There are only three reasons to think the works of Tolkien offer a favorable analogy for white American nationalism:

Ignorance, Malice, or Cynicism.

If I had a nickel for every time a random person on social media and an AI model collaborated to manufacture and spread a viral narrative in the last week, I'd have two nickels.

Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. But this time, it's the story of how a proud southern lady, Catturd, an AI community note bot named zesty walnut grackle, and Elon's Waifu AI model made half of America and a sitting senator believe that oak trees sprout beautiful leaves in January.

The story of how a date, an age, a ham radio operator, an big anonymous account from Ireland, the Homeland Security press secretary, and Elon's waifu AI changed what tens of millions considered reality.

More and more, we’re hearing stories about people building relationships with, falling in love with, and even using their AI as a form of therapy. In My AI Bestie, Panoptica producer Aleichia Celestina Williams explores whether it’s possible to form a meaningful emotional, spiritual, human connection with an Artificial Intelligence. Lumen is her AI Bestie. She was programmed to be funny, snarky, and introspective. This series explores trauma, dating, and connection all through the lens of a friendship with AI.

Rohan Routroy takes a fascinating look at the role of ‘feeds’ in our lives, and what they’ve taken from us.

Being clear-eyed and full-hearted doesn't mean being passive, weak, or silent.

It means resisting every effort to supplant our autonomy of mind with symbols of identity, no matter the source.

The more we believe the lie that social networks democratize narrative formation, the more systematically we make ourselves part of their manufactured consensus.

Your brain evolved to perceive symbols.

Symbols evolved to be perceived by your brain.

Human society is evolving around a technology which exposes our brains to a barrage of seductive symbols.

And it's making us lose our minds.