Only thing I would add is that social media companies 100% backtracked on their permissive attitude toward antivax and critique of containment measures last year, primarily as a means of helping to disappear the discussion and make it easier to create unanimity amongst the entire populace on the “return to normal.”
Caitlin Johnstone had analyzed the situation as government censorship, which I didn’t want to agree with and I still don’t agree entirely with her analysis of the motives or why she said it was bad (she takes this really weird free speech stance without saying the words and it’s just…weak). Where I think she was particularly cognizant of the future and where I ended up agreeing with her was in pointing out how this unprecedented open cooperation between government and social media would continue to develop, and it did…exploding with the “state-affiliated” labels and particularly after the Russian SMO began.
Ex-intelligence, ex-military, and other ex-government have all been embedding themselves in news media, social media, and other forms of media (looking at all the GOP officials going to Activision Blizzard), so this was a natural development. However, I think the social media one became of more urgent concern with the Biden administration due to the GOP’s astroturfed efforts on social media under Trump, almost like a Hail Mary for the Dems. Maybe better analyzed as beneficial for both sides in preventing populism and protecting empire in the face of collapse (notably in defense against “foreign interference,” as we saw all the hubbub about Russiagate and constant fearmongering re: China). Knowing how the Dems have enabled the GOP however, it’s about to get real scary when the latter takes back government.
Only thing I would add is that social media companies 100% backtracked on their permissive attitude toward antivax and critique of containment measures last year, primarily as a means of helping to disappear the discussion and make it easier to create unanimity amongst the entire populace on the “return to normal.”
Caitlin Johnstone had analyzed the situation as government censorship, which I didn’t want to agree with and I still don’t agree entirely with her analysis of the motives or why she said it was bad (she takes this really weird free speech stance without saying the words and it’s just…weak). Where I think she was particularly cognizant of the future and where I ended up agreeing with her was in pointing out how this unprecedented open cooperation between government and social media would continue to develop, and it did…exploding with the “state-affiliated” labels and particularly after the Russian SMO began.
Ex-intelligence, ex-military, and other ex-government have all been embedding themselves in news media, social media, and other forms of media (looking at all the GOP officials going to Activision Blizzard), so this was a natural development. However, I think the social media one became of more urgent concern with the Biden administration due to the GOP’s astroturfed efforts on social media under Trump, almost like a Hail Mary for the Dems. Maybe better analyzed as beneficial for both sides in preventing populism and protecting empire in the face of collapse (notably in defense against “foreign interference,” as we saw all the hubbub about Russiagate and constant fearmongering re: China). Knowing how the Dems have enabled the GOP however, it’s about to get real scary when the latter takes back government.
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