For the last 40 years, we’ve been entrenched in a system that pushes economic efficiency, shown by the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. This mess has been touted as the ideal, leading to an “efficient” economic structure that, in reality, has been a disaster of environmental destruction and social disintegration. It’s well past time we recognize the worship of the #deathcult for what it is: a dire mistake that urgently needs correction to move away from the false idol of economic “efficiency”.
We need to rebalance for survival, to prioritize social and environmental sustainability rather than only blinded consumption to push mere economic “gain”. The last four decades of economic efficiency have destroyed the balance necessary for a stable and healthy society. If we continue down this path, we will face complete social disintegration and ecological disaster in the next 20 years.
Our current social structures are riddled with status games and toxic individualism, direct outcomes of the clective worship of the #deathcult. We need to move away from these destructive patterns if we want to live in a civil society in the coming years. This means rejecting “common sense” paths tainted with this worship and embracing collective, community-driven approaches. “Let us not flatter ourselves on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory, nature takes its revenge on us.” – Friedrich Engels
We are in a mess, as highlighted by fluffy movements like #XR (Extinction Rebellion). On the positive path we need is planting grassroots media and alternative narratives, without this it is a real challenging to escape this mess. The #OMN offers a path forward, but it requires us to rethink our values and priorities fundamentally. We need to focus on this shift of power away from the #geekproblem and the #dotcons to the grassroots producers of media, culture and meaning. To foster a commons-based #openweb, economic, and social ecosystem.
This positive shift in power dynamics is a step in nurturing a #KISS more sustainable and equitable path. The wisdom from Engels reminds us that our actions have consequences. The environmental and social crises we face are nature’s “revenge” for our hubris and neglect. It’s time to change course and prioritize balance, sustainability, and collective well-being over short-term economic “gains” for the few. The time for change is now.
In today’s #mainstreaming political mess, the issue of #climatechange is sometimes seen as a matter of differing opinions. However, we need to be honest to recognize that climate denial, particularly among #mainstreaming people, is not a simple case of holding an alternative viewpoint; it’s a deliberate spread of misinformation.
The Reality of Climate Change we can see every day, it is a fact, supported by a consensus within the scientific community: rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and shifting ecosystems all show the severe impact of human activities on our planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (#IPCC) have repeatedly confirmed these findings.
The motives behind climate denial, despite the scientific consensus, is to push falsehoods. Why? Financial Interests: Climate deniers are financially tied to industries that would be negatively impacted by stringent environmental regulations, such as the fossil fuel industry. These industries stand to lose billions if policies are enacted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Political Gain: Politicians deny climate change to align with their party’s stance, which is influenced by powerful lobbies. By doing so, they secure campaign contributions and political support. Ideological Reasons: Denying climate change is part of an ideological battle pushed by our blinded worship of the #deathcult that this “common sense” is blocking the needed intervention and regulation. Yes, the reality of climate change would require some of us to endorse policies we fundamentally oppose, it would bring into question the last 40 years of our worship, we might have to wait for some people to die out, for their blocking to end.
The consequences of denial, labelling climate denial as just another opinion trivializes the consequences it has on public policy and global well-being. The spread of misinformation leads to: Delayed Action where policy measures to combat climate change are postponed, worsening the impact and increasing the cost of mitigation efforts. Public Confusion, where people are misled about the severity of the issue, which undermines efforts to build the consensus for collective action. Global Harm of climate change are not confined by borders. Decisions made by deniers in the rich countries, have ramifications for ecosystems and communities worldwide.
Calling out the liars, is a first step, to make visible, what is a deliberate and harmful lie. The stakes are too high to treat it as a difference of opinion. Effective climate mediation requires a foundation built on truth and scientific integrity. We need to strongly push back and make accountable people and organizations who spread these lies, particularly those in positions of power. This involves, demanding #4opens transparency of politicians and public figures, a simple step is disclosing financial ties to industries that influence their stance on climate issues.
Climate change is the defining issue of our era, and addressing it requires a commitment to truth and action, both grassroots and mainstreaming. Climate deniers are not holding a different opinion; they are actively obstructing progress, by lying. We need to walk a truthful path, act on this, by starting to implement the actions and policies needed to protect, our society, environment and our planet.
In the mess of today’s #dotcons news media, social media platforms have become the primary arenas for public discourse and political engagement. However, the political leanings of these platforms significantly influence the nature of the discussions that takes place. Here’s an overview of the political ground on which some of the major social media platforms stand:
X (Twitter): Far-right Threads (Facebook/Instagram): Corporate right Nostor: Libertarian right Mastodon: Center-liberal
Despite the variety of platforms available, there is an absence of genuinely left-wing social media. This lack needs to be acknowledged, especially when trying to find support for projects like the #OMN (Open Media Network). The prevailing political inclinations of these platforms are influenced by our worshiping the #deathcult, a hashtag describing the pervasive and invisible influence of #neoliberalism in our society. This influence leads most people to act in counterproductive ways without conscious thought, as part of the common sense path of maintaining the status quo and resisting change or challenge.
This unspoken political problem is a part of the issue, what is more important is basically we also need to understand the data paradigm, to navigate out of this entrenched system. We need to recognize the underlying structure of our socio-economic systems are fundamentally driven by data. Consider the following, please:
Capitalism: Essentially data. Money: A form of data. Society: Comprised of stories, which are data. Your Device: A data conduit. This Text: Data.
Without any left wing media, we give “them” and the data and metadata. We don’t have much access to data and, more importantly, metadata? Scenarios:
Open Data: Accessible to everyone, Metadata: Fully available to the public.
Closed Data: Restricted to the individual, Metadata: Controlled predominantly by corporations and governments.
Hybrid Data: Available to hosting corporations, governments, and paying companies. Limited to friends for personal data sharing. Metadata: Owned by corporations and utilized by governments.
The flow of these scenarios helps to mediate the sustainability of computer networks during the ongoing #climatechaos disaster. The path we take will shape the next 50 years of social and political change, it is important to think and act on this to find a path of more equitable distribution of data access.
Moving forward, given the political biases of existing social media platforms and the overarching influence of data control, there is an urgent need for developing genuinely left-wing social media spaces. These platforms need to prioritize #4opens data access and metadata transparency to foster a more democratic and inclusive path through the next years of mess.
Supporting projects like the #OMN, which adhere to principles of openness and community-driven governance, pave the way for such change. By challenging the #mainstreaming narratives and advocating for grassroots solutions, we work towards a future where data and metadata are democratized, ensuring that technology serves the public good rather than reinforcing existing #deathcult power structures.
In conclusion, we need to use the #4opens as a tool to evaluate the platforms we use and advocate for alternatives that align with values of openness, equity, and sustainability. By doing so, we can begin to dismantle the #deathcult and build a digital ecosystem that supports #KISS social justice and collective progress.
In the activism of the #openweb hashtag story, they can serve as tools to share complex ideas with social movements. On this site, I use a hashtag story to highlight both the positive and negative aspects of our current socio-political and technological paths. Here’s a breakdown of what some of these hashtags mean:
#deathcult: The pervasive influence of #neoliberalism, which operates invisibly in our minds, dictating aspects of society without us realizing it. Example: “The corporate-driven decisions affecting climate policies are a clear manifestation of the deathcult mindset.”
#dotcons: This highlights how we have been deceived into enriching a greedy few through the use of digital platforms and technologies. It’s a product of the #deathcult. Example: “Major social media platforms are the epitome of dotcons, prioritizing profit and control over people’s well-being.”
#stupidindividualism: This represents the peak of current social trends where extreme individualism overrides collective well-being to our detriment. Example: “The resistance to community-based solutions for climate change is rooted in stupidindividualism.”
#fashernistas: Flotsam influenced by fleeting trends and currents. In the #dotcons era, this refers to a large directionless majority. Example: “Influencers today are fashernistas, swayed by whatever is trending rather than contributing meaningful change.”
#4opens: A horizontal approach to technological development. Example: “Projects adhering to the 4opens principles build transparency and collaboration.”
#openweb: Refers to the decentralized digital network that revolutionized communication 30 years ago but is now pushed under by people’s use of the #dotcons. Example: “We must reclaim the openweb to preserve the internet’s native path of free and open communication.”
#OMN: An #openweb project that has been in development for the last 20 years, based on the #4opens. Example: “The OMN initiative is a beacon of hope for creating a more democratic digital space.”
#stepaway: A safe method to break free from the addiction to #dotcons while maintaining connections with friends, one step at a time. Example: “By taking a stepaway, we can gradually reduce our reliance on exploitative digital platforms.”
These hashtags are critical perspectives and positive paths in our digital and social choices. The negative hashtags (#deathcult, #dotcons, #stupidindividualism, and #fashernistas) point out the pitfalls and dangers we face, while the positive hashtags (#4opens, #openweb, #OMN, and #stepaway) offer pathways to more sustainable and community-oriented tech and social solutions. By activly using and linking these stories, we build better, for real and meaningful change.
Leaving the fig leave of dead philosophies covering #liberalism and #neoliberalism, gives cover to continue ideological works, this mess masks and hides insidious agendas. By removing these fig leaves, we can see, understand and dismantle the mechanisms of power they obscure.
I have talked about this, a lot, let’s try one more time. The lingering #zombie of post-modernism and its influence on social movements and #mainstreaming anti-ideological “common sense”, despite being very much dead in most intellectual circles, continues to exert ongoing influence on thought. This lingering specter is not only academic debate but a tangible and invisible force that shapes ideologies, policies, and actions. Understanding the ramifications of post-modernism is a path to addressing the current societal mess and dismantling the layers of deception that obscure the nature of #liberalism and #neoliberalism.
The legacy of post-modernism, emerged in the mid-20th century as a reaction against the certainties and grand narratives of the progressive modernism with the denial of objective truths, embracing relativism, and deconstructing power and knowledge. While this philosophical approach did provide insights and can be used to challenge oppressive systems, with its embrace and twining with the #neoliberalism of the last 40 years it pushed a lot of the current mess, of pervasive skepticism and cynicism that undermined the path of collective action and coherence in social movements.
The Perils of Post-Modernist Relativism. Erosion of Truth: Post-modernism’s insistence on the relativity of truth has eroded the foundation of factual discourse. In a world where all narratives are equally valid, distinguishing between reality and fiction becomes opaque, creating fertile ground for misinformation and manipulation, as any attempt to assert objective truth is met with suspicion and relativistic counterarguments. This is the mess of our use of the #dotcons
Fragmentation of Social Movements: By emphasizing the multiplicity of perspectives and identities, post-modernism pushes the current fragmentation of social movements. While recognizing diverse voices is important, the lack of unifying visions leads to disjointed efforts that fail to achieve any substantial change. This fragmentation makes it possible for entrenched powers to maintain the status quo, as there is no cohesive opposition to challenge and change them. The mess we work in.
Depoliticization and Inaction: The post-modern emphasis on discourse and representation over material conditions and collective action leads to depoliticization. When activism becomes #fashionista shouting primarily about language and symbols rather than tangible change, it loses any efficacy. This shift from praxis to performative results in social movements that are about virtue signalling and status games rather than achieving concrete goals. The mess we are in today.
Liberalism has been a Fig Leaf for Imperialism: Liberalism, with its emphasis on individual freedoms and democratic values, serves as a fig leaf for imperialism. This is evident in foreign policies that justify interventionist actions in the name of spreading democracy and human rights. However, these interventions serve geopolitical and economic interests rather than the purported liberal ideals, leading to the exploitation and destabilization of other nations. The mess our apathy pushes over others.
Neo-Liberalism’s Economic Fig Leaf: Neo-liberalism uses economic theory as a fig leaf to conceal a conservative agenda that prioritizes corporate power and wealth accumulation over social welfare. Policies promoted under the cover of economic efficiency result in austerity measures, deregulation, and privatization, which harms the working class and marginalized communities while enriching the few. The mess we push over ourselves.
To move beyond the mess created by the undead philosophies which hides behind the fig leaves of liberalism and neoliberalism, we need a renewed commitment to social truth, solidarity, and collective action.
Reasserting Objective Truths: While acknowledging the complexity of reality, we must reclaim the importance of objective truths and evidence-based discourse. This involves resisting relativism and combating misinformation through critical thinking and basic media literacy. We need tools, shovels for this composting #OMN
Building Lose Unified Movements: Social movements need some unity without erasing diversity. This requires finding common ground and shared goals that can unite different groups in the pursuit of systemic change. Solidarity should be the cornerstone, enabling coordinated efforts that can actually challenge entrenched powers. We need federated p2p tools for this #OGB
Focusing on Material Conditions: Activism prioritizes material conditions and tangible outcomes over performative gestures. This means addressing economic inequality, environmental degradation, and social injustices through concrete policies and actions rather than symbolic acts. We need media for activism #indymediaback to build meaningful action.
Exposing and Dismantling Fig Leaves: By examining the fig leaves of liberalism and neo-liberalism, we can expose the motivations behind these ideologies and advocate for #grassroots alternatives that prioritize human well-being and ecological sustainability over #mainstreaming corporate profits and imperial ambitions. #makeinghistory is a #KISS tool for this.
The philosophy of post-modernism, despite its intellectual demise, continues to shape our “common sense” contemporary thought and social movements. To navigate this mess, we must compost the relativism and fragmentation it has pushed. By reasserting “objective” truths, building unifying movements, focusing on material conditions, and exposing ideological fig leaves, we can walk the path for a just, equitable, and sustainable future. It’s this simple, please try not to push prat down this path, thanks.
In our conversations on #AI there is a copyright trap, pushed in the #mainstreaming, the #fashionista conversation around protecting producers and cultural industries are growing hysterical. Some policymakers and activists are pushing for shielding creators from the very real threats posed by these new technologies. However, in their haste to act, leftist and progressive crew are advocating for the use of copyright law as a defensive path. This approach is a mess and fraught with contradictions and risks, a real “Copyright Trap”.
The Copyright Trap is the “common sense” belief that copyright law can be used as a tool to support and protect producers of our culture. This path is problematic:
Feudal Nature of Copyright: Copyright, along with patents and trademarks, is a form of intellectual property that comes from feudal rights. It grants semi-eternal rents to those who did not contribute to the production of the work, much like the way land was historically controlled by a few powerful lords.
Restriction of the Commons: Copyright takes works out of the public domain and locks them into walled gardens, thus restricting the commons. These runs counter to the principles of #4opens access and communal sharing that activists and progressives champion.
Injustice to Future Creators: By extending and expanding copyright protections, we make it harder for future producers to build upon the shoulders of giants. This stifles creativity, trapping future generations in a cycle of restricted access and limited freedom.
The mess underpin the current debates around AI and copyright:
“If Value, Then (Property) Right” Fallacy: This is the ideological belief that if something has value, it must be protected as property. This ignores the complex ways in which value is created and shared, particularly through communal and collaborative efforts, that do not fit into property rights dogma.
Unauthorized Copying as Inherently Wrongful: The idea that copying is wrong ignores the realities of how culture and knowledge developed through imitation, adaptation, and remixing. This perspective is particularly ill-suited to the #openweb era, where information is shared and transformed.
The Starving Artist Trope: This trope is resurrected to justify the expansion of copyright protections, suggesting that without such protections, artists will starve. This story fails to address the systemic issues that actually lead to the impoverishment of producers, such as inequitable distribution of wealth and the monopolistic practices in the #dotcons.
Using copyright as a weapon against AI companies is counterproductive and hypocritical for those who advocate for the rights of authors, creators, and intellectual workers:
Counter to Progressive Values: Copyright as it stands is a tool of capital that entrenches inequality and restricts access to knowledge and culture. Using it to protect producers from #AI companies simply reinforces a system that many leftists and progressives have long criticized.
Locking Up the Commons: Stronger copyright protections, risk enclosing the cultural commons, making it difficult for producers to share content freely to be built upon.
Hindering change and challenge: Stricter copyright laws stifle social activism, as new producers find it harder to access and build on existing works. This is detrimental in an era where collaborative and iterative creation is key to technological and cultural progress.
Alternative Approaches, to effectively address the risks and harms posed by generative AI, we need to move past the “copyright trap” and look towards more appropriate “native” paths:
Promote #4opens Open Access and Open Source: Encourage the use of open access and open source licenses and traditions that allow for the free sharing and modification of works. This helps knowledge and culture remain accessible for social use.
Equitable Funding Models: Develop new models for supporting creators that do not rely on restrictive copyright laws. This could include systems of public funding, grants, and cooperative ownership that ensure people are fairly compensated for their work without repressively restricting access.
Regulation of #AI Companies: Rather than using copyright as a blunt instrument, on the vertical path, we can regulate AI companies directly. This includes measures to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair compensation for the use of creative works.
The call to use copyright law to protect producers from the threats of #AI is not a useful path for leftist and progressive movements. Instead of reinforcing a flawed and restrictive system, we need to seek “native” #4opens paths that align with our values. By doing so, we build a future where both humane creativity and resulting technology can thrive in balance, and not just #techchun the current mess.
The 20th century was marked by significant technological and scientific advancements, alongside violent conflicts. As we move through the 21st century, the nature of these conflicts is shifting. The struggle is increasingly between humanity and nature, with dire consequences if we continue down our current path. Environmental degradation and climate change are no longer side effects, but central challenges that must be addressed. We need to find paths to move off the current paths, there are assumptions that are #blocking this needed move, one is in technology and its assumptions.
This #geekproblem has been inherited from past era’s in our computer architectures and the broader tech culture that has an ingrained concept of control. This control, hardcoded into systems and frameworks, poses an unspoken problem within many geek paths. Addressing this issue is crucial for understanding the broader implications and possibilities of grassroots #openweb tech activism as a path out of the current social and technical mess.
The Control paradigm in tech, from the foundations of computing, control has been a central theme. Systems are designed to operate under strict protocols, ensuring reliability, security, and efficiency. This paradigm, while effective in technological contexts, is inadvertently extend into social dynamics within tech communities. Control in tech is not just about managing systems; it also shapes interactions, hierarchies, and decision-making processes.
Unconscious participation in control structures, in tech communities, is unconsciously embedded in social groups that perpetuate this control paradigm. It’s essential to recognize that this isn’t a personal failing but a reflection of broader cultural trends. The challenge lies in identifying and addressing these unconscious patterns to foster more open, collaborative, and equitable environments.
The Keep It Simple, Stupid (#KISS) principle is a valuable tool for analysing generalist issues within our shared cultures. By simplifying complex problems, we can better understand the dynamics at play and develop more effective solutions. Applying the KISS principle to tech activism helps to demystify the control paradigm and its impact on our communities.
This blog is dedicated to exploring alternative paths that we can take to address these issues. By grassroots #openweb tech activism to mitigate the destructive patterns of control and build more sustainable and equitable paths. To promote decentralized technologies to empower people and communities, reducing reliance on centralized control structures.
#4opens emphasizes the importance of open-source software, to encourages collaboration, transparency, and shared ownership and community building. We need to fostering strong, inclusive communities that prioritize collective well-being over hierarchical control. We need to shift to environmental stewardship and ecological consciousness in our tech development and usage, recognizing the interconnectedness of human and environmental health in the tools we use.
This path requires a fundamental shift in how we approach technology and control. By embracing the #openweb and grassroots activism, we can create resilient, inclusive, and sustainable technological systems. This is not just a technical challenge but a cultural and ethical one.
The #Fediverse, short for Federated Universe, is a part of the #openweb made of human connections through #4opens computer networks. At best, its value is not a collection of software packages, much more about the flows of human community that build relationships across diverse groups and regions. Imagine the Fediverse as a web of communities, each represented as a node. These nodes are not defined by the software they use, but by the people and groups that form them:
Affinity Groups in Activism: communities of action and social movements
Local Governments: Municipalities using the Fediverse to communicate with residents, share public announcements, and gather feedback.
Universities: Academic institutions fostering collaboration among students, faculty, and researchers, enabling the sharing of resources and knowledge.
Families: Family members staying connected, sharing updates, photos, and maintaining family bonds regardless of geographical distances.
Friend Groups: Friends interacting and sharing moments in a private, ad-free space, organizing events, and maintaining their social ties.
Companies: Businesses collaborating internally and with their customers, providing customer support, and sharing company news.
Interests: People and communities expressing themselves, sharing their thoughts, hobbies, and connecting with like-minded individuals around the world.
These communities interact seamlessly across the #openweb, regardless of the specific codebase they grow in. Yes it’s important to understand the good #UX of the software that makes these connections possible plays a part, and that each of these nodes use a common protocol, #ActivityPub, to communicate, forming the backbone of “native” #openweb flows. This #4opens interoperability allows people on one codebase to interact with users on another, creating a unified, yet decentralized, social network.
“The Fediverse isn’t about connecting software packages. It’s about connecting communities and people. If you make a Fediverse explainer, try to show some real communities as the nodes in the network, rather than using software packages and their logos. Companies, local governments, universities, families, friend groups, individuals. You can explain what software makes those networks possible in your next slide.” https://mastodon.social/deck/@evan@cosocial.ca/112847724644046695
Though, what meany in our #fashernista and #geekproblem paths miss is this thrives because of the human element. It’s about the people who use these platforms to connect, share, and build spaces that reflect their values and needs. It’s the people and the communities of use that make this real, let’s talk about them #KISS
We have an undeclared #stupidindividualism battle pushing to destroy this in numerous ways, we do need to push this back, while holding out a hand to bring people over. Yes it a step, don’t be scared.
Centrism is the #mainstreaming path meany people take, as it is seen as a rational and moderate stance, that presents itself as a balance of reasonableness in the mess of the polarized world. A closer examination reveals that this “moderate” ideology has extremist implications, particularly in its support of economic inequality and environmental degradation. In the era of #climatechaos and social break down, we need to see the extremist position it is.
The economic extremism of #centrism, at its core supports the status quo, includes the worship of the #deathcult, “common sense” #neoliberalism, with the widespread existence of billionaires and super billionaires. This extreme concentration of wealth among a tiny fraction of the population has far-reaching consequences for economic inequality. The wealth is not only a passive accumulation; it actively siphons resources from the broader populace. The immense financial power translates into influence over political processes, economic policies, and social norms, that creates the current cycle where the rich get richer, and the rest struggle to keep up.
Centrism’s reluctance to challenge this dynamic effectively endorses it. By advocating for incremental change and compromise, and actively opposing more radical reforms. The centrism stance is, not neutral, it is complicit in the current mess that “benefits” the nasty few, wealthy at the expense of the majority. This passive acceptance of economic inequality is easy to see as the extremism it is, as defacto supports of structures that are fundamentally unjust and unsustainable.
Environmental inaction and the climate crisis: centrism’s approach to environmental issues is deeply problematic. In the face of a rapidly escalating #climatechaos, centrists advocate for moderate, incremental measures. While these steps may seem reasonable, they are woefully inadequate given the scale and urgency of the problem. The scientific consensus is clear: drastic and immediate action is necessary to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
By endorsing minimal and gradual responses, centrism effectively delays meaningful action. This not only fails to address the environmental crisis but also exacerbates it. The longer significant action is postponed, the more severe the consequences will be for the planet and future generations. In this, centrism’s support for the status quo is not a neutral position but a deeply destructive one. It aligns with a form of nihilism, where the impending environmental catastrophe is met with complacency and inaction.
The nihilistic push of centrism, with the failed path of addressing pressing economic and environmental issues, reflects a broader nihilistic path. Nihilism, the belief that life lacks meaning or purpose, is characterized by apathy and inaction. When centrism advocates for minimal changes in the face of profound challenges, it embraces this nihilistic outlook, a resignation to the current state of affairs, despite its clear inadequacies. This nihilism is particularly evident in centrism’s response to social issues. While centrists acknowledge problems such as poverty, inequality, and climate change, their proposed solutions lack the urgency and scope needed to effect real change. By prioritizing stability and gradualism over justice and sustainability, centrism contributes to a sense of hopelessness and futility.
With the need for radical change, it is clear that centrism is not the moderate or rational stance it purports to be. Its support for the status quo, in both economic and environmental terms, reveals a deeply flawed ideology. To address the urgent challenges facing society, we must move beyond centrism and embrace more radical approaches that prioritize a different “common sense”. What we call this is up in the air but, economic reforms such as wealth redistribution, progressive taxation, and corporate regulation are necessary to tackle inequality. Similarly, bold environmental policies, including a rapid transition to renewable energy, stringent emissions targets, and conservation efforts, are essential to combat the #climatecrisis. These measures may seem radical, but they are proportionate responses to the severity of the problems we face.
The extremist ideology of #centrism, with its innate reluctance to challenge the status quo, pushes injustice and exacerbates the #climatecrisis. We are far down this deeply destructive path, that is increasingly simple nihilism. Ideas please to try to mediate this all to common crap and prat’ish behaver please.
It should be obvious to most of us that we’re moving through an era of mass delusion, unbridled folly, and unrestrained hysteria, with the old facts and reason’s forgotten amidst the building #climatechaos of social and ecological breakdown. We are in this mess due to the embrace of the #dotcons, the spread of misinformation and the decline of rational discourse that has now reached alarming levels. Social media platforms, echo chambers, and the proliferation of fake news have created a fertile ground for delusion to thrive. Conspiracy theories abound, gaining traction despite being thoroughly debunked. From anti-vaccine movements to flat Earth theories, unscientific beliefs flourish in the absence of #KISS skepticism.
“We’re living in an age of mass delusion, unbridled folly, unrestrained hysteria. Facts & reason have slipped down the back of the sofa and been forgotten. Our descendants (should there be any) will look back on this time the way we look back on our ergot-infected ancestors who arrested chickens on suspicion of using dark magic and believed wombs could wander around women’s bodies.” https://kolektiva.social/deck/@Richard_Littler@mastodon.social
The rise of these delusions is not only a result of ignorance, rather the outcome of our embracing of #postmodern and #neoliberalism that has been pushed over us for the last 40 years. This has lead to distrust in institutions, polarization, and the commodification of attention, all contributing to an environment where sensationalism overshadows substance. The erosion of shared reality undermines the foundation of democratic society, making it difficult to address catastrophic challenges such as #climatechaos or basic things like public health crises, and social inequality.
History offers examples of mass hysteria and folly that parallel our current predicament. The ergot-induced hallucinations of the Middle Ages, led to bizarre and irrational behaviour, are strikingly similar to the modern phenomenon of mass delusion. During the Salem witch trials, fear and superstition overpowered reason, leading to the persecution of innocent people. Similarly, the belief in “wandering wombs” reflects how unscientific ideas can dominate medical understanding and treatment.
These historical episodes remind us that human societies are vulnerable to waves of irrationality. They illustrate how fear, ignorance, and social dynamics create paths where absurd beliefs take hold. Importantly, they also highlight paths that exacerbating or mitigating these delusions. In the past, religious and political leaders fueled hysteria for their gain, much like our #mainstreaming crew that exploit misinformation for power and profit.
The role of technology in amplifying delusion, our embraces of the #dotcons age has magnified the impact of mass delusion. Algorithms designed to maximize engagement prioritize sensational and polarizing content, creating echo chambers that reinforce #mainstreaming mess, to amplify misinformation. The speed and reach of social media allow falsehoods to spread rapidly, outpacing efforts to debunk them. This environment fosters a culture where emotional appeals and confirmation bias trump evidence and any attempt at rationality.
The consequences of mass delusion are far-reaching and catastrophic. In the realm of public health, vaccine misinformation has led to the resurgence of preventable diseases. Climate change denial hampers efforts to address one of the most pressing existential threats facing humanity. Political polarization, fueled by misinformation, erodes trust in basic democracy and undermines our hard won social stability.
On a more personal level, individuals caught in the web of delusion suffer from cognitive dissonance, living in a reality disconnected from the social facts. This not only affects their decision-making, but also strains relationships and fosters an environment of suspicion and hostility. The cumulative effect is a mess where fear and mistrust easily push over cooperation and mutual understanding.
Addressing the age of mass delusion requires a multifaceted approach. Education systems must prioritize critical thinking and media literacy, equipping people with the tools to discern facts from fictions. We need to build institutions and networks like the #OMN, particularly in media and technology, to take some responsibility for curbing the spread of misinformation and promoting more reliable and truthful sources of information. Encouraging open dialogue can help bridge divides and rebuild trust in shared reality. The #4opens are a path to this to not only challenging falsehoods but also providing compelling narratives that resonate with people’s values and emotions. By creating a social environment that rewards paths of truth and reasonableness, we can push back at the tide of delusion and hysteria.
Our age of delusion, folly, and hysteria mirrors historical periods of irrationality and superstition. The erosion of shared social norms and reasonableness poses obverse risks to public health, democracy, and social cohesion. The path forward is clear, use the #4opens and tools like the #OMN to reclaim our commitment to truth and foster meany societies that value evidence and critical thinking #KISS
How can we get people not to be prats about this path, ideas, please?
In right wing and left wing, political extremism can easily function like religious fervour, creating clusters of bad ideas and behavers that are ingrained and resistant to change and challenge. This is cognitive dissonance, where people hold contradictory beliefs and behaviours without perceiving the inconsistency. We need to explore how dogmatic belief mirror religious convictions, the role of cognitive dissonance, and the mechanisms that allow people to maintain such conflicting views.
“How do these cretins live with their cognitive dissonance? ‘We won the war’/’I’m doing Nazi salutes’; ‘Respect the police’/’attack the police’; ‘Respect working people’/’trash this working neighbourhood’; ‘I demand the MSM tells the truth’/’I’ll believe anything from an unverified source’; ‘No unelected people in positions of power’/’Respect the royals’. In the US: ‘Heed the word of Jesus’/’Vote for a felonious sexual predator who vows to contradict all that Jesus said'” https://kolektiva.social/deck/@Richard_Littler@mastodon.social
Political beliefs can and do become religious dogmas for people, they become central to an individual’s identity. These beliefs are resistant to change because they provide a sense of belonging and certainty in a complex and uncertain world. Once embedded, belief systems create a filter and feedback loop through which all information is interpreted, leading to a confirmation bias where only supporting evidence is acknowledged, and contrary evidence is dismissed.
Cognitive dissonance occurs when peoples experience conflict between beliefs and behaviours, leading to psychological discomfort. To manage this discomfort, people employ coping mechanisms, such as rationalization, denial, or selective attention. This allows people to maintain contradictory positions without recognizing the inconsistency.
Let’s look at the quote above, the paradoxes highlighted: “Respect the police/attack the police” or “Heed the word of Jesus/vote for a felonious sexual predator”—illustrate how people in our current right-wing mess navigate conflicting ideas. These contradictions are resolved through rationalization and creating narratives to justify the inconsistency. For instance, violent actions against the police are framed as necessary resistance against a corrupt system, while supporting a morally evil leader is seen as a strategic choice for a greater good. From a psychological view:
Confirmation Bias: people seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and ignore or dismiss information that contradicts them. This bias reinforces their world-view and minimizes cognitive dissonance.
Identity Protection: Dogmatic political beliefs become intertwined with personal identity. Challenging beliefs feels like a personal attack, leading people to defend their positions vehemently in the face of contradictory evidence.
Echo Chambers: Social media and partisan news outlets create echo chambers, where people and communities are exposed predominantly to information that reinforces their beliefs. This isolation from diverse perspectives strengthens their commitment to their ideological positions.
Moral Licensing: Some people use their adherence to certain moral principles to justify behaviours that contradict other principles. For example, they rationalize supporting a morally flawed leader by emphasizing his perceived effectiveness in achieving their broader goals.
The intractability of dogmatic beliefs and the accompanying cognitive dissonance make it exceptionally challenging to shift this problem. Attempts to introduce logical or evidence-based counterarguments backfire, reinforcing the original beliefs through a phenomenon known as the “backfire effect.” This occurs because the cognitive dissonance created by the counterargument leads people to cling more tightly to their initial beliefs as a defence mechanism.
Dogmatic political beliefs are fervent religious convictions, digging deep paths that are difficult to move away from. Cognitive dissonance allows people to stay on these paths by maintain contradictory beliefs and behaviours and by employing mechanisms such as confirmation bias, identity protection, echo chambers, and moral licensing. Understanding these #KISS psychological paths helps to address the challenges and changes needed for progressive movement to fostering alternative #4opens paths of constructive dialogue in society. Recognizing the deep-seated nature of these beliefs can help to develop engagement and thus the needed change to challenge this mess.
This is a tuff mess to compost, and is the root of our growing political and social violence.
The path through technology, society, and environmental crises is a challenge that most people find difficult to find, let alone walk. This is why I have been building “sign posts” in a #hashtag story for the last 20 years, hashtags such as #geekproblem, #KISS, #4opens, and #deathcult etc. These are metaphors that highlight our technological thinking and represent issues and philosophies that make visible the paths of technological advancements and social cohesion. By using these “signs” and path, people can better understand the need to move from individualistic and technocentric working to collective and sustainable social practices.
The #geekproblem has the tendency of technologists and enthusiasts to focus excessively on technical solutions, neglecting the social and human aspects of these paths. Technologists struggle to comprehend the simplicity of #KISS path to overcome the tunnel vision where technical fixes are panaceas, side lining the importance of social dynamics and community engagement. The #4opens framework—open data, open source, open standards, and open process—offers a counterbalance by providing a structure that promotes transparency and collaboration. However, this does not inherently solve issues; it simply creates a space for people to engage and address problems collectively.
A significant barrier to overcoming the #geekproblem and embracing more holistic approaches is the pervasive culture of #deathcult worship. This is a metaphorical for the last 40 years of #neoliberalism, a term that describes the idolization of technological progress and capitalist efficiency at the expense of environmental sustainability and social well-being. Many people and groups, consciously or unconsciously, worship this path, prioritizing short-term gains and #fashionista “marvels” over sustainability and human connections.
The worship of this #deathcult is destructive because it undermines broader societal issues, it pushes the culture of #stupidindividualism with blinded competition, making it challenging to discuss and address anything outside the #mainstreaming agenda. This focus diverts attention from the collective action needed for #KISS tackling complex problems like #climatechaos and resulting social break down.
In this metaphor, composting represents the process of breaking down and re-evaluating our technological and social practices. It requires a willingness to let go of dysfunctional and harmful paradigms and to create fertile ground for new seeds or sustainable and humane approaches. This fertile soil, enriched by lessons learned and experiences gained, can nurture the sprigs of humanity through the on rushing era of #climatechaos.
To move beyond this destructive worship and technocentric mindset, we need to recognize and reject the blinded pushing of technology and efficiency as easy goals. This involves a critical examination of our values and the systems we support, using the #4opens to composting the piles of #techshit accumulated over the past decade’s symbolizes a necessary shift from merely accumulating technological advancements to reflecting on their impact and repurposing them for good.
Balance Individualism: Embrace collective action and community engagement. Recognize that social problems cannot be solved by technical solutions alone.
Promote the #4opens: Encourage transparency, collaboration, and openness in all endeavours. Use these principles to create spaces where people can engage and address issues together.
Critique the #Deathcult: Actively challenge the idolization of blinded technological progress and capitalist efficiency. Advocate for sustainable and socially responsible practices.
Compost and Rebuild: Reflect on past practices, learn from mistakes, and repurpose technology to support long-term sustainability and human well-being.
Nurture Humanity: Focus on building strong, resilient communities that can withstand and adapt to the challenges of the #climatechaos era.
The journey to overcoming the #geekproblem and moving away from #deathcult worship is needed, it’s past the time to pick up your shovels and make compost on this.
