Finally, I see comment from someone who clearly understands this. Somehow, many people perceive such a threat very non-seriously, as if they think it will never happen, or that someone will come and prevent it from happening.
Do people even understand what that means?
No, they don't. And they don't want to understand. Just look at how indifferent many are about what is happening on the other side of the planet. If offered an exclusive choice between a 50% reduction in gasoline prices and the complete cessation of all authoritarian and totalitarian regimes without prolonged wars and massive devastation, many would choose the first option. Instead of the cessation of authoritarian regimes, you can point to solving any other global issue like climate change - and they would still choose the first option. This utter indifference, mixed with all sorts of absurd destructive beliefs such as conspiracy theories or racial superiority, provides very fertile ground for the establishment of authoritarianism.
A second Trump term really is an extinction-level threat to democracy worldwide, not just in United States. Considering that Trump and his supporters promise an isolationist policy, all sorts of predatory authoritarian and totalitarian regimes will suddenly feel like they can do anything - and this will start happening all over the world.
A second Trump term really is an extinction-level threat to democracy worldwide, not just in United States. Considering that Trump and his supporters promise an isolationist policy, all sorts of predatory authoritarian and totalitarian regimes will suddenly feel like they can do anything - and this will start happening all over the world.
IntroductionOver the last eight years, the spread of conspiracy theories has reached unprecedented scales. This occurred because society was too tolerant of conspiratorial narratives, making it highly vulnerable and susceptible to the influence of openly obscurantist ideas. In 2020, it became eviden...
One of the key reasons for the unprecedented polarization of society that we are currently observing lies in the fact that in an attempt to convey their point of view, one party disseminates its ideas to its target audience and tries to discredit its opponents through conspiracy theories and narratives. This is a very dirty tactic, as it affects people with problems with critical thinking and who are highly prone to fanaticism.
Something urgent needs to be done about this, otherwise it can very quickly lead to catastrophic consequences for society up to fascization, which will be extremely difficult to reverse.
I have prepared a petition calling for measures to counteract this threat. The petition concerns social networks, video hosting sites, and the media, and does not contain any calls for extreme measures or even the removal of conspiracy-related content.
What you can do to help achieve the adoption of these measures:
- Post a copy of this petition on Change.org. Due to some purely technical reasons, I am unable to do this myself.
- Share links to the petition in appropriate communities on Reddit (e.g. /r/Petition/, /r/Petitions/ )or in social networks (e.g., X, Facebook).
- Sign the petition.