URGENT URGENT UR-- (next)
Back around the start of February, the HUGE thing that was all over the news was that Donald Trump was getting cucked, right out in public, by the REAL PRESIDENT, Elon Musk. Time magazine, in a classic of the “oh, snap!” news genre, put Musk behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, as a cover image:
How humiliating for Donald Trump! Everybody said that he wasn’t even the real president anymore:
And then no one actually cared at all, because the whole thing was incredibly stupid, and so this happened:
A little later that month, Donald Trump fired several flag officers, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was literally almost a coup d’etat and a massive crisis and the most horriblest thing ever and it completely destabilized the military and everybody died at least four or five times:
Panicked headlines poured down, as DEMOCRACY LITERALLY ENDED:
You see, it’s utterly unprecedented for the President of the United States to act like he’s in charge of the military, because for sure nobody had ever fired any generals before:
And then:
So.
One way to distinguish between a real crisis and a manufactured crisis is to see if people still care a week later. By that standard, we don’t have many real crises. Learning to ignore most of the news is a powerful mental health tool.
You probably knew that already, but it might be a good moment for a quick reminder.
Mencken didn't make up his bit about an endless series of hobgoblins for no reason. What was true then is even more so with the 24hr news cycle.
These kinds of nonsensical superlative-laden narratives also provide journalists and nonprofits with work, and they distract from the real social issues (crime, immigration and its aftermath, bureaucratic expansion and increasingly terrible social services), information about which is available to anyone with an internet connection and a modicum of open-mindedness and curiosity. That last clause is essential. By keeping 30-35% of the nation (disproportionately educated professionals) chasing their tail they can distract from scandals involving politicians and government waste and the growing realization that our bureaucratic system is parasitic and malignant.
They would rather hyperventilate about Musk than consider the child rapists released back into the community ion Boston or the trillions of dollars wasted or our profoundly failing public education system. I imagine it's even a bit fun, if not very psychologically healthy.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/horizontal-information-flow