Welcome to Saturday Hashtag, a weekly place for broader context.
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The apex of cultural and social synchronicity for humanity (and the US specifically) happened on July 20, 1969, with the moon landing.
This moment transcended civilization and united mankind creating a singular global zeitgeist convergence, specifically because the facts of this event were uniformly interpreted by the entire population of the planet.
While the moon landing marked the peak of global unity, since then social cohesion has steadily eroded. Over the last 30 years societal fragmentation has accelerated dramatically, especially in the US because of its unique standing and political structure.
Most of the 195 existing countries were founded on the shared geography, history, and aspirations of a homogenous population. Of this group, 83 are classified as free, and about 20 of those prioritized personal freedom and individual rights.
The United States stands out not only for its vast geography and diverse population but also because of its core values — personal liberty, economic freedom, and individual self-expression — which, while empowering individuals, can also undermine collective unity, making the country more susceptible to division.
Another concerning and far more significant factor contributing to this social disunity is the intensifying conflict over how reality is perceived through the digital prism of information technology.
The very structure of this modern digital media system is engineered to invisibly amplify extreme viewpoints and disseminate sensationalism, controversy, and fabrications over accurate information, grounded facts, and even objective reality.
The inherent distortion of reality created by the complex and invisible mechanisms of automated information technology superimposed on the unique social and political structures of the US is a formula for chaos. At its most harmless, this process amplifies subjective interpretations of events and subverts any unified, fact-based understanding of reality.
We need to understand that the mechanisms of this system are not at all benign. They are easily manipulated and have already fragmented the collective psyche, undermined institutional confidence, and all but extinguished a sense of common experience, which is essential for fostering shared values.
Nietzsche’s famous assertion “there are no facts, only interpretations” has become disturbingly relevant today, as exemplified by Kellyanne Conway’s infamous phrase “alternative facts.” The denial and subversion of objective truth has now become a legitimate part of the information landscape.
To address this crisis we need to legislate the reform of algorithms and broader system transparency, implement media literacy in grade school, and strengthen democratic institutions to cultivate a more informed, cohesive, and resilient public.
It is essential to address the growing social fragmentation in the United States not only for the sake of the country but because its domestic instability has profound global implications.
How America Fractured Into Four Parts
The author writes, “People in the United States no longer agree on the nation’s purpose, values, history, or meaning. Is reconciliation possible?”
Individual Liberty and the Importance of the Concept of the People
From Nature: “Through publicly agreed laws that correspond to a common set of public restrictions, the ‘people as a sovereign body’ serves to protect against violations of individual liberty and despotic power. Where no such common body exists, individuals are deprived of this protection.”
Government Has No Intention of Cracking Down on Disinformation
The author writes, “We continually face the challenge of media literacy and the balancing of human rights in communication and influence. A critical question arises: what rights do people have to decide how they use their platforms to communicate information? Can platforms or publishers be used to intentionally spread disinformation or fictions?”
Russia Escalates Effort to Subvert Election and ‘Instill Fear in Voters,’ US Says
The authors write, “Russian groups and other foreign adversaries have unleashed an extensive disinformation campaign to undermine confidence in the election, and senior U.S. officials are worried that Moscow’s efforts could continue to stoke political discord until the election is certified in January.”
How Policymakers Should Handle a Fragmenting World
From Foreign Policy: “We are at a turning point. Trade is fragmenting as many countries erect barriers in the name of ‘friendshoring,’ ‘de-risking,’ and ‘self-reliance.’ Countries may have valid reasons for pursuing these policies, such as the need to strengthen national security and build resilience. And in the short term, some nations may benefit. If the trend continues, though, we could end up in a new cold war. And the costs — including less peace, less security, and less prosperity — will overwhelm the benefits.”
The World in 2024: Ten Issues That Will Shape The International Agenda
From CIDOB: “Every year the erosion of current international norms is more marked, and events become more unpredictable. The world is increasingly decentralized, diversified and multidimensional. This ‘multiplex order,’ as Amitav Acharya described it in 2017, is cementing, because everything is happening simultaneously. And yet this reshaping of the world is still wide open because several struggles are playing out at once.”
How the Media Can Escape Its Doom Loop of Distrust
The author writes, “In the bitterly fractious, misinformation-saturated, social-mediated America of 2024, it’s hard to think of a consensus candidate for the title of most trusted, but it would probably not be a journalist. The authors of one Gallup survey last year declared their assessment of public trust and confidence in mass media ‘the grimmest in Gallup’s history.’ Among Gallup’s ranking of the 10 US civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process, mass media and Congress were tied for the least trusted.”
New Tech, AI Bringing Digital Media Into New Age
From Expansion Solutions Magazine: “It’s 2024. That alone means that with technological advancements zooming forward at warp speed, the future seems to arrive faster than ever. That proclamation particularly applies, in this case, to digital media, with fast forward icons getting pressed more often in these earlier days of concepts such as artificial intelligence. On that note, how fast is the digital media landscape changing?”
