charlie warzel: “In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to explain how disconnected a meaningful percentage of Americans are from reality. As Hurricane Milton roared across the Gulf of Mexico last night, I saw an onslaught of blatant conspiracy theories and outrageous nonsense garnering millions of views across the Internet…
“Even in a decade marred by online scammers, shameless politicians, and an alt-right media complex pushing anti-science fringe theories, the events of the past few weeks have stood out for their decadence and nihilism. “As two catastrophic storms rocked American cities, a patchwork network of influencers and fake news peddlers did their best to sow distrust, stoke anger and impede relief efforts.”
“But this is more than just a misinformation crisis. Watching real information get overwhelmed by crazy theories and public officials fighting death threats confronts us with two startling facts. First, a durable ecosystem exists to trap citizens in an alternate reality. Second, those who consume and amplify such lies are not helpless deceivers but willing participants.”
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