for the days ahead.
That cliff reference ?, is not only valid : it’s unavoidable. The times behind us were disruptive to be sure. But they will pale in comparison to what is ahead.
The character and intentions of those leading the soon to be cliffhangers will decide the survivors. Those who inspired it, will find their options will be seriously limited too. They’ll no one left alive to fill their coffers amongst the corpses.
MAGA cannot accept any reality but the one they NEED and WANT. They’ve been used, gaslighted, and manipulated. This is their ONE opportunity to sit in the “drivers” seat and grasp the opportunity to become “WINNERS!” when all they’ve been offered is helplessness and ridicule.
I think you are right but I don’t think it’s particularly intentional. All we can do is try and develop (or plan for) localised, distributed alternative ways of living, separate from the mainstream systems. It is terrifying though.
In the old days, influence came from newspapers (almost all conservative); then radio (mostly owned by the newspapers); followed by newsreels/shorts/features at the movie houses (again, very conservative voices prevailed); followed by television, etc. (I've been diving into historical cultural propaganda lately, so it's fresh.) Now we have the wild west once again in smartphones. As you say, the hyper-targeting of content amounts to a cultural super power.
I would disagree about the "whole world," though. Germany, for example, suffered the Stasi; as a result, the people have living memories about what super-surveillance meant, and laws to prevent it. Perhaps when the rest of the world starts realizing the extent of today's surveillance and cultural manipulation, then the laws will catch up with the reality.
In a nutshell, people don't think it's a problem until it bites them personally.
History is cyclical and I'm very skeptical of any argument holding that, "So and so will now be in control forever." Mass delusion comes pretty easily to our weird little species. We seem designed to believe nonsense if a few people around us nod in agreement. I'm sure you don't need me to provide examples. Tech-bros didn't convince anyone that tulip bulbs were a great investment in 1634 or seduce sailors into thinking manatees were actually lovely lady-fish. Crazy is what we do best.
Another interesting and thought-provoking rant, but let me dispute some of your evidence. You say the jump in 3 Google searches -- “how do tariffs work?,” “can I change my vote?,” and “what is an oligarchy?”-- tells you that the mind-control program is now complete. I see the opposite. If people want to know how tariffs work, that means they don't automatically believe Trump's delusional BS about them. If people want to know if they can change their vote, it's probably not because they suddenly decided they no longer support Kamala Harris. And if they want to know what an oligarchy is... well, they have poor vocabularies but at least they're curious about the warning Biden issued in his farewell speech about the dangers to come in the near future. All good signs to me.
It suggests that rational thought comes in bursts. Since reason often leads one to conclusions that do not satisfy the emotions, the cycles can be manipulated.
Scary times for certain, but I'm skeptical of there being this much intention behind it. I think it's likely that there is quite a lot of calculated manipulation, but also, organic cultural shifts are a form of mind control in and of themselves without a distinguishable individuals behind the force. Like you said, it works at the societal level. Perhaps there are many forces, for example, pushing young people to be more conservative leaning. A desire to slow down the inevitable law of entropy by returning to values of past-times and resisting new social norms? A longing for the family dynamics of simpler times with defined roles and expectations to prevent the ever-growing trend of broken families that most young people have experienced the traumas of throughout their lives? We're likely reaching the peak of the mountain where the condition of the descent on the other side is very much unknown to any of us. Will we find a gradual descent into a picturesque valley clear mountain lakes? A cliff edge with no potential for survival of any of us? We may have even already reached the peak and we're scrambling down a rocky slope bruised and battered, hoping that enough of us are tough enough to set up camp at the bottom and regroup to prepare for the days ahead.
Rachel,
That cliff reference ?, is not only valid : it’s unavoidable. The times behind us were disruptive to be sure. But they will pale in comparison to what is ahead.
The character and intentions of those leading the soon to be cliffhangers will decide the survivors. Those who inspired it, will find their options will be seriously limited too. They’ll no one left alive to fill their coffers amongst the corpses.
No person, no technology, can save us from the grips of entropy.
MAGA cannot accept any reality but the one they NEED and WANT. They’ve been used, gaslighted, and manipulated. This is their ONE opportunity to sit in the “drivers” seat and grasp the opportunity to become “WINNERS!” when all they’ve been offered is helplessness and ridicule.
They WILL die on that particular “hill”.
Count on it.
I think you are right but I don’t think it’s particularly intentional. All we can do is try and develop (or plan for) localised, distributed alternative ways of living, separate from the mainstream systems. It is terrifying though.
I long for another Carrington Event, which if it occurred today would cause utter chaos in the digital world and all that depends on it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event
And it is not a matter of if, but when.
In the old days, influence came from newspapers (almost all conservative); then radio (mostly owned by the newspapers); followed by newsreels/shorts/features at the movie houses (again, very conservative voices prevailed); followed by television, etc. (I've been diving into historical cultural propaganda lately, so it's fresh.) Now we have the wild west once again in smartphones. As you say, the hyper-targeting of content amounts to a cultural super power.
I would disagree about the "whole world," though. Germany, for example, suffered the Stasi; as a result, the people have living memories about what super-surveillance meant, and laws to prevent it. Perhaps when the rest of the world starts realizing the extent of today's surveillance and cultural manipulation, then the laws will catch up with the reality.
In a nutshell, people don't think it's a problem until it bites them personally.