“It’s a crazy world out there, and it’s getting crazier. Don’t add to the insanity.” – Richard Heinberg. —
No 2699 Posted by fw, January 16, 2021 —
“On January 6, thousands gathered in Washington, DC to hear an inciteful speech from President Trump, then forcefully breached the US Capitol Building in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transition of presidential power—an institutional foundation of democracy. … All of this is occurring just as the COVID-19 pandemic is reaching its most virulent and deadly stage. On average, the US is seeing 250,000 new case per day and over 3,000 daily fatalities. As has been widely documented, this horrendous state of affairs is largely due to a failure of national leadership, along with widespread misinformation and disinformation about the disease itself, and effective ways to manage it. … If, as I argued in a recent essay, the US has entered a new violent phase in its ongoing breakdown of consensus reality, then it is entirely predictable that those most responsible for maintaining the mainstream consensus will react by tamping down free expression—as happened previously during vaguely analogous moments in American history… Today, most communication occurs via the internet and social media. There are far more voices seeking to be heard, and far more alternate mental “realities” are being created. Maintaining a consensus is becoming difficult to impossible. Is the answer censorship?” Richard Heinberg, Resilience
Richard Heinberg is a Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute and is regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels.
Below is my repost of Heinberg’s take on the combined impact of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the push for increased censorship in response to a breakdown of “consensus reality” in the US. My repost features added subheadings, text highlighting, some bulletted formatting, and minor editing.
Alternatively, read Heinberg’s original article by clicking on the following linked title.
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Trump’s inciteful speech spurs frenzied insurrection at the US Capitol building
On January 6, thousands gathered in Washington, DC to hear an inciteful speech from President Trump, then forcefully breached the US Capitol Building in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transition of presidential power—an institutional foundation of democracy. Some among the mob entering the building were recorded chanting “Hang Mike Pence!,” while others beat police with pipes (even though the throngs of rioters included some off-duty police from around the country), with one officer dying of injuries. They demanded to know House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s whereabouts, vandalized property, and erected a makeshift gallows outside. They planted explosive devices at the headquarters of both political parties and stashed guns, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails in the vicinity.
Consider the delusional and perceived grievances shared by the insurrectionists
The insurrectionists shared a set of delusions and perceived grievances:
The backlash came rather swiftly…
Most Americans, including many Republicans, reacted with horror (though, according to one poll, 45 percent of Republicans approved the assault on the Capitol building). The backlash came rather swiftly:
… and conspiracy theories continued to proliferate
Still, the conspiracy theories continue to proliferate. A few online “experts” have claimed the insurrection was a pre-planned set-up, designed to provide incoming president Biden with the justification for creating a police state, and designating protesters (and vaccine refusers) as “domestic terrorists.”
Right-wing message boards call for marches in state capitals and massive action to disrupt inauguration
Right-wing message boards are currently calling for marches to surround and occupy all 50 state capitols, and for a massive action to disrupt the inauguration on January 20. Meanwhile, 10,000 troops are on their way to Washington to supplement the Capitol Police.
Meanwhile, 250,000 new COVID-19 cases appear daily, with 3,000 deaths per day
All of this is occurring just as the COVID-19 pandemic is reaching its most virulent and deadly stage. On average, the US is seeing 250,000 new case per day and over 3,000 daily fatalities. As has been widely documented, this horrendous state of affairs is largely due to a failure of national leadership, along with widespread misinformation and disinformation about the disease itself, and effective ways to manage it.
Breakdown in information sources feeds paranoid pandemic conspiracy theories
The US hadn’t seen a serious pandemic in a century; the current one has come along at just the moment when divisive new communication technologies and platforms are breaking down trust in traditional information sources. If the pandemic itself is literally viral, the conspiracy theories about it are figuratively so. Visit a few of the most popular conspiracy websites and you will learn
Eruption of paranoid fantasy is a preview of this century’s coming real challenges
This eruption of paranoid fantasy is likely just a preview of what we may see as the real challenges of the century begin to bite—including
With an ongoing breakdown of “consensus reality” expect a tightening of free expression
If, as I argued in a recent essay, the US has entered a new violent phase in its ongoing breakdown of consensus reality, then it is entirely predictable that those most responsible for maintaining the mainstream consensus will react by tamping down free expression—as happened previously during vaguely analogous moments in American history.
In this era of internet and social media communication, consensus building is difficult
Communication is the responsibility not just of individuals seeking to be heard, but also the media that spread their views. In the two periods of upheaval just mentioned, the main means of communication were books, magazines, and newspapers. Censorship was a simple, if often brutal, process. Today, most communication occurs via the internet and social media.
Censorship may be ineffective or counterproductive
Under these circumstances, censorship may be ineffective or counterproductive. Already, the banning of pro-insurrection users on social media platforms is impacting not only their efforts to organize, but also efforts by authorities to track and pre-empt further violence. Serious insurrectionists are predictably turning to encryption, which is cheaply and widely available.
There are no easy solutions to communication challenges
There are no easy answers, from either a technical or an ethical perspective, to this nexus of problems.
The line must be drawn at communication promoting physical violence and calls for harm
The best I can suggest is that we as a society draw the line at physical violence and direct calls for harm to others.
Navigating the minefield in this anything goes age of rapid-fire information overload
We have individual responsibility for how we shape our own worldviews based on the news and opinions we “ingest.”
This above all – Don’t add to the insanity
It’s a crazy world out there, and it’s getting crazier. Don’t add to the insanity.
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