The internet has been utilized efficiently by many, but it’s essentially the new printing machine, salon, public square, college lounge, and speakeasy all rolled into one. All the old places where propaganda or ideology spread found its place, it’s all here in memes, blogs, TikToks, or whatever instead.
But the rise in populist thinking is also a feint, in many ways. The end goal of populist ideology, as always, is centralization of power whenever the populist ruling party reaches critical mass in authority. This has been true regardless of the political leanings of a populist movement, either left or right.
For democracies to remain stable for elections and transitions of power, I think the future of the internet will be something like China’s great fire wall.
But the rise in populist thinking is also a feint, in many ways. The end goal of populist ideology, as always, is centralization of power whenever the populist ruling party reaches critical mass in authority. This has been true regardless of the political leanings of a populist movement, either left or right.
For democracies to remain stable for elections and transitions of power, I think the future of the internet will be something like China’s great fire wall.