memes - ironic memes, specifically - have shaped a new generation of thinkers and voters. this is bad. ironic, disengaged carelessness can seem cool and can help you get through some rough times, but as soon as it's applied to real world issues, that cool exterior leads to a sociopathic shallow view of other humans. i'm going to be upfront and state my bias: i'm a leftist. not an anarchist or communist, but pretty far left. google murray bookchin. but i'm going to try to avoid using buzzwords or commonly used phrases like 'redistribute wealth' or 'no ethical consumption under capitalism.' this isn't to obfuscate what are common arguments, but to just be as clean as possible anytime i argue a point. not that this is a place for explaining or pushing my views. i just wanted to be transparent about where i'm coming from here.
i hate misanthropy. i hate it.
irony breeds misanthropy. i hate that too.
while the internet is the best example of that buddhist 'interconnectedness of all things' that hippies love, it also promotes echo chambers through the nightmarish, dystopian algorithms we've inadvertedly released into the culture. this means that communities which have historically been small can find footholds all over the globe and rise up together. imho this is good when its people wanting to make the world a better place for everyone to live in. hot take but this is bad when killing others is involved. that goes for you tankies, too. anyway.
you don't really find that meme funny. it's the deep fried fish lens effect! it's ironic. you aren't, like, actually into that kinda stuff. you're enjoying it ironically. you're aloof. above it all. you don't really want to destroy this group of people, it's not serious, it's an ironic joke. don't take it seriously. lol.
to engage with topics and ideas in an earnest and good faith way is so vital if we want to make this world a good place to live in. we have to learn to have heated debates and walk away still friends. we have to learn to disagree with amicability. this is impossible if you're on even just 5 or 6 layers of irony. it's sad and embarrassing.