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MASS PSYCHOSIS - How an Entire Population Becomes MENTALLY ILL

The Mass Psychosis: Understanding the Epidemic of Madness

The psychologist Carl Jung believed that the greatest threat to civilization is our inability to deal with the forces of our own psyche. In his book, Civilization in Transition, Jung warns that our wolf-like tendencies come into play during times of mental illness in a society, which he terms as a psychic epidemic. One of the most dangerous forms of a psychic epidemic is the mass psychosis. In this article, we will explore what a mass psychosis is, what causes it, and how it unfolds.

What is a Mass Psychosis?

A mass psychosis is an epidemic of madness that occurs when a large portion of a society loses touch with reality and descends into delusions. Two examples of mass psychoses are the American and European witch hunts in the 16th and 17th centuries and the rise of totalitarianism in the 20th century. During the witch hunts, thousands of individuals, mostly women, were killed, not for any crimes they committed, but because they became the scapegoats of societies gone mad. When a mass psychosis occurs, the individuals who make up the infected society become morally and spiritually inferior, sinking unconsciously to an inferior intellectual level. They become more unreasonable, irresponsible, emotional, erratic, and unreliable, and worst of all, crimes that the individual alone could never stand are freely committed by the group smitten by madness.

What Causes a Mass Psychosis?

The most prevalent psychogenic cause of a psychosis is a flood of negative emotions, such as fear or anxiety, that drives an individual into a state of panic. When in a state of panic, an individual will naturally seek relief, which can be accomplished through adaptive means, such as facing up to and defeating the fear-generating threat. Another way to escape is to undergo a psychotic break, which is not a descent into a state of greater disorder, as many believe, but a reordering of one's experiential world that blends fact and fiction or delusions and reality in a way that helps end the feelings of panic.

The Unfolding of a Mass Psychosis:

A psychotik break can result when a population of weak and vulnerable individuals is driven into a state of panic by threats, real, imagined, or fabricated. The specific manner in which a mass psychosis unfolds will differ based on the historical and cultural context of the infected society. In the modern era, the mass psychosis of totalitarianism appears to be the greatest threat. In a totalitarian society, the population is divided into two groups, the rulers and the ruled, and both groups undergo a pathological transformation. The rulers are elevated to an almost god-like status, which is diametrically opposed to our nature as imperfect beings who are easily corrupted by power. The masses, on the other hand, are transformed into the dependent subjects of these pathological rulers and take on a psychologically regressed and childlike status.

In conclusion, a mass psychosis is an epidemic of madness that occurs when a large portion of a society loses touch with reality and descends into delusions. The most prevalent psychogenic cause of a psychosis is a flood of negative emotions, such as fear or anxiety, that drives an individual into a state of panic. The unfolding of a mass psychosis differs based on the historical and cultural context of the infected society. The mass psychosis of totalitarianism appears to be the greatest threat in the modern era, where the population is divided into rulers and ruled, and both groups undergo a pathological transformation.

Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How. | NYT Opinion

What Do Democrats Actually Do When They Have All the Power?

- Question: What do Democrats actually do when they have all the power?

- Collaboration with Binya Appelbaum, Times editorial board writer

Democratic Control in 18 States:

- Map of 18 states where Democrats control legislative and executive branches or have veto-proof majority in legislature

- Democrats blame GOP for foiling progressive vision, but no Republicans in the way in these 18 states

The 2020 Democratic Party Platform:

- Serves as guide to understanding what Democrats want for America

- Housing mentioned over 100 times, affordable housing a human right

- California as example of what Democrats do with power

California's Housing Policy:

- Lack of affordable housing in California despite Democratic control

- State has mostly stopped building housing, prices have gone up

- Specific policies keep neighborhoods full of single-family homes, fight against higher density buildings

- Zoning map of Palo Alto shows fight to keep low-density housing, overturn decision for affordable housing complex

Washington State's Taxation Policy:

- Democrats believe in progressive tax system where rich pay larger share of income than poor

- In Washington State, less affluent families pay larger share of state and local taxes

- Democrats have opportunity to implement their vision in states where they have all the power, but specific policies and interests can obstruct their goals.

Social media giants are vulnerable to foreign propaganda. What can they do to change?

Social Media Giants Admit to Political Dark Side in 2016 Election

On Capitol Hill, representatives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google faced tough questions from a Senate Judiciary subcommittee regarding their roles in the 2016 election. This marks the first time that social media giants have publicly admitted to the political dark side of their platforms.

Key Points:

- Foreign interference from Russia is a new challenge for social media companies.

- Facebook had 120 fake accounts posting 80,000 times from June 2015 to August 2017, reaching as many as 126 million Americans with divisive content.

- Twitter had 15 fake Russian accounts posting 1.4 million election-related tweets from September to November 2016.

- Google had 18 fake Russian accounts open on its YouTube service.

- Congress is debating laws that would require the regulation of political ads on social media, similar to TV and radio regulation.

- Social media companies are promising to disclose who is buying ads and who they are targeting.

- However, some senators are skeptical that companies can avoid a repeat of 2016.

Expert Analysis:

According to Thomas Rid, professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University, different social media companies deal with the problem of foreign propaganda differently. Facebook is more transparent and driven to fix the problem, while Twitter hides the problem and enables the removal of evidence. Timothy Wu, professor at Columbia Law School, believes that both companies are vulnerable to foreign propaganda due to their advertising-based models and automation.

The social media giants' admission to their political dark side in the 2016 election marks a turning point in the regulation of political ads on social media. While companies are promising transparency and regulation, skepticism remains regarding their ability to prevent foreign interference in future elections.

How Cyberwarfare Actually Works

The world of warfare has entered a new era of cyberwarfare, which was discovered by a small antivirus company based in Belarus called VirusBlokAda. The discovery of a brand new exploit, capable of infecting one computer simply by being viewed, was a groundbreaking moment in the world of information security. This new era was made possible by the concept of zero days, which refers to the holes in software that can be exploited by hackers.

Zero Days:

- Any software has vulnerabilities

- Most will be caught before release or shortly after, but a tiny minority will go unnoticed for weeks, months, or years

- These vulnerabilities are referred to as zero days

- In the early 2000s, hobbyist hackers would search for these bugs and post about their findings on online forums

- Information security companies would repackage this information and include it in digital threat alert services for companies and agencies

iDefense:

- iDefense was a company that started paying for exploits from hackers in exchange for their silence

- The company would then alert the software's developer and its own customers before the competing information security companies could

- The payouts were anywhere between a couple hundred and a couple thousand dollars

- The system gave hackers a first opportunity to monetize their hobby and grew into a massive success

The Black Market:

- The American military machine recognized the potential of cyberwarfare and sought out zero day exploits

- The market has propagated into a staggering degree of scale and legitimacy

- Western players like the US source zero day exploits from companies that hardly hide what they're doing

- Zero day broker Zerodium publishes their price list, offering up to $1,000,000 for a Windows remote code execution zero day exploit

- The fact that Stuxnet included a remote code execution exploit that could have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars indicated that it was designed to do something equally valuable

The concept of zero days has created a thriving market for hackers and information security companies alike. While the black market still exists, Western players like the US have turned to legitimate sources for their zero day exploits. The discovery of Stuxnet marked the beginning of a new era of cyberwarfare, where highly advanced and targeted attacks are the norm. The world of information security will continue to evolve as hackers and governments seek out new vulnerabilities and exploits.

Game Changer CAMP - Internet Forums and the Far Right

Infrastructure of Hate” is a term that accurately describes the ways in which right-wing extremist groups have been able to use the internet to spread their ideology and recruit members. This has been facilitated by the participatory nature of the internet, which allows people to not only consume media, but also actively produce and participate in it. The rise of the alt-right has been attributed to their specific use of the internet to spread their ideology and recruit members, and white supremacy is often the binding factor between different far-right groups. Reports calling for counterterrorism organizations and departments to pay attention to extremist groups online emerged in the mid-1990s, but it is important to note that white supremacists and extremist groups have been around for quite some time. The internet and the World Wide Web were founded upon libertarian utopian ideals of free speech and unhindered information networks, which has made attempts at content moderation and controlling online networks difficult. The biases and privilege of the people who created online platforms are reflected in the very structure of the internet, and platforms are extremely poorly regulated. The work of moderation often falls on underpaid and extremely exploited workers, and the ability to buy advertisements and target certain demographics has allowed far-right groups to specifically target youth, particularly on platforms like YouTube and gaming communities.

Recommendations for covering online hate groups include developing an understanding of their tactics and goals, as well as working to uncover their sources of funding and identifying their key players. Strategies for helping to identify someone who is becoming radicalized include being aware of the signs of radicalization and having open and honest conversations with them. It is important to note that not everyone who engages with extremist content becomes radicalized, and it is crucial to approach the issue with sensitivity and empathy. In conclusion, the infrastructure of hate is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires a concerted effort from both individuals and institutions to address. By understanding the tactics and goals of extremist groups, being aware of the signs of radicalization, and working to create more regulated online spaces, we can work towards dismantling the infrastructure of hate and creating a more inclusive and equitable online community.

UX Crunch - Manipulation by Design: A Primer on Propaganda in the 21st Century, by Daniel Harvey

Propaganda in the Modern World: Tactics, Strategies, and Tools

- Acknowledgements and thanks to Steve for organizing the event and other speakers

- Apologies for the use of horrible photos and potential language

- Topic of discussion: propaganda in the modern world and the tactics used by propagandists to their advantage

Strategies and Tactics:

- Henry Kissinger's constructive ambiguity policy and its impact on current tensions in Syria

- Reagan administration's use of perception management to push for aggressive foreign policy

- Karl Rove's creation of the reality-based community and its impact on political discourse

- Putin's use of non-linear warfare and information warfare to destabilize perception and credibility

- Post-truth politics and the use of outrageous lies to gain media coverage

- Tactiks such as derision of experts, repetition, and feigned rejection of partisanship

- The use of utopian promises and conspiracy theories to radicalize and incite violence

- Propagandists continue to use various tactics and strategies to gain power and control

- Awareness of these tactics can help individuals resist manipulation and propaganda

- The fight against propaganda and disinformation requires vigilance and critical thinking.