this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2024
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I think that’s what the internet has done for us, it’s removed that sort “social immune system” that prevented crazy ideas from spreading. Before, if somebody had some crazy ideas, the most they could usually do was rant to people on the bus/subway, maybe make some pamphlets, or some other small-scale thing to spread the idea. At best you might find someone on AM radio broadcasting at weird hours. Individuals would get exposed to it, but would likely never pass it on, this contained crazy ideas and they rarely got traction to spread.
Now the internet comes along, and suddenly crazies are getting hooked up with impressionable people easier than ever before. Crazy ideas have an almost endless supply of rubes that will eat them right up. Our social immune system can’t protect society from all the insane things flying around at high speeds all over the place now. It’s intellectual chaos.
I mean the social immune system also prevented ideas like worker solidarity, gender equality, socioeconomic mobility, sexual freedom, etc. from spreading but I get your point. Opening Pandora's box let the crazies out as well as the AOC/Bernie and free Palestine crowds.
The problem being, at least for the moment, the crazy is winning