There have been times throughout history (maybe last time here in the US was in the 60s and 70s) where there are more assassinations and political violence. Now feels like that time.
Eventually the influencer killings will matter as much as the school shootings, so not at all. Columbine was shocking and in response we did nothing. Sandy Hook was even more shocking and we did nothing. Hell Alex Jones still stalks the air waves. There was a school shooting in Colorado at about the same time Kirk was killed and nobody cares.That cursed legislative council propagated "stand your ground" laws across the country so every single of fear can become a chance to recreate a Western shootout. This too shall become part of the background noise of wanton carnage that is American life.
Not celebrating when someone gets assassinated. It’s really worrying when I go on social media and see everyone happy about this. People want blood. Sick sick times.
imo the reaction feels a lot like what happened with Luigi in that "normal" online people (i.e. non-influencer people but those who spout their opinions on social media) are very much "what did you expect". I don't know what you call it - the phrase `vibe shift` seems too overused and late to the party, the vibe shifted already plenty of time ago. It's more that the violence of both assassinations is welcomed with open arms by onlookers stateside - less bystander effect and more "g'wan, do it again" - and this apparently terrifies the class of people who claim they "matter". Hard to think of another country remotely close to this.
From my own 'online' perspective, these recent killings and the greater zeitgeist that leads to and which follows from them cannot be fully separated from the destruction of accountability, rules and norms (or what remains of their veneers) that characterize recent state behaviors, most notably the US-backed Israeli war on Gaza. Everything about a live-streamed genocide which entails open criminality, blatant lies, boastful bragging, and relies on Orwellian/Kafkaesque reframing of observable reality, and the destruction or denigration of free speech - to me - inevitably leads to this kind of spectacle. Throw in simply murdering 11 dudes on a boat in international waters (and now 3 more?), the wanton murder of Iranian Gen. Soleimani, Israel's unapologetic assassination campaigns in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar (all of which with zero actual accountability) - and it's a major worldwide escalation (and open embrace) of the kinds of things Bush and Obama were criticized for being among the first to do, *somewhat* less openly.
The generation of people who are the first to be full participants in the "influencer" culture surely must notice that fame (or notoriety) trumps accountability (or humane norms) - at least for our politicians, officials and "elites"... Morals are mostly relative now. That is, relative to how much power, firepower, or money you can bring to bear. Human life is ephemeral and expendable.... apparently, at least if we're judging by how our "betters" are telling it.
People talk about "Civil War" all the time, but who would actually be fighting? Yeah, there's lots of jacked up gun nuts, right wingers, and police state, but what is even threatening them?
Yeah, it seems now those are lone actors completely politicized in online spaces. Are they even part of a coherent group working together? Most people aren’t online all the time. They are not ready to join some militia. It is strange though, what this essay outlines - there is some other online world that is very real to people. I experience it myself. It is a place but has only one dimension and is flat.
For plenty of people contact with larger “political” reality outside their immediate family and commercial activities is through the tv/internet. It defines their world.
That’s really troubling especially because the incentive for any media especially now that it is so fragmented is to focus on divisiveness. I’ve been a long time opponent of the idea of Israel and it’s crazy that it’s morphed into many other people who I feel like I share the same beliefs with want to visit the same collective punishment and violence against Israelis. It’s complete cognitive dissonance. I understand it in some way as what precedes many acts of violence is government censorship but I worry about the people I share online space with. There is a circle of violence that I see coming.
The influencer class have stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the memer, the lawyer(TM), the grifter, the poet, the poster of coal, into its content makers.
There have been times throughout history (maybe last time here in the US was in the 60s and 70s) where there are more assassinations and political violence. Now feels like that time.
Yeah it is def headed in that direction. I predict it will get worse than those times. It's pretty grim and will get grimmer.
Eventually the influencer killings will matter as much as the school shootings, so not at all. Columbine was shocking and in response we did nothing. Sandy Hook was even more shocking and we did nothing. Hell Alex Jones still stalks the air waves. There was a school shooting in Colorado at about the same time Kirk was killed and nobody cares.That cursed legislative council propagated "stand your ground" laws across the country so every single of fear can become a chance to recreate a Western shootout. This too shall become part of the background noise of wanton carnage that is American life.
Sadly I agree
Why 'sadly?' Your country makes war NOT peace.
Because I don’t want people to die.
WHAT are you doing about this?
Not celebrating when someone gets assassinated. It’s really worrying when I go on social media and see everyone happy about this. People want blood. Sick sick times.
imo the reaction feels a lot like what happened with Luigi in that "normal" online people (i.e. non-influencer people but those who spout their opinions on social media) are very much "what did you expect". I don't know what you call it - the phrase `vibe shift` seems too overused and late to the party, the vibe shifted already plenty of time ago. It's more that the violence of both assassinations is welcomed with open arms by onlookers stateside - less bystander effect and more "g'wan, do it again" - and this apparently terrifies the class of people who claim they "matter". Hard to think of another country remotely close to this.
From my own 'online' perspective, these recent killings and the greater zeitgeist that leads to and which follows from them cannot be fully separated from the destruction of accountability, rules and norms (or what remains of their veneers) that characterize recent state behaviors, most notably the US-backed Israeli war on Gaza. Everything about a live-streamed genocide which entails open criminality, blatant lies, boastful bragging, and relies on Orwellian/Kafkaesque reframing of observable reality, and the destruction or denigration of free speech - to me - inevitably leads to this kind of spectacle. Throw in simply murdering 11 dudes on a boat in international waters (and now 3 more?), the wanton murder of Iranian Gen. Soleimani, Israel's unapologetic assassination campaigns in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar (all of which with zero actual accountability) - and it's a major worldwide escalation (and open embrace) of the kinds of things Bush and Obama were criticized for being among the first to do, *somewhat* less openly.
The generation of people who are the first to be full participants in the "influencer" culture surely must notice that fame (or notoriety) trumps accountability (or humane norms) - at least for our politicians, officials and "elites"... Morals are mostly relative now. That is, relative to how much power, firepower, or money you can bring to bear. Human life is ephemeral and expendable.... apparently, at least if we're judging by how our "betters" are telling it.
For me it is ALL good which is: I don't think this was Mossad/FBI.
There are SO many factions in the USA right now and 'frankly' who cares about one white man!
US is on the verge of Civil War.......do you really know who your neighbours are?
This is what 'grassroots campaigners' were focused on. Know your neighbour.. Speak to your neighbour but all the people in USA ignored this.
People talk about "Civil War" all the time, but who would actually be fighting? Yeah, there's lots of jacked up gun nuts, right wingers, and police state, but what is even threatening them?
Yeah, it seems now those are lone actors completely politicized in online spaces. Are they even part of a coherent group working together? Most people aren’t online all the time. They are not ready to join some militia. It is strange though, what this essay outlines - there is some other online world that is very real to people. I experience it myself. It is a place but has only one dimension and is flat.
For plenty of people contact with larger “political” reality outside their immediate family and commercial activities is through the tv/internet. It defines their world.
That’s really troubling especially because the incentive for any media especially now that it is so fragmented is to focus on divisiveness. I’ve been a long time opponent of the idea of Israel and it’s crazy that it’s morphed into many other people who I feel like I share the same beliefs with want to visit the same collective punishment and violence against Israelis. It’s complete cognitive dissonance. I understand it in some way as what precedes many acts of violence is government censorship but I worry about the people I share online space with. There is a circle of violence that I see coming.
The influencer class have stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the memer, the lawyer(TM), the grifter, the poet, the poster of coal, into its content makers.