Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> And I think you probably see a parallel in state-based information warfare, where part of the objective isn't just to spread misinformation, but to shift cultural norms so that the transmission of misinformation is inherently easier, which can involve sewing distrust in institutions or expertise, or normalizing a gish gallop argumentative style. TikTok springs to mind when reading this...
Re: normalization of gish gallop The speed reading shit they do in competitive debate was in my opinion 100% caused by clandestine elements who wanted to keep the future “revolutionary” intelligentsia class obsessed with ivory tower elitism so that they don’t get too close to doing actually subversive things. I have no other explanation for how otherwise smart people think that speed reading lacanian psychoanalysis i…
I've seen videos of the college debates you're speaking of though, and I've definitely felt that they're badly in need of reforms that either impose a word count or otherwise disincentivize speed reading.
The long and short of that is just to say you can explain it without regarding it as some sort of intentional state disinformation program. I would also say I find that especially implausible just because, while I don't love the practice, I don't think it degrades our ability to follow arguments or have information literacy necessarily, and meanwhile modern social media absolutely does seem to instill habits that reinforce short-term attention spans, disjointed thinking, object permanence problems and the like, all of which would dispose people to be more receptive to bite-size arguments that don't have to fit into a comprehensive or coherent worldview.