A brilliant and original exploration of radical power shifts as the invisible rulers create tailored realities, revolutionizing politics, culture, and society.
Those who wish to destroy legitimate political and social authority have a new weapon. It is the dream of anarchists, a force so shockingly effective that its destructive power appears limitless. Scientific evidence is powerless against it, democratic legitimacy is undermined by it, and leaders are humiliated by it.
What we once called influence has become something violently toxic. Renée DiResta provides us with a powerful, original framework to explain how this now shapes public opinion through a virtual wheel of rumors by expert propagandists. While positioning themselves as reliable "Davids," their reach, influence, and funding render them classic Goliaths, invisible rulers creating tailored realities that control the fates of millions, with their work guided by a simple maxim: "if you make it popular, you make it true."
Highlighting the mechanics and dynamics of interaction between influences, algorithms, and online crowds, DiResta brings to life how faith in the fundamental legitimacy of the institutions that do the work of society is deliberately undermined. This alternative system for shaping public opinion, as yet unexamined, reorganizes the relationship between citizens and their government in deeply disturbing ways.
From the battle and defeat of California's anti-vaxxers a decade ago to the revelation of how China and Russia target the American public and our elections – and now herself targeted by Congressman Jim Jordan and his bipartisan extremists – DiResta is not just an observer of the machine that propels the Big Lie and unyielding culture wars. As an analyst, researcher, and participant, she provides unparalleled insights into how influences shape the opinion and behavior of mass crowds, with the power to lead these crowds into battle – while bearing no responsibility for the consequences.
Pages: 448, Year of Publication: 0924, Dimensions: 15.8x15.8cm
