From the New World (Classic Episode) Jon Askonas: Politics is Downstream of Technology
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Sep 4, 2023 Jon Askonas, professor at The Catholic University of America and a contributor to the New Atlantis and Compact, discusses technological change, conservatism's vulnerability to grift, democracy, the January 6th hearings, Rene Girard, and apocalypse.
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TV's Rise and Decline in Politics
- Television reshaped democracy by favoring symbolic politics over substantive policymaking after deregulation.
- This model persisted until Trump, but now TV's influence is declining with the rise of the internet and fragmented media.
Internet Fragments Political Realities
- The internet fragments audiences into niche, ideologically-driven communities rather than a unified political culture.
- This shift complicates making policy issues salient broadly and fuels personalized, cult-like group dynamics online.
Medieval Mindset and Tech Agency
- Medieval societies' belief in agency among supernatural forces parallels today's interaction with complex technologies.
- Embracing this perspective might help modern people better relate to opaque systems like AI and algorithms.