The fact that established institutions have felt compelled to berate a newly-elected president, and benefited materially from it, shows how deeply the way of the web has penetrated the real world. Aggression garners online attention. Persistent and outrageous aggression will build a following. Every incentive pulls you toward the promotion of outrageous antagonists as worthy objects of aggression. The ideal is perpetual combat with the most extreme opponents, aggression on aggression, outrage against outrage. To a casual glance, this will resemble the behavior of two scorpions in a bottle. A closer look will reveal a finely-tuned symbiotic relationship, in which both players benefit so long as they continue to move ever farther out, to opposite extremes.
When cultivating outrage becomes the dominate strategy, expect to encounter the outrageous.
“Trump is absolutely going to use the presidency to make money,” we are told by Alex Shephard at The New Republic. ”
I like how dumb it makes otherwise smart people. Let’s check Clinton or Obama’s percentage change in net worth.
This effect is analogous to what makes me concerned about Islamic extremism and why I doubt the path to resolution routes through “getting tougher.” The extremists would love for it to become a “two-party system” where people are compelled to choose between being for Islam or against Islam. Figure out what your enemy wants, and don’t give it to them.
According to the Financial Times, the Obamas are getting paid $65 Million for a pair of his-and-her books. Sixty-Five Million Dollars. How’s that for a change in net worth?
Easily steelmanned as a just reward for a just presidency and regardless not a motivating factor. It doesn’t show intent, whereas the complaint with Trump regards intent.
A classic from that same essay:
“Anti-Trumpism might be described as capitalism with an angry face. It has already worked an astounding economic miracle by making the desert that is the news business bloom again.”
Trump made his reputation berating. In contrast, political institutions have been skeptical and questioning, but barely berating though it probably feels that way to him.
I would say you have to be joking but I know you aren’t.
As liberal and pro democrat as the media has always been, their opposition to Trump is unprecedented.
That is how you get stories about “TRUMP PURGES X POLITICAL APPOINTMENT!”
As opposed to DEATH PANELS, SHARIA LAW, etc? Seriously? Media is media and not particularly representative of institutions.
Yeah, those institutions are like media but they lie in return for donations instead of ads.
Let us be honest, Trump was different candidate. How many candidates call illegal aliens rapist on his opening speech and this made him popular. (Don’t underestimate the popularity
1) I do feel part of the Trump coverage is click bait and NYT, WaPo and Vox are getting more subscriptions and clicks. It is a business strategy at this point very similar to NRA claiming Obama taking all the guns stuff.
2) How much of the press is TV and cable news? Fox News he is Dear Leader and even MSNBC has Mornin’ Joe. Did you see how much they loved his State of The Union Speech?
3) Look at some of the claims by Trump especially the wire-tapping by Obama. The administration does make strong claims and then sort walks some of them back. If we were an emergency how will people react?
Please remember Trump ran like Richard Gephardt in 1988 with a nasty Twitter feed.
The reason is simple enough. They still hope he will be useful. As that becomes less likely, or less likely to matter, this will ramp up.
It is going the opposite way because they lied about him.
So, as he turns out to be fine they have cognitive dissonance and have to double-down on their speculation of impending disaster.
Perhaps this is more the case:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/there-really-was-a-liberal-media-bubble/
There still IS a media “bubble” fully occupied.
Martin Gurri likes President Trump better than people who criticize Trump. Gosh wow gee! Without the internet no one would ever dream of badmouthing a President. Isn’t this amazing?
People who lie about Trump are hallucinating because they thought the status quo was good but the Internet let us know:
The government spies on all of us, they have terrible cybersecurity, have stopped zero attacks, are incredibly incompetent and corrupt, and the people lying about Trump mostly denied all this to our face. Clapper should be in prison for lying to Congress and should not have the opportunity lie about FISA.
The changes did not affect FISA. If you are going to champion Trump at least get your facts straight.
Steve
Best writing on this topic I have seen is from Scott Alexander in “The Toxoplasma of Rage”
https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage/