The focus on "privilege" to the point of sidelining relation was so corrosive, someone can still be a good presence in someone else's life even if they're more privileged.

Not being oppressed might even make you more able to care for others

lots of posturing to be "most harmless victim," which naturally attracted the straight-up bad people who would twist the rhetoric (derailing whatever social justice there once was)

Perhaps ideology comes from (class) struggle rather than design. Apparently Machiavelli attributed the vitality of the Roman republic to senate/plebeians

books.openedition.org/ksp/pdf/1840

seems that the influence of the person posting anti-vax content would be more direct

tbh the way it got twisted for people to feel special/make identities is still gonna be a problem (given the eminence of "making identity" in our times).

might need to be quieter but I don't have solutions except "don't be naive and assume good faith"

blue check for guy yelling in public

pre-202? "the algorithm" was choosing among other people's opinions based on likes/interaction (i.e. what other people do).

If anything media with editors gets let off the hook too easily

but how do you explain the connection between "it would reduce profits" and reducing political venom/polarization?

If the stuff that riles people up keeps them around longer, can't imagine that letting people "choose the algorithm" would do enough.

pre-202? accounts on social media were just people, you were reading other citizen's opinions they volunteered.

Propaganda comes from somewhere! There are agents designing it, and they have human motivations + are part of society, it's not like rain.

murdoch flattered trump to avoid losing viewers (despite thinking trump is stupid)—"billionaire owned" but still amplified the worst of "the people"

murdoch made fox news more pro-trump to avoid losing viewership (he personally thought trump was stupid). At some point you have to blame the people (hardly "the elites" in this case lol).

if you get rid of rules/rationality, status + dominance just play out by violence

deeper than "revolution vs. incremental change" (as they frame it), they don't have aptitude to organize society and their critiques are only useful in a society governed by those they despise/undermine

idk it seemed to go off the rails like 2015-2020. Once it got enough heft it garnered straight-up bad actors, munchausen or pathological liars, people claiming identities to feel special (and drowning out those who couldn't opt out of their differences even if they tried)...

by 2020 it was covering for people with straight-up munchausen. making up insane rules for interaction and then yelling at people/acting like you're the victim of a civil rights violation

completely torpedoed disability activism and trans stuff.

"A large segment of the workforce makes <$15/hr and struggles to get north of 30hrs/wk."

I don't think that's true.

Because they keep increasing taxes on workers. www.ssa.gov/oact/progdat...

"highly technical specialized roles" are necessary for prosperity, and blue-collar workers enjoy consumerism just like wider society.

The left today is "society owes material equality [opportunities for consumption]" rather than "workers shouldn't be exploited" so it's a success on the left's terms

This is a straight-up lie. Social security tax rates have increased since inception and removing the cap (even in the best case scenario) is kicking the can down the road—workers today still pay for benefits that they will themselves never see

www.ssa.gov/oact/ProgDat...
www.ssa.gov/OACT/solvenc...

It's simply true that young people are paying higher taxes than old people paid in their working lives, to fund benefits they will likely not see.

"Pay 6.2% tax to fund the retirement of someone who paid 3.85% in their working life" is obviously unfair.

www.ssa.gov/oact/ProgDat...