I’ve honestly had the same thought, but then I look at the attitudes of the people involved and their implementation of what they’re doing and it’s hard to assume anything other than stupidity and malice. I don’t think Trump or Elon are capable of that sort of strategy, and if they are they’re two of the best actors on the planet. I really don’t think they’re nearly that intelligent or talented at actual deception. They’re certainly reckless enough, but I don’t buy that they’re anything other than dangerously stupid.

I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if that’s been the motivation for some of their supporters, though. There may well be people in the world who feel that pulling the pendulum as far into a shitstorm as it will go will create enough of a counter-swing to be worth the immediate results, and that may well have affected their voting. It seems like a pretty foolish gambit for anyone who has to live through it, though, and pretty heartless to boot.

If, on the other hand, the acceleration and counterbalancing is just a natural occurrence? A way to get from point A to point B with the least possible action? That doesn’t sound totally crazy to me at all.

But, like, there doesn’t need to be someone sneakily manipulating politics and capitalism for that to happen. Hopefully we do learn from what’s happening and what’s already happened enough to make some of the same sort of societal improvements much of Western Europe and the United States saw after WWII, preferably sooner than they did with a lot less damage in the mean time.

We do seem to be in a similar situation and have a similar opportunity to change things as a result once people actually get the ball moving. Assuming we do actually get the ball moving.

Walk barefoot in the woods and take up guitar.

Have you tried Discord? I’ve met a ton of people on Discord servers or in games that have a focus on Discord, and we talk at length on a regular basis, both in text and in voice. Hell, sometimes I’ll sit in a voice chat with them and talk about nothing in particular all day or literally just sleep in digital proximity.

Instagram or any social media with DMs is probably shit for chat because it’s literally not intended as a chat client. That’s a function that’s tacked on as an afterthought and usually pretty poorly.

Something like Discord, Element, or IRC is probably a way better bet. It’s the same as trying to hold a conversation over email or Livejournal in the late 90s or early 00s rather than using an AIM, ICQ, YIM, or MSN client. Or like, IRC or even Palace or just some small web-based Java chat. You’re just kind of doing it wrong, I think.