The power of a conspiracy theory -- and a 3-step plan to deprogram American idiocracy [View all]

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The power of a conspiracy theory — and a 3-step plan to deprogram American idiocracy
What can be done to lessen the power and appeal of conspiracy theories in American politics and society?

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED JANUARY 23, 2023 5:50AM (EST)


(Salon) America is becoming an idiocracy — assuming it isn't fully one already.

On a widely viewed cable TV network there is a new show called "Power Slap: Road to the Title," and the title is a perfect description of the show. In this "sport" two adults slap one another as hard as they can until one of them is knocked out, cannot continue, or the "judges" stop the "competition." The "slap-fighters" are not allowed to put up their hands to defend themselves or flinch. The participants in this human zoo have been knocked head over heels (literally) and appear to have suffered severe concussions as well as bloody and swollen faces that could result in permanent disfigurement. The crowd in the studio cheers as the competitors slap each other into oblivion.

It is all one more example of how American society is "amusing itself to death" as a culture that is infantile and broken — both socially and politically. Today's America is extremely anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-rational, unreflective, impulsive, narcissistic and juvenile. Such a dynamic breeds fascism, authoritarianism, fake populism, white supremacy, misogyny, violence, and a larger culture of cruelty and debasement that does not value or elevate human dignity and human respect.

The Age of Trump and American neofascism are an extension of these cultural pathologies and failings. In a previous essay here at Salon I summarized this rot:

More than half of all Americans cannot read at a sixth-grade level. High quality primary and secondary public education, as well as the college and university system — which should create citizens who are capable of critical thinking and acting as responsible members of a democratic community — have been systematically targeted for destruction by the Republican Party and "conservative" movement….

To some significant degree, the internet, social media and its algorithms, our ubiquitous smart phones and digital technology, and a larger media culture designed to drive what is euphemistically described as "engagement," damages people's ability to think deeply and critically about complex matters.

While overuse of social media and digital technology can be harmful across all demographic cohorts, research suggests it has a particularly negative impact on the brain and emotional development of younger people. Psychologists and other researchers have demonstrated that many Americans are increasingly unable to concentrate or engage in deep focused thinking for more than a few minutes.

....(snip)....

What can be done to lessen the power and appeal of conspiracy theories in American politics and society? Here is a short list to start:

01 Deplatform hate

Malign actors such as Donald Trump, the Republican fascists, and the propagandists across the right-wing media hate echo chamber who circulate conspiracy theories and disinformation need to be publicly confronted and denied a platform by the mainstream news media.

02 Build community

America's epidemic of loneliness, social alienation, and broken community ties and bonds needs to be addressed as a type of public health crisis. America also needs to expand low cost and free access to mental health care services.

America's extreme levels of social inequality and a growing rift where the country's elites feel little connection to or responsibility to the public and the commons needs to be remedied. .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2023/01/23/the-power-of-a-conspiracy-theory--and-a-3-step-plan-to-deprogram-american-idiocracy/