Thomas Pynchon, whose books I cannot read, foretold that the Internet was going to be the ultimate tool of control over people. It would take justifiable rage and the desire for change and make it disappear into a hole of binary digits. He said something along these lines: we would be content fight online with our ideological foes and not do much else to help ourselves. The Internet sublimates our anger and our will.
I think he nailed it, don’t you?
And the Internet lies to you. It makes you scared and helpless and angry and disinforms, misinforms and distracts you, and always wants to sell you something. It’s similar to television, except the communication with the medium runs two ways.
However, there’s plenty of politically constructive ways to use the Internet’s power. You can spread important information to comrades in seconds with a few clickety-clacks; you can find people all over the country to attend events and coordinate protests.
If you’ve been online for a few rotations, you know that there is a seething hatred of liberals, Democrats, and all sorts of lefties. There are people on the right arming themselves for a civil war. I hope to fuck that if everything goes sideways, everyone will have access to arms, form and regulate militias, and get ready for street fighting. There is yet still use for the awkardly composed Second Amendment. In fact, true patriots understand each clause without parsing from a dimwitted Supreme Court that seeks to simplify The Bill Of Rights for people who cannot read.