Online = Offline
What happens when the online world dictates the offline world?
When the online world (metaverse) dictates how we live our lives in the offline/physical world (meatspace), the lines gets blurred and we should expect new challenges and new codes of conduct. I am increasingly focused on the people or organizations that gets to dictate what the modus operandi is and rules of engagement are for the online/metaverse world as that will guide how interactions in the meatspace will go.
This is playing out with the influence of social media on how we perceive ourselves, others and the world around us. We are increasingly been called out to pledge our allegiance with one group or face the toxic wrath of the online mob (our modern day witch hunt). We will always remember that algorithms cannot understand nuanced views or perspectives so we are tending to follow our algorithmic controlled world by making a stand with “insert your latest MSM supported victims”.
What does tweeting about a problem or issue going to do about it? apart from virtue signaling that we appear to be concerned about said issue. It is funny how many people online have Ukraine flags next to their names on twitter but ignore atrocities in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Palestine, etc.
I find it all odd and not consistent. All for moral grand standing and this is the aspect I dislike about the online world. This fake, plastic world many seem to love and revel in. Even so called “community” and relationships are so shallow that it is all to show who has the most followers or subscribers (let’s not forget that there is a monetization element to the amount of your followers that also incentivizes people to clout chase.)
Many appear to enjoy this performative stance and it is leading to more and more people calling and expressing more absurd things to be done as with the case of Ukraine/Russia issue. Of course, many are openly calling and supporting online censorship and bans of others they have been propagandized to hate.
It is getting very worrying as we are seeing another likely open hatred of Russians and anything Russian forgetting that the government actions does not necessarily represent the people from that place/region. We are walking down a very dangerous path exacerbated by this online world we seem to inhabit and dwell in every minute of the day.
Here we see the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott calling for a boycott of Russian products with Ohio, Utah and New Hampshire joining in the same charade;
In reply, does that mean that we should ban all other crude and oil products?
Lets be clear on one thing, the Russian government or its oligarchs are not going to be impacted by this performative virtue signaling, and in my opinion, it seems to be aimed more at;
online censorship and narrative control (information warfare & mind control)
more closures/shutting down of SME in anticipation of CBDC’s
slowing down the supply chains to usher in WEF’s goal of “you’ll own nothing and be happy”
limiting human connection and reinforcing differences
According to the Epoch Times;
Only around 1.2 percent of all vodka imports into the United States in the first half of 2021 came from Russia, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
The most popular vodka brands sold in the United States like Smirnoff, Svedka, New Amsterdam, Tito’s, Absolut, Ciroc, and SKYY, are made either domestically or in European countries like the UK, France, and Sweden.
This online/war rhetoric has escalated into open discrimination and calls for racist targeting, in the words of Rep. Eric Swalwell appearing on CNN, “kick every Russian student out of the United States”.
The information war taking place at the moment has been driven to extraordinary levels and is not displaying a promising trajectory of where we are headed.
We really have to be building our offline lives to live in a sane, peaceful world. Am long term bearish on the online phones and computer world, and bullish on real, physical human connection in the foreseeable future. They will be highly priced.
See you tomorrow!
- Ope