3 ms·
This rings true. A lot of the outrage these days is manufactured, and seems like that would only be done as a distraction, since it's so damaging to the social
by programmarchy 4y ago
This rings true. A lot of the outrage these days is manufactured, and seems like that would only be done as a distraction, since it's so damaging to the social fabric. It must be worth it to have the "serfs" chasing scapegoats to keep the "aristocrats" out of sight from public scrutiny. It's dangerous for them, because class is an issue that both left and right can align on.
In fact, we saw that alignment starting to happen during Occupy Wall Street in 2011, with progressives in the same camp as libertarians and the pro-labor right. If the country enters another economic downturn, it'd create the conditions for that to happen again. It'd be interesting to see how that would play out. There's a huge potential for change if people can tune out the outrage machine.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago> In fact, we saw that alignment starting to happen during Occupy Wall Street in 2011, with progressives in the same camp as libertarians and the pro-labor right. And corporate media neutralized that movement, by selectively amplifying the loopiest weirdos to discredit the whole. Media coverage of Occupy Wall Street was the first time I ever heard of the "progressive stack", which the media explained, meant the illiberal ranking of speaker order by race and gender. This was surely poison to the American middle class who might have otherwise resonated with the discontent behind Occupy Wallstreet. I expect that if another Occupy-like movement happens again, the media will run the same playbook: Amplify the fringe to alienate the whole.