The least astonishing aspect of the United States’ stunning fall from representative democracy to one-party dictatorship in a single generation is the proliferation of the Big Lie.
The Big Lie’s father was Adolph Hitler, contrary to popular belief, and not his odious and malevolent0 lackey propagandist Joseph Goebbels.
The Big Lie’s power rests in creating the biggest falsehood possible, repeating it until the entire base (cult) is gaslit, then create a succinct thought-stopping cliché and encouraging the sheep to bleat it over and over until the opposition drops from exhaustion.
Success requires an army of gullible cretins with zero thinking skills, fewer critical thinking skills, and the ability to torment the cult while telling them how wonderful everything is.
The technique is stunningly effective and lethal. We are watching it eviscerate polite discourse and democratic norms in every corner of the planet. It will get worse, much worse, thanks to active collusion and gutless inaction from media and tech.
Other resources:
“Anatomy of the Big Lie: Participatory Disinformation vs. Democracy” from TechPolicy.press.
Howling Yeti 