On the problem with Millenials, Trolls, and Online Activism Of All Shades.
I was reading the other day some reviews of the X-Files finale, and most of the reviewers were extremely negative about it. But in the comment sections, there was a split. But many (most?) of the people who enjoyed it followed the same basic response pattern:
'I really liked it. Therefore the reviewer is a fucking moron AND SHOULD BE SACKED! OMG SACK THIS PERSON ALREADY! WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO HAVE THIS OPINION!! THEY KNOW NOTHING!!!'
It seems pretty extreme to me. Disagreeing with somebody over a review, and concluding that they must be a moron and should be sacked.
And it's a symptom of course of something we see everywhere. From the whinging-man-babies of the MRA, to online bullies sending rape threats to women they disagree with, to people in the social justice community who will suddenly pick out one word or phrase and declare somebody the most evil person ever and nothing else they say is important because omg outrage they are a monster, to the hilarious dialectic between Left and Right where most often it's really a debate between Right and Further Right.
I was thinking the other day about how much this all sounds like the Bush Doctrine. When he ushered in the very profoundly black and white thinking of 'If you're not with us, you're against us', and 'If you're not one of the good guys, then you're one of the bad guys'.
If you're not 100% with us, then you're against us. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
9/11 was what, 15 years ago? So what we're dealing with in online circles are mostly young people who grew up with the Bush Doctrine as the dominant political philosophy. These are the Millennials. The Bush era generation, whose political discourse was turned into something as subtle as a Punch And Judy show, or a WWE Wrestling Match, he said, offering a second example when he realised the majority of folks probably have no idea what Punch and Judy were. If Apple won't unlock every phone in the world for the FBI, then they're aiding the terrorists.
And the effect isn't just limited to Millennials* of course, it casts a net over everybody, but it must be particularly weird for folks who actively grew up with it in their formative years, not knowing anything different. Perhaps not understanding that discourse used to be a lot more nuanced.
And I wonder if this is why there's now so much all-or-nothing thinking. Why, as soon as somebody thinks somebody isn't 100% behind them, like their review of the X-Files disagreed with them and they should be sacked, or 'you have privilege** therefore absolutely nothing you say matters', or even more extreme, they are a man and therefore a monster, or they are a woman, and therefore a slut. Because the world is Black and White***.
Because the political landscape of a nation does matter, I think it sets the tone for what is and is not considered acceptable dialogue. Like here in the UK, because our politicians pandered to racism, then xenophobic dialogues have become 'acceptable' across much of the spectrum.
So yeah, I wonder if all of the Twitter Storms, the Tumblristas Outrage, the Puppy Wars, The Fight For 'Ethics' In Games Journalism, I wonder if they all have something in common, if they've all embraced the Bush Doctrine. And this is yet another way in which the world continues to pay a terrible price for the utter criminal gobshite Bush and Blair got up to. They've not only fucked up the world, but they've fucked up peoples minds too.
Because if I am going to feel Right then you all must be WRONG!
* I do not mean to sound harsh on millennials, they have every right to be angry. Hell, they should be one hell of a lot angrier than they are. Enjoy the dead world you're inheriting kids! Starving to death in the desert landscapes will be super fun!
** - For the record I think the concept of privilege is an extremely useful one, and I was very glad to learn about it.
*** - I'm aware that this Black and White thinking has been around a lot longer than Bush. One of the reasons the world has always been a bit afraid of America is the whole self-perception of the US as the 'good guys', and everybody else is the 'bad guys'. This is probably just the symptom of a Nation still in its teenaged years. I think we're all looking forward to the day when America grows out of it.****
**** Oh noes! Simon said something mean about America! Ugh, he's a monster, how dare he say something horrid about 'Murica! Fuck him and everything else he said!