If you’ve been listening to the Mad Christian lately, you might have heard the term “mass formation psychosis” mentioned more than once. Folks who promulgate the theory suggest that pandemic restrictions have created perfect conditions for people to fall under the spell of mass formation. The theory requires that a few things be present before mass formation… Read More Mass disinformation neurosis
There has been a not-too-subtle change in the officially accepted take on COVID-19 in the last couple of weeks. Ben Shapiro was one of those who documenting the flip-flopping in a Twitter thread. After promising to “shut down the virus,” not the economy nor the county, President Biden conceded last week that there is “no federal solution” to the pandemic. It is… Read More Before and after
Henry Ford once famously said that folks could have the popular Model-T automobile in any color, “so long as it is black.” Ford cars did come in other colors but scaling up the newly-invented assembly line was easier with less variables. Fast forward to today and those with means can have any and all options. But even for… Read More Decisions! Decisions!
Tech companies were in the spotlight last week with lawsuits aplenty. Italy is fining Amazon $1.3 BN for abusing its market dominance. Rohingya refugees are suing Meta (Facebook) for $150BN. The group from Myanmar’s Muslim minority claim that Facebook amplified hate speech and violence against them in a 2017 military crackdown which saw 10000 killed. A UK competition watchdog… Read More Price is high
In recent weeks, the headlines have been filled with the news of several high-profile legal cases (here and here), sparking much commentary on the judicial system and the nature of justice. After the vindication of Kyle Rittenhouse, the trial for the killers of Ahmaud Arbery and the case against Andrew Coffee also concluded, both defendants claiming self-defence. Though the details varied considerably,… Read More Let it flow like a river
1. It isolates you.2. Its channels are an input monopoly.3. It demeans your outdatedness incessantly.4. It breeds exhaustion.5. It rules via FOMO.6. It bleeds just enough eye-candy to keep you coming back.7. There is never anything you can do about it.8. What you see is just the way it is. One medium. Endless messages. All… Read More The Religion of the Screen
John Hanke, the CEO of gaming company Niantic, recently tweeted that the idea of the “metaverse” is a “dystopian nightmare.” Niantic, the company behind Pokemon GO is mapping the world, making a database to help future developers of augmented reality (AR) technology. Hanke has an unease about the project, knowing that “bad actors” could abuse such information, but… Read More Reality Check
Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted of all charges after a Kenosha jury deliberated for almost four days. The killing of two men and wounding of a third during riots in Wisconsin last year was ruled an act of self-defense. There were celebrations outside the courthouse, with motorists honking their approval of the verdict. However, violence broke out in Portland and other cities… Read More The verdict
A Federalist reporter and a Newsweek journalist sat down for a conversation and the result is an insightful critique of the news media. Emily Jashinsky and Batya Ungar-Sargon discussed the changing patterns of news reporting and consumption, concluding that today’s highly-educated journalists are out of touch with “middle America.” Ungar-Sargon argues that political polarization is really an elite phenomenon, as… Read More The chattering class
The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse was held this week, with his lawyers bringing evidence that the teenager was acting in self-defense when he killed two men and shot another. A key witness for the prosecution admitted, under oath, that he had pulled his gun first, before being shot in the arm by Rittenhouse. The witness, Gaige Grosskreutz,… Read More Trials and errors
