We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizdata quote of the day – a spy’s reflection on the death of clarity in modern conflict

But since October 7, 2023, it feels as if the entire informational ecosystem has collapsed under a tidal wave of noise. I’ve never seen so many people scream and tweet and chant and repost without any regard for logic, facts, or history. Emotion has not just trumped reason, it has obliterated it.

The tragedy is not that people are choosing sides; it’s that they’re doing so blindly, ferociously, and with such utter detachment from fact. The battle isn’t just on the ground anymore, it’s for the mind. And most people are losing that battle without even realizing they’ve been drafted into it.

What used to be propaganda is now performance art. What used to be journalism is now tribalism. What used to be analysis is now algorithm.

Almen Dean

2 comments to Samizdata quote of the day – a spy’s reflection on the death of clarity in modern conflict

  • Discovered Joys

    This may well be true of our current situation. And yet you can argue that rationality was never deeply embedded in our lives. Tribalism, cults, and mobs have always been there, waiting. Personal feelings and preferences have always been stoutly defended and the way we choose our directions in life.

  • NickM

    DJ,
    Very true but now it is fashionable to just blame the internet for everything. Hence the obsession with kids and “screen time”.

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