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What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

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Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#51

Post by ajmurmann »

axaxs wrote: post #6

For anyone just skimming comments - this is a very well written, well researched, thoughtful, and objective piece. That's pretty rare in today's climate. Definitely worth the read. It's the first time I can remember signing up for a newsletter voluntarily, despite my general distaste for those types of popovers.

If you like this article, I recommend the Martin Gurri book that is frequently chief in the article: "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium". This article reads largely like a summary of that book. You'll also enjoy his blog https://thefifthwave.wordpress.com/

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#52

Post by axaxs »

jjoonathan wrote: post #15
axaxs wrote: post #6

For anyone just skimming comments - this is a very well written, well researched, thoughtful, and objective piece. That's pretty rare in today's climate. Definitely worth the read. It's the first time I can remember signing up for a newsletter voluntarily, despite my general distaste for those types of popovers.

The introduction's tacky and condescending tone lost me. Does it get better?

I didn't like the intro either. The rest of the article is much better.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#53

Post by dkarl »

martythemaniak wrote: post #10

One thing that I find interesting is how none of the great dystopian works of the 20th century featured celebrities as the ruling class. The antagonists are like Bond villains, smart, sophisticated, rational, cruel. A worthy adversary you could respect and feel good about struggling against. Our reality is that we've made our lives so advanced and comfortable, that our fantasies can try to become our reality. I guess…

It's hard to see celebrities as anything other than an especially visible subset of people clawing their way into the ranks of the wealthy. Hereditary celebrity is possible, but wealthy celebrities mostly don't try to make their children celebrities. The ones who seem (subjectively) like the smartest choose to gift their children the traditional advantages of wealth, education, and connections.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#54

Post by cazum »

jolux wrote: post #29

Comparing AOC to Trump got a laugh out of me. Acting like they’re even comparably detached from reality is ludicrous. Having political ambition and a vision of a changed society is not a bad thing if the thing you’re railing against is real and dangerous (climate change inaction). Leveraging the pervasive racist elements of American society into executive power for the purpose of building an expensive, unnecessary, a…

I think the opening was meant to show the opposing perspectives on each politician.

There's no question that the Fox Newses of the world like to portray AOC as a raving lunatic who is moments away from erecting guillotines and starting another October Revolution.

Mainstream liberal outlets have similarly detached problems with trump, with their primary criticism being that he's crazy and an asshole and says stupid things, and not that he's an instrument of neoconservative nihilism and promoter of the American White Ethnostate.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#55

Post by barry-cotter »

weeksie wrote: post #12

This is a long, well thought out just-so story with graphs that ends concluding that the world is in chaos because there are more media channels than there used to be. Which is maybe true for some value of "true", but this is largely an empty essay. The book that he references a few times, Revolt of The Public is pretty good though.

This is a long, well thought out [theory] with graphs that ends concluding that the world is in chaos because there are more [is more communication than before, among more people, in more detail].

Note that changes in medium of communication have lead to political upheaval every time they’ve happened, whether we’re talking manuscripts to printed books (the Reformation), the rise of periodicals (nationalism), radio (fascism, socialism, the New Deal), cable tv (the first fracture in the post WWII US liberal consensus, as the ruling class had forgotten that amiable mostly non-partisan politics was an abnormal state of affairs that had been engineered) and now the internet (suddenly everyone realises there are large parts of “their” society that genuinely, non-ironically hates them and what they value).

If you go earlier every leap in communication technology makes more efficient bureaucracies possible, so you get larger states that are better at warfare.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#57

Post by delish »

miloshadzic wrote: post #21
martythemaniak wrote: post #10

One thing that I find interesting is how none of the great dystopian works of the 20th century featured celebrities as the ruling class. The antagonists are like Bond villains, smart, sophisticated, rational, cruel. A worthy adversary you could respect and feel good about struggling against. Our reality is that we've made our lives so advanced and comfortable, that our fantasies can try to become our reality. I guess…

Don't forget Idiocracy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGUNPMPrxvA

Idiocracy would count if it were released in the 20th century. It was released in 2006.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#58

Post by bobwaycott »

philwelch wrote: post #13
zzzeek wrote: post #9

[flagged]

AOC is also under investigation for violating campaign finance laws, so...

AOC is not under investigation. A complaint was filed with the FEC alleging minor violations. It is yet to be seen if the FEC determines the complaint provided enough evidence to warrant an investigation.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#59

Post by enraged_camel »

block_dagger wrote: post #50
zzzeek wrote: post #39

This article would have been more interesting if it didn't premise itself on such an inflammatory opening example.

I suspect overall readership goes up with such intros.

Does it? It made me close the browser tab. Then I came here and read one of the comments that vouched for the rest of the article, and went back.

Re: What the Hell Is Going On? Effects of Information Abundance

#60

Post by Yetanfou »

tuckfrump wrote: post #43
eeeeeeeeeeeee wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the OP is being downvoted for saying Trump is a populist, but for drawing a false equivalence between Trump and AOC. I think you need more than "they are populists" to throw them in the same boat, it should be well supported. AOC uses Twitter and social media well, just as Trump does, but are they really using it the same way, to the same ends? I have yet to see AOC just straight up lie like Trump does…

This OP lost me at drawing the characature of both politicians. However one’s predominant biography will be racism, rank corruption and criminality and the other, hopefully will move us toward an America where more people pay their fair share and we all don’t have to go bankrupt from medical bills.

The political situation in the USA being what it is I honestly have difficulty deciding which politician to assign to which 'biography' in your list, although your nick clearly hints at which order you intended to describe them. It is flabbergasting to see how political systems so often seem to excel in pushing what appear to be the least suitable people to the highest positions.
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