Wise and important words from sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in this country right now and what to do about it: The goal is to overwhelm you. The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine"— - ThreadSky

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social • 125 days ago

Wise and important words from sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in this country right now and what to do about it:

The goal is to overwhelm you. The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine"—

Comments

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual; it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

What now?

1. Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

2. Use aggregators and experts. Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

3. Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

joemarshallauthor.bsky.social•125 days ago

4. Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context.

5. Build community. Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Posting Rules

Be respectful to others
No spam or self-promotion
Stay on topic
Follow Bluesky's terms of service

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply