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| Finest Mainstream Tears® |
A recent
surge of Alt-Right optimism, prompted by increased mainstream media attention as a result of the Trump campaign in the U.S., has apparently led some of
us to believe that memes, trolling, and shitposting will pave a path to our political
victory. Without wishing
to spoil anyone’s fun, I think we should plan for a bumpier ride. Those tempted to place their eggs in virtual baskets should study the current affairs of China,
particularly its proposed “social credit” system, and remind themselves that the
internet requires only minor tweaking to go from a haven of free speech to a Matrix-like
system of surveillance and coercion.
In the long term, then, we should develop strategies that lead us out of the online world, rather than keeping us dependent on it. But, conversely, we should also make the most of the internet’s formidable power to terrorise the Left and the false Right, as we do not know how long we can expect to have it at our disposal. To this end, we ought to clarify the role of transgressive trolling and the often shockingly iconoclastic material in which it deals.
