I think the last couple of elections have shown us how powerful online discourse can be. I don’t think it makes sense to pretend internet discourse doesn’t bleed heavily into the real world. Look at the influence QAnon, for instance, has had on the MAGA movement and the Republican Party at large.
I understand we disagree here but telling someone you’re laughing at their views is incredibly rude. If you don’t want to have a respectful discussion then we can both just move on.
sorry, i really didn't mean to offend you. i really didn't convey the tone i was going for well.
what i've learned in the period of time between the last couple elections is how astroturfed online discourse is, and when that astroturfing fails to manage opinion effectively--i'm thinking here about the israeli genocide against the palestinians--cruder forms of supression are used. and then if public opinion continues to be "wrong", well, just nothing happens, the button of public opinion isn't wired to anything.
