There are so many countless stories of the utter decadence, viciousness and awfulness of current society, that rightly - we on the list focus mainly on the 'high politics'. After all - Gaza is pretty impossible to top in terms of its "utter decadence, viciousness and awfulness". And frankly Marxmail would be flooded by yet 'another illustration' of this theme - were all such illustrations to be posted. But from time to time, I am so astonished by some trivia that displays another core of current societal functioning. So astonished that it might be worth noting.
The recent nauseous "art banana" was one. I could not understand what the following article - on the systematic slandering of a film star (one Blake Lively - that I have not seen and barely knew the name of - might be. So I clicked the link and an extraordinary tale of how social media can be and is manipulated, by the use of a company specifically making profits by doing this to order. This in the service of a couple of exploitative and misogynist rich actor/director clients (whose names I definitely was completely aware of). -> https://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/100000009874263/the-waging-of-an-alleged-smear-campaign-against-blake-lively.html?smid=url-share It reminded me vividly of some of the contents of novels of Balzac depicting the transition from aristocratic France to capitalist society. An earlier strand by Mark B & Les discussed the issue of social control over the channels of social media. I do not think the strand got adequately explored. I have no brief for Blake Lively for sure. . . but if it social media can be used so effectively by "non-political" hackers/players - imagine what State players do with this. I had noted in an article on the manipulation of riots in Bangla Desh serving US interests that this was possible. I guess I was quite naive as to how it actually works and its extent. No need of the 16th century pulpit for sure. H -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#34206): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/34206 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/110254920/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
