The Echo Chamber
It’s not just the alt-right that are in the denial-of-reality business
I write this article in the knowledge that it may be the last I submit for publication on Medium, not because I intend to cease writing but because there’s a chance this article will result in me being struck off the platform — as happened a few months ago to the always-excellent and always fact-based Angela Volkov, who had the temerity to write a carefully reasoned factual article that offended the supposedly progressive sensibilities of Medium’s editorial team. She was cast into the outer darkness and is no longer permitted to post articles; I won’t be surprised if the same fate is imposed on me for this article.
I like Medium. As the world shrinks to soundbites, gifs, and memes, it’s encouraging to find a website that encourages long-form communication. I’ve been writing on Medium for a couple of years now, mostly for my own amusement and to hone my writing skills. The fact that Medium remits a few dollars to me every month is an unexpected bonus in the most literal sense of the word.
Yet as is the way with all human enterprises, Medium also has its dark side. We humans are a group species and because we depend on being part of a group for our survival we are hardwired by evolution to conform to group norms. In fact, we will normalize even the…
