“SCREAM Politics” – The More Outrageous, the Better!

By Shlomo Maital  

   Once upon a time, politicians used to choose their words with some caution – because in general, their words were recorded and could (and often were) used against them.

   Today?   We are in the era of SCREAM Politics.  Caps.  Politicians purposely say outrageous, often stupid, things,  just to get attention.  And often, it works for them. 

    Why?

    With social media, there is an incredibly huge amount of noise thrown at us daily.  So naturally we filter it out.  It has become increasingly hard for politicians to get our attention. And without our attention, well, they simply do not exist. 

     Hence, the politics of SCREAM.  Speak in bold face capital letters.  Otherwise, your voice will not be heard. 

     In Israel, a leading Likud politician David Amsalem suggests putting political opponents into concentration camps.  A storm of protest occurs.  He sticks to his guns.  And inwardly smiles.  Well done.  I made it into the news.  My supporters love me.

     Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R. Georgia)  has her Twitter account suspended, for  saying that there are “extremely high amounts of Covid vaccine deaths.”   She never apologizes or retracts.   Will she be re-elected in 2022?  You bet.

     Note: Georgia trails the US average in percentage of the population who are vaccinated.  Over 30,000 Georgians have died from COVID-19. 

      Making high-volume noise seems to get votes.  And not just among Republicans.  Some Dems do it too, maybe a bit less.  At least they do not support “Stop the Steal”.

      So today, in politics, in the US, Israel and other democracies, we have scream politics.  The result – what economists call ‘adverse selection’.   Crackpots like Amsalem and Marjorie Taylor Greene enter politics, scream loudly, get elected, scream even louder – and sensible normal people opt out of this stupid system,  especially young people.  And sane politicians end up imitating the crazies.  Scream politics becomes the norm.

     In the end we will end up with legislatures filled with idiots.  Maybe we already have.  And I just don’t see the solution…..