Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture • Hacker News Board

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#131

Post by tomp » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:25 AM UTC

TrispusAttucks wrote: post #24

throwawaysea wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like the “intellectual matrix” the French education minister wrote about recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/europe/france-threa... > French politicians, high-profile intellectuals and journalists are warning that progressive American ideas — specifically on race, gender, post-colonialism — are undermining their society. “There’s a battle to wage against an intellectual matrix from American…

I think you're being down voted but you speak the truth. The current division, strife, and lack of unity in western society is in large part due to misinformation, propaganda, and psyops from adversaries. The primary goal is to make personal identity politics more important than national allegiances so that we rot from the inside out. We're not in the cold war anymore. We are in the Ice War.

> due to misinformation, propaganda, and psyops from adversaries.

Not really. The psyops is run by insiders.

Trump was undermined by Democrats, FBI and American media.

The “lab leak” theory was censored by big tech and ridiculed by US media.

Russia and other “adversaries” are mainly just a convenient scapegoat.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#132

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:25 AM UTC

nemo44x wrote: post #9

Racial essentialism is toxic. America and the Western Liberal ideology (which I cherish) will only survive if we ruthlessly destroy it and similar critical theories which derive from it. Otherwise we will quickly perish into a ward state, at best.

[deleted]

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#133

Post by durnygbur » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:30 AM UTC

Even my parents in their 60s living their entire lifes in now post-Communist country have opinion about Trump's (non) reelection. They're not even actively participating in social media - their smartphones are sucking in toxic content and public TV is broadcasting "news from the greatest ally country". It's so sad watching them bathing in this cesspool, it's like watching your daugther in GirlsDoPorn. Americans you've gone far too far with your brainwashing cultural and political expansiveness. No difference from Russians and Chinese at this point. Feck off with your rainbow BlackRock McDonalds Trump Disney Facebook CocaCola.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#134

Post by nickelpro » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:36 AM UTC

slim wrote: post #121

nickelpro wrote: post #92

I don't understand HN's problem with this. It's a freemarket of ideas, no one is being forced to follow Americans on Twitter or subscribe to American content producers on Youtube. What even is the alternative being proposed here? Segmenting the internet so people from different countries _can't_ interact with one another? Is that preferable?

You sure it's a free market of ideas ? What do you make of intellectual property ? Content zoning ? Media consolidation ? On social media : what do you make of algorithmically selected content ? Thought bubbles ?

People who engage with social media do so freely. If the content wasn't what they wanted or sought out, it wouldn't be popular and successful. Would you rather have it policed? A grand council that determines which algorithms you may enjoy and which are verboten?

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#135

Post by zozbot234 » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:45 AM UTC

tomp wrote: post #131

TrispusAttucks wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're being down voted but you speak the truth. The current division, strife, and lack of unity in western society is in large part due to misinformation, propaganda, and psyops from adversaries. The primary goal is to make personal identity politics more important than national allegiances so that we rot from the inside out. We're not in the cold war anymore. We are in the Ice War.

> due to misinformation, propaganda, and psyops from adversaries. Not really. The psyops is run by insiders. Trump was undermined by Democrats, FBI and American media. The “lab leak” theory was censored by big tech and ridiculed by US media. Russia and other “adversaries” are mainly just a convenient scapegoat.

Trump managed to undermine himself w/ his response to the virus, plus that whole Capitol thing. The other stuff was a minor factor at best, he would've had plenty of support from others.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#136

Post by cblconfederate » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:47 AM UTC

It spreads because its popular to talk about. Cringe subjects get people clicks and views, even if nobody believes what they say. The same reasons it caught on in america. This 'politics' is much more about emotional release than any politics were in the past. In the end it doesn't matter, rich-get-richer keeps going on everywhere, while the commonfolk squabble over pronouns

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#137

Post by zpeti » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:53 AM UTC

lainga wrote: post #30

ehnto wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Australians knew more about American politics day to day during Trumps presidency than we did our own politics. It was surreal.

Same in Canada. The CBC was particularly egregious. The "World" section was just the "US Politics" section. I stopped reading; but, of course, like all Canadians, I have kept funding it.

Because trump sells views and ads on coverage worldwide. He was a goldmine for the media, and they made sure to make the most of it.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#138

Post by robocat » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 7:54 AM UTC

ergocoder wrote: post #112

LAC-Tech wrote: post #54

It's not a recent phenomena - it's been happening since WWII. The weirdest part is - the stronger someone is influenced by American political culture, the more they'll tell you about how awful America is.

This is gonna sound strange. High self-criticism is what I admire about US. In my country, the check and balances and freedom of speech are not strong enough. People are somewhat reserve about criticizing their own countries. And you can pretty much guess what is happening...

Self-criticism is my favourite British trait - absolutely no one can take the piss out of the poms like they can do to themselves. It is some sort of reverse pride.

I have never noticed much self-criticism in Americans - too many have no clue about other countries so have no point of comparison yet tend to be rather one eyed (overly patriotic) about their own country. By no means all: many travellers tend to be more open minded.

My other favourite trait of poms is they recognise and encourage wit at every level of their society.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#139

Post by Talanes » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 8:10 AM UTC

lugged wrote: post #7

jollybean wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, they are definitely willingly importing it. If there is ABC movement from a powerful country, then those in the external country will want to use that to further their agenda to the degree that it is aligned with their own. The CIA used to (and still does) try to push some kinds of narratives aboard, most prominently in the 'flower' revolutions in E. Europe, but much of the pop culture one's just happen 'organica…

Maybe. In Australia the anti lockdown / anti Vax stuff got shut down quite quickly. Same goes for the BLM protests that tried it on without the right permits. Kind of glad I don't have to put up with the same crap here or the media trying to call it peaceful. I think it has a lot to do with the multi party system. I don't have to align myself with one party or the other party, and all its polarising crap along with i…

>Kind of glad I don't have to put up with the same crap here or the media trying to call it peaceful.

You've obviously picked up some opinions from the media about how protests on a completely different hemisphere than yourself were.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#140

Post by j_wtf_all_taken » Sun, Jun 13, 2021, 8:19 AM UTC

zozbot234 wrote: post #104

coliveira wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is clearly imperialism pure and simple. The US uses its financial stronghold on internet companies to essentially dictate what is allowed or not in public discuss. You don't need to be very smart to see that Google, FB, Twitter are bound to US norms and regulations (and its surveillance state) and give very little thought to what other countries need/want. If you think this is normal, just think again.

The craziest part is that these internet companies are using that stronghold to optimize for "engagement" (i.e. flamebait) that looks outwardly bland enough so as not to disrupt the "advertising friendliness" that they seek to push. "Wuhan flu" is bad because some people in Wuhan might get angry and boycott your advertisers' products. "White male cis people are all racist Trump supporters!" (which weirdly enough seem…

So that's why you do your trolling here?