JOHN RALSTON SAUL ~ BUREAUCRATIC EMPLOYEES SPECIALIZED IN METHODOLOGY ~ THE UNCONSCIOUS CIVILIZATION ~ 1995

~ E-PS-A-S-HATI-SA-TTAO-CE-B-AA-TT-POTWOSD ~ Economists – Political Scientists – And – Sociologists – Have Attempted To Imitate – Scientific Analysis – Through The Accumulation Of – Circumstantial Evidence – But – Above All – Through Their – Parodies Of The Worst Of The Scientific Dialects

~ B-D-A-I-HBBU-F-S-N-G ~ Both – Democracy – And – Individualism – Have Been Based Upon – Financial – Sacrifice – Not – Gain

HIITTWHFITS-W-E-IAS-IAIM-DWC? ~ How Is It Then That We Have Fallen Into Taking Seriously – Equating – In A Silly – Indeed An Immature Manner – Democracy With Capitalism?

~ M-BL-WPTI-O-C/FM/PI/R-A-TNC-TAM:BESIM ~ Most – Business Leaders – Who Preach The Ideology – Of – Capitalism / Free Markets / Personal Initiative / Risk – Are – Themselves Not Capitalists – They Are Managers: Bureaucratic Employees Specialized In Methodology

JOYCE APPLEBY ~ THE RELENTLESS REVOLUTION ~ 2010

~ OCCTBOTCS-W-TAOT-DA-A-HM-TT-W-GS-HMP-A-SAE ~ One Cannot Celebrate The Benefits Of The Capitalist System – Without – Taking Account Of The – Disastrous Adventures – And – Human Malevolence – That This – Wealth-Generating System – Has Made Possible – And – Sometimes Actually Encouraged

~ ‘CTGSTCS?’-HBAUQ ~ “Can The Globe Sustain These Capitalist Successes?” – Has Become An Urgent Question

~TA-‘F’-AI-‘FE’STIPO-MTCIC-PMBFTTAJON-B-TANFFTNTWALATWTE ~ The Adjective – “Free” – As In – “Free Enterprise” – Serves The Ideological Purpose Of – Masking The Coercion In Capitalism – People May Be Free To Take A Job Or Not– But – They Are Not Free From The Need To Work As Long As They Wish To Eat

~ C-IA-C-NA-N-S-LTW-NITMA-S-CS-AIAA ~ Capitalism – Is A – Cultural – Not A – Natural – System – Like The Weather – Nor Is The Market A – Self-Correcting System – As Its Apologist Argue

~ AACMITJOCTD-TIO-CI-A-SC-WDTACL-WNTDTBITL ~ At A Critical Moment In The Journey Of Capitalism To Dominance – The Importance Of – Cultural Influences – And– Social Considerations – Was Dispatched To A Conceptual Limbo – We Need To Drag Them Back Into The Light

FRANCIS WHEEN ~ IDIOT PROOF ~ 2004

~ TCFTR-WCT-T-S-S-S ~ Tax Cuts For The Rich – Were Central To – The – Supply-Side-Superstition

~C-H-TSQWTLTGCUAEM ~ Curiously – However – They Seemed Quite Willing To Let The Government Clear Up Any Ensuing Mess

~ TC-PE-W-RF-C-AB-TBMB-TT ~ The Consequences – Predictably Enough – Were – Rampant Fraud – Collapse – A Bill – To Be Met By – The Taxpayer

~ AW-JB-AAT-MFN-O-T-1980-A-EFD-IOFOA ~ As With – Junk Bonds – Almost All The – Macho Financial Neologisms – Of – The 1980s – Are – Euphemisms For Debt – In One Form Or Another

~ OSO-NB ~ Old Snake Oil – New Bottles

~ T-MA-O-N-B-P ~ The – Magic Allure – Of – Numbered-Bullet-Points

~ G-A-SE-WP-AC-D-A-RNS ~ Gurus – Are – Safe Enough – While Peddling – Ancient Cliches – Disguised – As – Revolutionary New Strategies

~ ITEOTWAWKI ~ It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

~ T-NO-HL-FTMTA-O-I-MDP-A-FAI-AEL-HPTBA-FIS ~ The – New Orthodoxy – Has Lamentably – Failed To Match The Achievements – Of – Its – Much Despised Predecessor – And – For All Its – Apparently Elegant Logic – Has Proved To Be A – Fundamentally Irrational System

HAROLD JOHNS ~ THE POWER OF STORY ~ 2022

~ WAAS-WATSWAT-A-WATSWTO-TCOCWNTCOS ~ We Are All Story – We Are The Stores We Are Told – And – We Are The Stories We Tell Ourselves – To Change Our Circumstances We Need To Change Our Story

~ TWIOBISBS-ETYTIFBS ~ The Wiring In Our Brains Is Shaped By Story – Every Thought You Think Is Framed By Story

~ SCHASCK ~ Stories Can Heal And Stories Can Kill

~ ASAI-ASHP ~ All Stories Are Important – All Stories Have Power

~ EIAPS-IPAOMT-IWDTOSILWTES-WANLT ~ Economics Is A Powerful Story – It Permeates All Of Modern Thought – If We Don’t Tell Our Story In Line With The Economics story – We Are Not Listened To

ROY BAUMEISTER ~ SEVEN MYTHS ABOUT EVIL ~ EVIL ~ 1997

~ EIA(FTVP;PAHAJ) ~ Evil Is Always Intentional (From The Victim’s Perspective; Perpetrators Always Have A Justification)

~ EIMBP ~ Evil Is Motivated By Pleasure

~ TVOEIIAG ~ The Victim Of Evil Is Innocent And Good

~ EICBPCDFU-WO ~ Evil Is Conducted By People Completely Different From Us – Wholly Other

~ EITOS-BION ~ Evil Is The Original Sin – Built Into Our Natures

~ EITO-NOOG-B-O-O/P/S ~ Evil Is The Opposite – Not Only Of Good – But – Of – Order / Peace / Stability

~ EPASEDTITSEBEA ~ Evil People Are Selfish Egotists Driven To Improve Their Self-Esteem By Evil Acts

BRIAN WATSON ~ CAPITALISM ~ HEADED INTO THE ABYSS ~ 2019

~ C-I-NGTSTLO-2100-PNE-20170-NALIAFTYWTE-MOUAT-TTW-AGTBPO-CAD ~ Civilization – Is – Not Going To See The Light Of – 2100 – Perhaps Not Even – 2070 – Not At Least In Any Form That You’d Want To Experience – Most Of Us Alive Today – Throughout The World – Are Going To Be Part Of – Collapse And Dissolution

~ WMCCAFD-TA-AA-POCMTWCITAMOOD-B-WWNDS ~ We Might Change Course Away From Disaster – There Are – After All – Plenty Of Constructive Measures That We Could Implement To Address Most Of Our Difficulties – But – We Will Not Do So

~ ASOMAT-TS-G-A-TAU ~ All Sorts Of Madnesses Abound Today – Throughout Societies – Globally – And – They Afflict Us

~ TW-H-C-A-H-I ~ Today’s World – Hyper-Connected – And – Hyper-Interdependent

~ MVTUTTAS-TT-O-T-ITB-FTOT-B-TANS-I-TA-C/O/I/H/D/S/L/I/E/R/U ~ Many Voices Tell Us That Things Are Simple – That This – Or – That – Is To Blame – For This Or That – But – Things Are Not Simple – Instead – They Are – Complicated / Overlapping / Interrelated / Historical / Dynamic / Simultaneous / Logical / Illogical / Emotional / Resolvable / Unresolvable

~ O-I-A-E-S-A-TCFTC-WBAMFIHTFU ~ Our – Imagination – And – Emotional – Selves – And – The Contest For Their Control – Will Be A Major Factor In How The Future Unfolds

~ OCADEEO-UP-A-BUBP-WA-S-F-D-A-BI ~ Ordinary Citizens Are Dividing Against Each Other – Using Politics – And – Being Used By Politics – We Are – Splintering – Fragmenting – Deteriorating – And – Becoming Impotent

~ FTLT-WDAA-NMCTP-TWNEFP ~ For The Longest Time – We Didn’t Assign Any – Negative Monetary Costs To Pollution – There Was No Explicit Financial Penalty

~ T-GE-I-MAS ~ The – Gig Economy – Is – Mostly A Scam

~ TEIDW-I-WE-ITF-B-NAD-A-TPWO ~ The Economy Is Doing Well – If – We Essentially – Ignore The Future – Both – Near And Distant – And – The Path We’re On

~ T-I-AAF-A-NN ~ Technology – Is – Always A Force – And – Never Neutral

~ EJTR-HJ-A-IHE-JTWMNDCB-DBM-WSBVT-AI ~ Even Jobs That Require – Human Judgement – And – Interpreting Human Emotion – Jobs That We Might Not Dream Could Be – Done By Machines – Will Soon Become Vulnerable To – Artificial Intelligence

~ C-C-A-P-W-SNNWTMW-AFTCTMT-RAP ~ Currently – Corporate – And – Political – Winners – See No Need Whatsoever To Mess With – A Formula That Continues To Make Them – Rich And Powerful

~ D-G-W’-II-U-AU-A-AOI-IIUTMUI-I/I/S-S/S/D/A/C-W-AP ~ Data – Gets – “Weaponized” – It Is – Used – Against Us – And – Against Our Interests – It Is Used To Make Us Into – Impulsive / Impressionable / Status-Seeking / Silly / Distracted / Acquisitive / Consuming – Web-Addicted People

~ D-IUT-M/C/D-B-OM-A-OB ~ Data – Is Used To – Modify / Change / Direct – Both – Our Moods – And – Our Behavior

~ EANETL-C-KT-T-DS-HB-H/B/HFR/C ~ Enterprises Are Not Eager To Let – Customers – Know That – Their – Digital Systems – Have Been – Hacked / Breached / Held For Ransom / Compromised

~ N-D-C-CTTW-T-H ~ Now – Digital – Computerized – Connected To The Web – Therefore – Hackable

~ MAM-WBR-AC-‘L’-HTDTJ ~ More And More – Will Be Replaced – As Computers – “Learn” – How To Do Their Jobs

~ WAP ~ Without Anyone’s Permission

~ WI-DAU-T-ITEO-TI-A-IRI-E/M/H/W ~ What Is – Different And Unprecedented – Today – Is The Existence Of – The Internet – And – Its Role In – Enlarging / Magnifying / Hardening / Weaponizing

~ WAB-L-T.D-M-E/R-A-MEDBMTSRLOOA ~ We Are Becoming – Less – Tolerant / Discerning – More – Emotional / Reactive – And – More Easily Distracted By Matters That Should Receive Less Of Our Attention

~ PTTEOTI-IWFMDF-P-W-BOA-V-T-FEO-T-STP-A-T-BITN ~ Prior To The Existence Of The Internet – It Was Far More Difficult For – People – With – Bizarre Or Antisocial – Views – To – Find Each Other – To – Sell Their Propaganda – And – To – Be In The News

~ TROTIIC-E/S/TDAAA/TGU/TL/TT-P-W-FALVORAF-A-NTEOS-O-D-O-OVT-TO-TEC-O-T-TIOO-WAACOU-TA ~ The Role Of The Internet In Connecting – Extremists / Sociopaths / The Dangerously Angry And Alienated / The Grossly Uneducated / The Lost / The Traumatized – People – Who – For A Large Variety Of Reasons And Forces – Are – Near The Edge Of Sanity – Or – Desperate – Or – Otherwise Vulnerable To – Their Own – Throbbing Emotional Condition – Or – To – The Influence Of Others – Who Are Also – Consciously Or Unconsciously – Thrashing About

~ HWU-HCT-TOT-A-TEOE ~ Heavy Web Users – Have Come To – Think Of Themselves – As – The Equal Of Experts

~ T-I-O-SMAC-C-VAP-O-YP-MT-A-MIHFTTD-A-HS-A-WC-O-A-BP-T-C/A/C/M-A-E-TLDOO-MS-YP-ABE-TTOTLA-‘B’ ~ The – Interwovenness – Of – Social Media And Commercialization – Changes – Values And Perspectives – Of – Young People – Manipulates Them – And – Makes It Much Harder For Them To Develop – A – Healthily Skeptical – And – Wise Critique – Of – And – Balanced Posture – Toward – Commercialization / Advertising / Consumption / Materialism – And – Even – The Larger Design Of Our – Market System – Young People – Are Being Encouraged – To Think Of Themselves Literally As –”Brands”

~ AJIT-GE-T/I/WB/UU ~ A Job In The – Gig Economy – Temporary / Insecure / Without Benefits / Ultimately Unsustainable

~ OC-F-P-F-A-CAU-A-F-CAE-A-BR ~ Our Capacities – For – Patience – For – Accepting – Complexity And Uncertainty – And – For – Cooperation And Empathy – Are – Being Reduced

~ WL-QT-IOL-WAL-T-CAA-F-DAC-RAI ~ With Less – Quiet Time – In Our Lives – We Are Losing – The – Capacity And Affinity – For – Deep And Critical – Reflection And Introspection

~ WW-I-TP-TB-S-W-F/F/S-I ~ WebWorld – Is – Training People – To Be – Satisfied – With – Fast / Fragmented / Superficial

~ WHE-‘C’-A-ASNOC-AT-AAOC ~ We Have Elevated – “Convenience” – And – A Simple-Minded Notion Of Convenience – At That – Above All Other Considerations

~ ITLTP-F-40Y-STR-STCW-A-F-S/P/A/I-TIWYG ~ If You Lie To People – For – 40 Years – Screw Them Royally – Steal The Country’s Wealth – And – Feed – Suspicion / Paranoia / Anxiety / Ignorance – This Is What You Get

~ MO-HWHTO-T-E/T/D-R-TAT-MC-BTSOOW ~ Media Outlets – Have Worked Hard To Obscure – The – Economic / Technological / Deregulatory – Realities – That Are The – Main Culprits – Behind The Struggles Of Ordinary Workers

~ OI-OC-O-APS-CF-SWEO-WWBATA-T-M-IAT-P-WH ~ Only If – Ordinary Citizens – Of – All Political Stripes – Can Find – Solidarity With Each Other – Will We Be Able To Address – The – Most – Important And Threatening – Problems – We Have

~ WLBN-A-WS-IAC-WCCD ~ We Live By Narratives – And – We Seek – Integration And Coherence – We Can Connect Dots

~ WW-SU-AF-CAD-F-II-HW-A-S-B-T-ASS-T-CATAOS ~ WebWorld – Seduces Us – Away From – Confusing And Difficult – Fare – It Is – Hard Work – And – Sometimes – Boring – To – Adequately Study Something – To – Consider All The Aspects Of Something

~ T-EQOE-AA-IT-I ~ The – Essential Quality Of Ecosystems – Above All – Is Their – Interconnectedness

~ RS-A-S-CDS-MM-HOR ~ Rising Seas – And – Salt-Contaminated Drinking Supplies – Massive Migrations – Hordes Of Refugees

~ F-OE-TS-A-OE-ES-HNR-TT-MPR-OT-P/B/C-W ~ Fundamentally – Our Entire – Technological System – And – Our Entire – Economic System – Have No Relationship – To The – Most Primary Realities – Of The – Physical / Biological / Chemical – World

~ TF-WHMR-F-PTB-EM-D/F/E-~ The Future – Will Hold Many Reasons – For – People To Become – Even More – Depressed / Fearful / Emotional

~ IA-FAD-W-FAE-WCTDTRTP-E-WBT-P-S-B ~ In A – Frightening And Deteriorating World – Fear And Emotions – Will Come To Dominate The Responses That People – Everywhere – Will Bring To – Planetary-Scale-Breakdowns

~ WIMC-I-TTIOATPOTP-WQONRWU-HM-PAW-WG-A-TDTWWU-I-BAC-OT-B ~ What Is Most Critical – Is – The Total Impact Of All The People On The Planet – What Quantity Of Natural Resources We Use – How Much – Pollution And Waste– We Generate – And – The Degree To Which We Upset – Important – Balances And Cycles – Of The – Biosphere

~ V-NB-I-B-B-G/A/D ~ Victimized – Not By – Immigrants – But – By – Globalization / Automation / Deregulation

~ HNOP-W-B-FTF-SC-A-ED ~ Huge Numbers Of People – Will – Be – Forced To Flee – Societal Collapse – And – Ecological Devastation

~ OESNTBMS ~ Our Economic System Needs To Be Made Sustainable

~ TI-A-M-NOWTGF-A-NOWTH ~ This Is – A – Message – No One Wants To Give – And – No One Wants To Hear

BRIAN WATSON ~ CAPITALISM ~ HEADED INTO THE ABYSS ~ 2019 ~ 231

~ II-S-A-D-FPTSAT-TCIFOU-I-E-COS-OOTO-TTWFIMM-NAC-TT-IRUTE-WAW-C-I-P-O-D-AT-RI-IA-IAS-‘S’-A-I-SA-CHU-TWSCT ~ It Is – Silly – And – Dishonest – For People To Speak As Though – The Choice In Front Of Us – Is – Either – Capitalism Or Socialism – One Or The Other – The Task We Face Is Much More – Nuanced And Complicated – Than That – It Requires Us To Examine – Where And Why – Capitalism – Is – Performing – Poorly – Or – Destructively – And Then – Readjust It – In Addition – If Adopting Some – “Socialistic” – Approaches – In – Specific Areas – Can Help Us – Then We Should Consider Them

~ T-M-I-S-O-P-O-C-HB-RC-OOC-FI-SD-F-ESP-A-FAM-O-B-OOP-P ~ Today – Many – Important – Segments – Or – Properties – Of – Capitalism – Have Become – Runaway Capitalism – Out Of Control – Frequently Irresponsible – Significancy Disconnected – From – Ecological Sustainability Principles – And – Fueled And Measured – Overwhelmingly – By – Only One Parameter – Profits

~ T-C-A-C-MR-S-S-A-CNF-W-HL-NL-A-WTAO-C-A-HMC-I-ATR-A-STG-ISOT-MFC-FI-OAP-IS-C-WAL-ISA-POO-C ~ Today’s – Capitalism – A – Cruder – More Rapacious – System – Shortchanges – And – Cares Not For – Workers – Has Little – National Loyalty – And – With The Aid Of – Computerization – And – Highly Mobile Capital – Is – Able To Roam – And – Straddle The Globe – In Search Of The – Most Favorable Conditions – For Its – Operation And Purposes – It Sharply – Creates – Winners And Losers – Inordinate Serves A – Plutocratic Or Oligarchic – Class

~ B-LC-ATL-A-IA-H-CSMP-CCBFFTT-CIOSOG ~ Because – Large Corporations – And – Their Lobbyists – And – Ideological Allies – Have – Captured So Many Politicians – Citizens Can Be Forgiven For Thinking That – Capitalism Is Our System Of Government

~ PT-MFP-W-CT-IINF-CG-WKT-O-F-S-E-CFS-A-C-W-L ~ Probably The – Most Fundamental Problem – With – Capitalism Today – Is Its Need For – Constant Growth – We Know Today – Our – Finite-Sized – Earth – Cannot Forever Support – A – Capitalism-Without-Limits

~ C-C-APD-I-ATTAOC ~ Currently – Capitalism – As Presently Designed – Is – A Threat To All Of Civilization

BRIAN WATSON ~ HEADED INTO THE ABYSS ~ 2019

~ C-I-NGTSTLO-2100-PNE-20170-NALIAFTYWTE-MOUAT-TTW-AGTBPO-CAD ~ Civilization – Is – Not Going To See The Light Of – 2100 – Perhaps Not Even – 2070 – Not At Least In Any Form That You’d Want To Experience – Most Of Us Alive Today – Throughout The World – Are Going To Be Part Of – Collapse And Dissolution

~ WMCCAFD-TA-AA-POCMTWCITAMOOD-B-WWNDS ~ We Might Change Course Away From Disaster – There Are – After All – Plenty Of Constructive Measures That We Could Implement To Address Most Of Our Difficulties – But – We Will Not Do So

~ ASOMAT-TS-G-A-TAU ~ All Sorts Of Madnesses Abound Today – Throughout Societies – Globally – And – They Afflict Us

~ TW-H-C-A-H-I ~ Today’s World – Hyper-Connected – And – Hyper-Interdependent

~ MVTUTTAS-TT-O-T-ITB-FTOT-B-TANS-I-TA-C/O/I/H/D/S/L/I/E/R/U ~ Many Voices Tell Us That Things Are Simple – That This – Or – That – Is To Blame – For This Or That – But – Things Are Not Simple – Instead – They Are – Complicated / Overlapping / Interrelated / Historical / Dynamic / Simultaneous / Logical / Illogical / Emotional / Resolvable / Unresolvable

~ O-I-A-E-S-A-TCFTC-WBAMFIHTFU ~ Our – Imagination – And – Emotional – Selves – And – The Contest For Their Control – Will Be A Major Factor In How The Future Unfolds

~ OCADEEO-UP-A-BUBP-WA-S-F-D-A-BI ~ Ordinary Citizens Are Dividing Against Each Other – Using Politics – And – Being Used By Politics – We Are – Splintering – Fragmenting – Deteriorating – And – Becoming Impotent

~ FTLT-WDAA-NMCTP-TWNEFP ~ For The Longest Time – We Didn’t Assign Any – Negative Monetary Costs To Pollution – There Was No Explicit Financial Penalty

~ T-GE-I-MAS ~ The – Gig Economy – Is – Mostly A Scam

~ TEIDW-I-WE-ITF-B-NAD-A-TPWO ~ The Economy Is Doing Well – If – We Essentially – Ignore The Future – Both – Near And Distant – And – The Path We’re On

~T-I-AAF-A-NN ~ Technology – Is – Always A Force – And – Never Neutral

~ EJTR-HJ-A-IHE-JTWMNDCB-DBM-WSBVT-AI ~ Even Jobs That Require – Human Judgement – And – Interpreting Human Emotion – Jobs That We Might Not Dream Could Be – Done By Machines – Will Soon Become Vulnerable To – Artificial Intelligence

~ C-C-A-P-W-SNNWTMW-AFTCTMT-RAP ~ Currently – Corporate – And – Political – Winners – See No Need Whatsoever To Mess With – A Formula That Continues To Make Them – Rich And Powerful

~ D-G-W’-II-U-AU-A-AOI-IIUTMUI-I/I/S-S/S/D/A/C-W-AP ~ Data – Gets – “Weaponized” – It Is – Used – Against Us – And – Against Our Interests – It Is Used To Make Us Into – Impulsive / Impressionable / Status-Seeking / Silly / Distracted / Acquisitive / Consuming – Web-Addicted People

~ D-IUT-M/C/D-B-OM-A-OB ~ Data – Is Used To – Modify / Change / Direct – Both – Our Moods – And – Our Behavior

~EANETL-C-KT-T-DS-HB-H/B/HFR/C ~ Enterprises Are Not Eager To Let – Customers – Know That – Their – Digital Systems – Have Been – Hacked / Breached / Held For Ransom / Compromised

~ N-D-C-CTTW-T-H ~ Now – Digital – Computerized – Connected To The Web – Therefore – Hackable

~ MAM-WBR-AC-‘L’-HTDTJ ~ More And More – Will Be Replaced – As Computers – “Learn” – How To Do Their Jobs

~ WAP ~ Without Anyone’s Permission

~ WI-DAU-T-ITEO-TI-A-IRI-E/M/H/W ~ What Is – Different And Unprecedented – Today – Is The Existence Of – The Internet – And – Its Role In – Enlarging / Magnifying / Hardening / Weaponizing

~ WAB-L-T.D-M-E/R-A-MEDBMTSRLOOA ~ We Are Becoming – Less – Tolerant / Discerning – More – Emotional / Reactive – And – More Easily Distracted By Matters That Should Receive Less Of Our Attention

~ PTTEOTI-IWFMDF-P-W-BOA-V-T-FEO-T-STP-A-T-BITN ~ Prior To The Existence Of The Internet – It Was Far More Difficult For – People – With – Bizarre Or Antisocial – Views – To – Find Each Other – To – Sell Their Propaganda – And – To – Be In The News

~ TROTIIC-E/S/TDAAA/TGU/TL/TT-P-W-FALVORAF-A-NTEOS-O-D-O-OVT-TO-TEC-O-T-TIOO-WAACOU-TA ~ The Role Of The Internet In Connecting – Extremists / Sociopaths / The Dangerously Angry And Alienated / The Grossly Uneducated / The Lost / The Traumatized – People – Who – For A Large Variety Of Reasons And Forces – Are – Near The Edge Of Sanity – Or – Desperate – Or – Otherwise Vulnerable To – Their Own – Throbbing Emotional Condition – Or – To – The Influence Of Others – Who Are Also – Consciously Or Unconsciously – Thrashing About

~ HWU-HCT-TOT-A-TEOE ~ Heavy Web Users – Have Come To – Think Of Themselves – As – The Equal Of Experts

~ T-I-O-SMAC-C-VAP-O-YP-MT-A-MIHFTTD-A-HS-A-WC-O-A-BP-T-C/A/C/M-A-E-TLDOO-MS-YP-ABE-TTOTLA-‘B’ ~ The – Interwovenness – Of – Social Media And Commercialization – Changes – Values And Perspectives – Of – Young People – Manipulates Them – And – Makes It Much Harder For Them To Develop – A – Healthily Skeptical – And – Wise Critique – Of – And – Balanced Posture – Toward – Commercialization / Advertising / Consumption / Materialism – And – Even – The Larger Design Of Our – Market System – Young People – Are Being Encouraged – To Think Of Themselves Literally As –”Brands”

~ AJIT-GE-T/I/WB/UU ~ A Job In The – Gig Economy – Temporary / Insecure / Without Benefits / Ultimately Unsustainable

~ OC-F-P-F-A-CAU-A-F-CAE-A-BR ~ Our Capacities – For – Patience – For – Accepting – Complexity And Uncertainty – And – For – Cooperation And Empathy – Are – Being Reduced

~ WL-QT-IOL-WAL-T-CAA-F-DAC-RAI ~ With Less – Quiet Time – In Our Lives – We Are Losing – The – Capacity And Affinity – For – Deep And Critical – Reflection And Introspection

~ WW-I-TP-TB-S-W-F/F/S-I ~ WebWorld – Is – Training People – To Be – Satisfied – With – Fast / Fragmented / Superficial

~ WHE-‘C’-A-ASNOC-AT-AAOC ~ We Have Elevated – “Convenience” – And – A Simple-Minded Notion Of Convenience – At That – Above All Other Considerations

~ ITLTP-F-40Y-STR-STCW-A-F-S/P/A/I-TIWYG ~ If You Lie To People – For – 40 Years – Screw Them Royally – Steal The Country’s Wealth – And – Feed – Suspicion / Paranoia / Anxiety / Ignorance – This Is What You Get

~ MO-HWHTO-T-E/T/D-R-TAT-MC-BTSOOW ~ Media Outlets – Have Worked Hard To Obscure – The – Economic / Technological / Deregulatory – Realities – That Are The – Main Culprits – Behind The Struggles Of Ordinary Workers

~ OI-OC-O-APS-CF-SWEO-WWBATA-T-M-IAT-P-WH ~ Only If – Ordinary Citizens – Of – All Political Stripes – Can Find – Solidarity With Each Other – Will We Be Able To Address – The – Most – Important And Threatening – Problems – We Have

~ WLBN-A-WS-IAC-WCCD ~ We Live By Narratives – And – We Seek – Integration And Coherence – We Can Connect Dots

~ WW-SU-AF-CAD-F-II-HW-A-S-B-T-ASS-T-CATAOS ~ WebWorld – Seduces Us – Away From – Confusing And Difficult – Fare – It Is – Hard Work – And – Sometimes – Boring – To – Adequately Study Something – To – Consider All The Aspects Of Something

~ T-EQOE-AA-IT-I ~ The – Essential Quality Of Ecosystems – Above All – Is Their – Interconnectedness

~ RS-A-S-CDS-MM-HOR ~ Rising Seas – And – Salt-Contaminated Drinking Supplies – Massive Migrations – Hordes Of Refugees

~ F-OE-TS-A-OE-ES-HNR-TT-MPR-OT-P/B/C-W ~ Fundamentally – Our Entire – Technological System – And – Our Entire – Economic System – Have No Relationship – To The – Most Primary Realities – Of The – Physical / Biological / Chemical – World

~ TF-WHMR-F-PTB-EM-D/F/E-~ The Future – Will Hold Many Reasons – For – People To Become – Even More – Depressed / Fearful / Emotional

~ IA-FAD-W-FAE-WCTDTRTP-E-WBT-P-S-B ~ In A – Frightening And Deteriorating World – Fear And Emotions – Will Come To Dominate The Responses That People – Everywhere – Will Bring To – Planetary-Scale-Breakdowns

~ WIMC-I-TTIOATPOTP-WQONRWU-HM-PAW-WG-A-TDTWWU-I-BAC-OT-B ~ What Is Most Critical – Is – The Total Impact Of All The People On The Planet – What Quantity Of Natural Resources We Use – How Much – Pollution And Waste– We Generate – And – The Degree To Which We Upset – Important – Balances And Cycles – Of The – Biosphere

~ V-NB-I-B-B-G/A/D ~ Victimized – Not By – Immigrants – But – By – Globalization / Automation / Deregulation

~ HNOP-W-B-FTF-SC-A-ED ~ Huge Numbers Of People – Will – Be – Forced To Flee – Societal Collapse – And – Ecological Devastation

~ OESNTBMS ~ Our Economic System Needs To Be Made Sustainable

~ TI-A-M-NOWTGF-A-NOWTH ~ This Is – A – Message – No One Wants To Give – And – No One Wants To Hear

JOAN DONOVAN + EMILY DREYFUSS + BRIAN FRIEDBERG ~ MEDIA MANIPULATION ~ MEME WARS ~ 2022

~ R:RSAN-PIO-CB-A-GTITTTBRII ~ REPETITION: Repeating Something Ad Nauseam – Plays Into Our – Cognitive Biases – And – Gives The Impression That The Thing Being Repeated Is Important

~ R:SAMP ~ REDUNDANCY: Shared Across Multiple Platforms

~ R:R-BCTIR ~ RESPONSIVENESS: Reactions – Brings Communities Together In Replies

~ R:CUATBA ~ REINFORCEMENT: Conferred Upon A Topic By Algorithms

JOAN DONOVAN + EMILY DREYFUSS + BRIAN FRIEDBERG ~ MEME WARS ~ 2022

~ M-POM-T-R-F-DR ~ Meme – Piece Of Media – That – Resonated – For – Different Reasons

~ R/R/R-CASOM ~ Recontextualized / Remixed / Redistributed – Carrying All Sorts Of Meaning

~ M-SM-IA-I-G-STASA-IJ-TTA-I-T-POTO-Y-EWYA-PAA-TCA-POV-A-ATPOTS ~ Memes – Signify Membership – In An – In-Group – Sometimes They Are Such An – Inside Joke – That They Are – Inscrutable – To – People On The Outside – Yet – Even When They Are – Popular And Accessible – They Contain A – Point Of View – And – Announce The Positioning Of The Sharer

~ OHOALM-I-IATB-R/C-O-A-UAIC ~ One – Hallmark Of A Lasting Meme – Is – Its Ability To Be – Recontextualized / Co-Opted – And – Used Against Its Creators

~ TMW-HB-TS-EATL-RTLOTPWDEIT-T-MP-MW-NF-I-P-B-A-LO-FAI-B-I-I-CITBOOSTM-P ~ The – Meme Wars – Have Been – Tremendously Successful – Even As They Largely – Ruined The Lives Of The People Who Directly Engaged In Them – The – Most Powerful – Meme Warriors – Now Face – Indictment – Prison – Bankruptcy – And – Loss Of – Family And Identity – But – Their – Ideas – Carried Into The Bloodstream Of Our Society Through Memes – Persist

~ MW-A-CW-CAI-BOT-IAI-OT-I-W-T-OAE-A-C-R-SAS-A-FTEOTW-IA-N-ES-O-IAW-A-M-COS-P/KU ~ Meme Wars – Are – Culture Wars – Accelerated And Intensified – Because Of The – Infrastructure And Incentives – Of The – Internet – Which – Trades – Outrage And Extremity – As – Currency – Rewards – Speed And Scale – And – Flattens The Experience Of The World– Into A – Never-Ending Scroll – Of – Images And Words – A – Morass – Capable Of Swallowing – Patience / Kindness / Understanding

~ S-YDNARS-TGYITMOP-YJNT-FOTDO-A ~ Suddenly – You Didn’t Need A Radio Show – To Get Your Idea To Millions Of People – You Just Needed To – Figure Out The Desires Of – Algorithm

~ MW-UTIY-CTN-Y-CE ~ Meme Warlords – Understand That If You – Control The Narrative – You – Control Everything

~ WT-COTI-C-INSTCB-MME-H ~ With The – Connectivity Of The Internet – Culture – Is Now Something That Can Be – Much More Easily – Hacked

~ SIFI ~ Spreading Intentionally False Information

~ AEC-I-N-A-T ~ Algorithmic Echo Chambers – Individual – News – And – Timelines

~ PP-E-ITBE-O-ET ~ Political Polarization – Embedded – Into The Back End – Of – Every Tool

~ ASPFH ~ A Safe Space For Hate

~ ESA-L-D-C-OT-I-CC-R-WC-IIHEEBI ~ Even A – Lose – Distributed – Coalition – On The – Internet – Could Cause – Real-World Chaos – If It Had Enough Energy Behind It

~CW ~ Cringe Watching

~ MM-A-J-T-WQAJ ~ Meme Magic – A – Joke – That – Wasn’t Quite A Joke

~ TIO-MM-BIOM ~ The Idea Of – Meme Magic – Became Its Own Meme

~ T-POTC-II-SE-B-II-COS-F-WESTS ~ The – Power Of The Crowd – Isn’t In – Surfacing Evidence – But – In Its – Chorus Of Support – For – Whatever Explanation Seems To Stick

~ WYF-HTAO-PD-WEAFO-OAP ~ Whatever You Find – Has The Aura Of – Personal Discovery – Which Engenders A Feeling Of – Ownership And Pride

~ M-FAT-SG-FC-BTTIACL-W-SIJ-A-SE ~ Memes – Function As The – Social Glue – For Communities – Binding Them Together In A Common Language – With – Shared In-Jokes – And – Sworn Enemies

~ SM-INLA-ET-IWTPOF-SC-B-GVTSG;IHIB-ATOTP-UT-D/H/C-VG ~ Social Media– Is No Loner An – Emerging Technology – Imbued With The Possibility Of Fostering – Social Change – By – Giving Voice To Small Groups; It Has Instead Become – A Tool Of The Powerful – Used To – Dominate / Harass / Coerce – Vulnerable Groups

BARRY SCHWARTZ ~ THE PARADOX OF CHOICE ~ 2004

~ WPHNC-LIAU-ATNOACI-TA-C/L-TVB-A-PAP-B-A-TNOCKG-NA-O-HA-MOO-BTA-WBO-ATP-C-NL-L-B-D-IMEBST-T ~ When People Have No Choice – Life Is Almost Unbearable – As The Number Of Available Choices Increases – The Autonomy / Control / Liberation – This Variety Brings – Are – Powerful And Positive – But – As – The Number Of Choices Keeps Growing – Negative Aspects – Of – Having A – Multitude Of Options – Begin To Appear – We Become Overloaded – At This Point – Choice – No Longer – Liberates – But – Debilitates – It Might Even Be Said To – Tyrannize

~ TFT-SCIG-DNMT-MCIB ~ The Fact That – Some Choice Is Good – Doesn’t Necessarily Mean That – More Choice Is Better

~ ITCPW-‘FF’-A-RE-TWBATA-‘FT’ ~ If The Constraints People Want – “Freedom From” – Are – Rigid Enough – They Won’t Be Able To Attain – “Freedom To”

~ A-H-AOO-MDC-B-IFAIITETGIMAD-S-CDNTD-A-DBTP ~ A – Huge – Array Of Options – May Discourage Consumers – Because – It Forces An Increase In The Effort That Goes Into Making A Decision – So – Consumers Decide Not To Decide – And – Don’t Buy The Product

~ A-LAOO-M-DTA-O-WPAC-TA-TAOSOT-UO-DFTPDFT-CO ~ A – Large Array Of Options – May – Diminish The Attractiveness – Of – What People Actually Choose – Thinking About – The Attractions Of Some Of The – Unchosen Options – Detracts From The Pleasure Derived From The – Chosen One

~ DT-IC-BWI-IS-? ~ Does This – Increased Complexity – Bring With It – Increased Satisfaction – ?

~ FOEI-I-OOTBFOC-IEATOS-DOA-AAT-WWBATGTTD ~ Filtering Out Extraneous Information – Is – One Of The Basic Functions Of Consciousness – If Everything Available To Our Senses – Demanded Our Attention – At All Times – We Wouldn’t Be Able To Get Through The Day

~ EOUIFTSFOT-MAM-O-I-AEAOL ~ Each Of Us Is Forced To Sift For Ourselves Through – More And More – Options – In – Almost Every Aspect Of Life

~ P-WMCOTDOTL-B-P-AW-T-STL-T-POOT ~ People – Want More Control Over The Details Of Their Lives – But – People – Also Want – To – Simplify Their Lives – The – Paradox Of Our Times

~ IT-EOD-EIYKWYAH-YMEU-PSM-F-SOW-S ~ In The – Era Of Deregulation – Even If You Keep What You’ve Always Had – You May End Up – Paying Substantially More – For – Same Or Worse – Service

~ OA-NC-DMER-A-CMIRFF ~ Once Again – New Choices – Demand More Extensive Research – And – Create More Individual Responsibility For Failure

~ KYG ~ Knowing Your Goals

~ WWRATPQOOPE-IAEDBTT:HTEFATP(BOW)-A-HTFWTE-A-WROTSLTROOHTEF ~ What We Remember About The Pleasurable Quality Of Our Past Experiences – Is Almost Entirely Determined By Two Things: How The Experiences Felt At Their Peak (Best Or Worst) – And – How They Felt When They Ended – And – We Rely On That Summary Later To Remind Ourselves Of How The Experience Felt

~ TAOFOTI-CLPA ~ The Absence Of Filters On The Internet – Can Lead People Astray

~ BOOAAMATUFM-WATAMF-TD-CUT-MD-T-VRWFIL-A-T-CT-SVBC ~ Because Our Own Actions Are More Available To Us From Memory – We Assume They Are More Frequent – This Distortion – Causes Us To – Miscalculate Dramatically – The – Various Risks We Face In Life – And – Thus – Contributes To – Some Very Bad Choices

~ WYH-T-SS-E-Y-LAL-YAIMBT ~ When You Hear – The – Same Story – Everywhere – You – Look And Listen – You Assume It Must Be True

~ A-TSTBLWCDTA-BIB-TAT-A-O-CP ~ Anchoring – There Seems To Be Little We Can Do To Avoid – Being Influenced By – The Alternatives That – Anchor – Our – Comparison Process

~ II-T-FOTC-TAOPOI-A-IT-AWWC ~ It Is – The – Framing Of The Choice – That Affects Our Perception Of It – And – In Turn – Affects What We Choose

~ OSIGTY-IY-OIBPOYE-EAAVFM-GIUWEAL ~ Once Something Is Given To You – It’s Yours – Once It Becomes Part Of Your Endowment – Even After A Very Few Minutes – Giving It Up Will Entail A Loss

~ CW-BWD-ACUOYG-A-T-FC-YMMI-B-TGO-CTAB-A-TGO-CSTIGE ~ Choosing Wisely – Begins With Developing – A Clear Understanding Of Your Goals – And – The – First Choice – You Must Make Is – Between – The Goal Of – Choosing The Absolute Best – And – The Goal Of – Choosing Something That Is Good Enough

~ IY-SAA-OTB-YAAM-TATMITBA-S-T-SFSTI-GE-A-NWATPT-TMBSB ~ If You – Seek And Accept – Only The Best – You Are A – Maximizer – The Alternative To Maximizing Is To Be A – Satisficer – To – Settle For Something That Is – Good Enough – And – Not Worry About The Possibility That – There Might Be Something Better

~ FAA-A-CTOW-B-A-C-I-C-T-FAA ~ Freedom And Autonomy – Are – Critical To Our Well-Being – And – Choice – Is – Critical – To – Freedom And Autonomy

~ T-M-C-E ~ Too-Much-Choice – Effect

~ MH ~ Measuring Happiness

~ ECWM-H-OC-AWI-TAOC-MNCTDYM-B-IUWGYA-MRA-OTFIOTD ~ Every Choice We Make – Has – Opportunity Costs – Associated With It – Thinking About Opportunity Costs – May Not Change The Decision You Make – But – It Will Give You A – More Realistic Assessment – Of The Full Implications Of That Decision

~ BFTC-T-O-I-MD-MP-UAI ~ Being Forced To – Confront – Trade-Offs – In – Making Decisions – Makes People – Unhappy And Indecisive

~ WST-DOBT-WWFG ~ We Seem To – Do Our Best Thinking – When We’re Feeling Good

~ PANA-TF-A-DS ~ People Are Not Always –Thinking First – And – Deciding Second

~ WIMEPIW-INN-WIMI-B-O-PIW-TITTV-TOAS ~ What Is Most Easily Put Into Words – Is Not Necessarily – What Is Most Important – But – Once – Put Into Words – Their Importance To The Verbalizer – Takes On Added Significance

~ B-D-B-GAB-IAFSMT-DG-F-B-F-B ~ But – Distinguishing – Between – Good And Bad – Is A Far Simpler Matter Than – Distinguishing – Good – From– Better – From – Best

~ WGUTT-AT-WSTTTFG ~ We Get Used To Things – And Then –We Start To Take Them For Granted

~ EAE-G-A-GEWP ~ Experiencing And Expressing – Gratitude – Actually – Gets Easier With Practice

~ T-C-O-HE ~ The – Curse – Of – High Expectations

~ T-C-O-SC ~ The – Curse – Of – Social Comparison