5 Stories Americans Missed While Fighting Over A Viral Video That Has No Effect On Their Lives
As Americans argued over an irrelevant video of a Catholic boy in a MAGA hat staring at a Native American, multiple events took place that actually affect them and were ignored.
By Matt Agorist
TheFreeThoughtProject.com
January 24, 2019
An essentially pointless video of a white Catholic teen wearing a MAGA hat staring at a Native American veteran—who approached him—was at the forefront of every major news outlet this week. The video did not show a crime or government corruption, yet it was able to draw a line through this country on a massive scale. The video is being used by both sides of the political spectrum to paint the other side as monsters. Regardless of which “side” you take, however, the society as a whole will still lose.
The video only affected two people, Nick Sandmann and Nathan Phillip, yet the entire country—quite literally at the direction of mainstream media—allowed it to affect them. The media is getting so good a cutting the country in half on random issues that there is actually a term for it. Videos and instances like this are called a “scissor.”
As Ross Douthat recently pointed out, in a short story published last October, “Sort by Controversial,” Scott Alexander imagines a Silicon Valley company that accidentally comes up with an algorithm to generate what it calls a “Scissor.” The scissor is a statement, an idea or a scenario that’s somehow perfectly calibrated to tear people apart — not just by generating disagreement, but by generating total incredulity that somebody could possibly disagree with your interpretation of the controversy, followed by escalating fury and paranoia and polarization, until the debate seems like a completely existential, win-or-perish fight.
This win or perish fight has become the go to reaction for nearly every news story. Instead of critical thought on news articles, people simply build their defenses and prepare for war—actual truth be damned.
“OMG, the MAGA hat is literally a swastika! It represents everything wrong with society!” Or, “those stupid libtards are trying to ruin this country by preventing Trump from building that wall!” Meanwhile, both sides are missing the point. Their ridiculous infighting is keeping them distracted from actual issues that affect their lives.
A teen from Kentucky staring at a Native American man on video has no bearing on your life. None. It only serves as a distraction and a ‘scissor’ to push people apart so they are more easily controlled. The term “divide and conquer” isn’t some random statement, it is what happens. And, as long as we let stories like this drive a wedge into society, it will inevitable happen to us.
As the country argued over this irrelevant video, very important stories that actually affect them simply slipped under the radar. TFTP has compiled a brief list of these stories for those who are vigilant enough to care about them.
1. Bill Would Force Citizens to Have Government Software on ALL Devices that Access the Internet which Would Block Any Content the State Deems “Obscene”
While Americans called for making the Catholic Kentucky teen a hero or a villain, law makers proposed legislation that will put software on every single device that accesses the internet. Under the guise of collecting revenue, this legislation would force citizens to pay the government to access porn content.
However, if for one second, you think that the state would limit its ability to block internet access solely reserved for pornography, you haven’t been paying attention. The federal government, right this moment, is likely plotting away behind marble walls to conceive ways to stop you from viewing content they deem inappropriate — fake news anyone?
It is a win-win for tyranny. Under the guise of blocking ‘obscene content’, the state gets to force device manufacturers to install built-in functionality designed for government-sanctioned censorship — all the while keeping tabs on the hardware, but collecting money to free up porn access.
But keep on fighting over MAGA boy….
2. An Innocent Marine Veteran was Falsely Arrested and Brutally Strip Searched in a Horrific Act of ‘Punishment’ Caught on Video
The Rest…HERE
