As for the signal aspect, the last discussion I was a part of devolved into “ MI6 did it to make trump’s team look bad”. There is some bogus ‘news’ article to back this up.
I don’t know how we got here, but it’s devastating and scary.
Political tribalism is the new religious outlet, since the old religions are failing their purpose. It’s in-group/out-group ego feeding behavior. The psychology of the faithful doesn’t change, since the underlying issue isn’t being addressed; the expression of it changes.
Similar to how addiction psychology doesn't go away unless dealt with, addiction psychology just changes how it’s expressed.
Essentially, this is all Steve Job's fault.
Naturally, it did not take too long for other people exploit that newly found dynamic in context of democracy and use tech to manipulate such people with fringe views for own short-term gains.
That said, if there's ever another free and fair US election, the Democrats have a real opportunity to put a candidate that can actually deliver remaking the country, but in a way that lifts all boats, and without throwing out hard-won democratic freedoms. But I'm pretty certain they'll just front up another establishment candidate with a progressive face.
Are there any more doomed two party countries waiting to go authoritarian / fascist?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting#Cou...
I think, though, that the US won't go full top-down authoritarian, because a large enough portion of the population is armed. Should some kind of coup ever be attempted, it could well spark a civil war – which is still doom, but not a subjugating kind of doom.
But yes let's hope there will be elections again