Emails from Another Universe

Not sure how or why it happened. But my last search for the Trump Jr. emails seemed to have tapped into some alternate dimension. The exchange starts off the same, but takes several unexpected turns. . .

The Process of Dismediation 0.9

I’ve been struggling to come up with a way to visualize how the media works in a neo-authoritarian government.  One expects the authoritarian to have complete control or almost complete control over the press; active suppression of dissent.  Turns out you don’t need to do that at all.  If you feed people lies consistently enough, many won’t believe them, but many will, and many more will turn away from any media, which allows the authoritarian to do what they’d like.

Below is a working infographic representing the phenomenon:

Download or View in Full Resolution

The next version will include pinpointed attributions, but for anyone wishing to know more about the modern method of misinformation, read or watch the below:

A message to my doomed colleagues in the American media

When the Truth Falls Apart

The Hidden Assumption Behind The Purge

The Purge is a 2013 horror film that explores the idea of an America where all crime is legal for one night a year.  Part of the appeal of the films are how they explore the effects such a festival would have on culture and economics.  A central theme is that there are positive outcomes of the Purge: there is almost no crime

What We Mean When We Say Not Normal

Since Trump’s win on November 6th, I’ve seen a lot of stories casting Trump as an authoritarian, an autocrat, a fascist.  Most of what’s been written is intended for an audience that’s accepted the premise: what to do, how to take action.  Those of us who think this way remind each other to fight normalization with the phrase, ‘This is not normal.’  I can only imagine how that must sound to someone who doesn’t buy in.  ‘This is not normal’ makes sense to me, but isn’t terribly specific.  So, what exactly do we mean when we say it?  Given that quite a lot of people consider what’s taking place as perfectly normal, it’s a question worth answering.  I had trouble answering it.  As such, I can’t find a lot of fault with people who aren’t on board.

But if I had to choose one thing, it would be the press conference of the President Elect on the 11th of January.  This was my major not normal moment, and it came fairly late in the game.  Prior to this, I was unhappy with the results, but generally resigned to endure it.  After this, I was truly worried.  So, to you, my hypothetical citizen who thinks that they are watching a perfectly normal presidency unfold, I say the following:

How Not to Think About the News

A few weeks back, I started to see this graphic make the rounds on social media.  There are no sources or accompanying article that I could find, but it looks like someone’s earnest attempt to articulate their view of political media.  Whoever made it, I think they hit the nail on the head when it comes to how many of us think about political media.  We’ve got ‘bias’ from the left or right and more ‘journalistic value’ somewhere in the middle.  It may well be something somebody just threw together but, it rings true, right?  As such, it can show us how we think about politics and media.  We might not agree with the exact placement of each of the outlets, but the overall model in our heads probably looks something like this: