I think this article is pretty light on alternate solutions. It proposes rationally and intellectually trying to make the other side see why you are right and they are wrong, and makes a kind of snarky claim that somehow that CAN more easily be done, where I'm only seeing a normative idea here, it should be done, but can it?
I'm not so sure it can personally.
I think it forgets that most people are just whatever their surrounding makes them. That's why "trends" are so powerful influencers. That's why you have clear pockets, areas where the people in the same geographic areas all vote mostly similar and share similar values and ideas.
The people who think their way unbiased through value, moral and ideas are rare.
What we're left with in my opinion as viable solutions are two approaches:
1. Censorship
2. Propaganda
Of the two, I think Propaganda is the best. I think we've seen that on both side now, left or right, it's the "trending" messages, tweets, memes, and all that which work best to convince and influence others. Propaganda creates culture, and culture defines peoples viewpoint.
The issue today is all about Propaganda and the powers behind them. What is being most promoted? Retweeted? Recommended?
When you have legitimate bots and troll farms participating in these efforts, and when you have extremists on all sides actively pushing messaging online, it creates new "trends" and it slowly plants seeds in people's head one way or another.
Whichever side I'd be on, I'd focus my effort there to win. Publish messaging, memes, photos, clips, headlines that discredit the other side at every turn, adds haze and confusion, throws shades. And fill every channel with an abundance of your own messaging, values, ideas, alongside catchy positives.
Now do this well, and it also results in censoring the other as a side effect. If you're the thing trending and being recommended, it means the other messages won't reach as many people. If you flood things, the other messages are less likely to be seen.
I'm not so sure it can personally.
I think it forgets that most people are just whatever their surrounding makes them. That's why "trends" are so powerful influencers. That's why you have clear pockets, areas where the people in the same geographic areas all vote mostly similar and share similar values and ideas.
The people who think their way unbiased through value, moral and ideas are rare.
What we're left with in my opinion as viable solutions are two approaches:
1. Censorship 2. Propaganda
Of the two, I think Propaganda is the best. I think we've seen that on both side now, left or right, it's the "trending" messages, tweets, memes, and all that which work best to convince and influence others. Propaganda creates culture, and culture defines peoples viewpoint.
The issue today is all about Propaganda and the powers behind them. What is being most promoted? Retweeted? Recommended?
When you have legitimate bots and troll farms participating in these efforts, and when you have extremists on all sides actively pushing messaging online, it creates new "trends" and it slowly plants seeds in people's head one way or another.
Whichever side I'd be on, I'd focus my effort there to win. Publish messaging, memes, photos, clips, headlines that discredit the other side at every turn, adds haze and confusion, throws shades. And fill every channel with an abundance of your own messaging, values, ideas, alongside catchy positives.
Now do this well, and it also results in censoring the other as a side effect. If you're the thing trending and being recommended, it means the other messages won't reach as many people. If you flood things, the other messages are less likely to be seen.