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Let me say something briefly about the Big Tech purge tonight.
Now, to the slow, I am not advocating violence. I am predicting it.
Tonight might seriously radicalize people.
Thread
Now, to the slow, I am not advocating violence. I am predicting it.
Tonight might seriously radicalize people.
Thread
One of the things that bind us together as a people is our ability to change our society. It is an important glue. Let’s say you see a situation that is unfair (and people define unfair in many different and often competing ways). Well, you can first tell people about it.
Then you can rally people for change. Then you can maybe even convince people to vote accordingly.
Now there is a sizable percentage of Americans who flat out believe the election is stolen. So they won’t believe that voting matters any more.
Now there is a sizable percentage of Americans who flat out believe the election is stolen. So they won’t believe that voting matters any more.
And now Twitter and the Tech giants have decided you shouldn’t be able to complain about it either. The old refrain used to be “if you don’t like how a social media platform behaves start your own.” Well, that looks pretty hollow tonight, doesn’t it?
I guess now the left will say “if you want to speak freely start your own internet, create your own cell phone companies, IOS, computers, and so on.” And this ignores that there are anti-trust laws designed to keep one side from controlling everything.
Indeed, often traditional methods of expression are shut down. Many states have imposed limitations on gatherings applied to expressive activities and the courts have mainly collectively gone on an extended bathroom break.
So to a person who thinks this way, they can’t vote and they can’t even complain and get their message out effectively. That person might think that if all lawful methods of trying to bring change are gone, then he or she has to use unlawful methods.
Again, for the slow, i am making a prediction. I am not advocating anything (except for freedom of expression). Furthermore, expression is a useful release valve. If something makes you angry, shouting “F—k that [insert thing that makes you angry]!” makes you feel better.
This is a well-understood phenomenon called the catharsis effect and Twitter and big tech is strangling it. Combine that with people losing their jobs—indeed, often being told they are not *allowed* to work—and you can see how this stokes anger that can lead to violence.
You see the government has ruined your life. You face eviction. You don’t believe your vote counts and you can’t even shout about it on Parler! And because the government has ruined your life, you have a lot of time on your hands.
Most people will still be good people in such circumstances. Call me naive, but I believe that to be true. But let’s say only 1% do turn that way. Then if we are talking about 100,000 people who face those difficulties, you are talking about 1,000 people who’ll turn to violence
And even 1,000 angry people with extra time on their hands can cause a lot of chaos. i don’t want to spell it out, because I don’t want to give them concrete ideas, but anyone moderately aware of how guerrilla wars are fought will understand.
And of course talking to each other is how we actually start to understand where we are coming from. You might think social media is just rancor but i believe that if you make rational arguments, people might not admit you convinced them, but they will be convinced.
Twitter and big tech thinks they are helping to lower this nation’s temperature. But my fear is that they just threw a match on a puddle of gasoline. For that reason, i hope they stop this.
But I ain’t holding my breath.
/end
But I ain’t holding my breath.
/end
