Replying to Avatar Sikto

I hadn’t thought of that. A rallying cry that society could congeal around. In such a fractured world, with such extreme views and large platforms for those views to spread, it’s scary to think about how big that external threat would have to be.
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Mike Brock 2y ago

It's a well-understood phenomenon in sociology around group dynamics, and in political science. It's also well understood by autocrats and demagogues, who weaponize the fear of external threats to distract from their own corruption and tyranny.

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Sikto 2y ago

Yes, thanks. It makes sense. So which will it be? Aliens, climate change, Russia, or China :)

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Mike Brock 2y ago

Probably China, actually.

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Sikto 2y ago

Is it then that the natural state of our species is to distrust one another?

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Mike Brock 2y ago

No. Our natural state is to trust in-groups and distrust out-groups.