[polalavik]

I think a deeper dive on this is The Revolt of the Public by Martin Gurri [1] which argues, in short, that people have been enabled by the internet (which he calls the infosphere) and that mobilization via the internet has created extreme turbulence for systems of authority (which are still needed despite their existing issues). The people enabled by the internet have no way to rule, and in many examples do not wish to rule, but only want to dismantle the status quo without any meaningful replacement or solution leaving everyone in a vacuum of nihilism which is highly corrosive to liberal democracy.

[1] https://press.stripe.com/the-revolt-of-the-public

[esyir]

I'd say that the internet has also strongly lowered the barriers to external propaganda and influence, which is another major factor here. When you've got a huge swarm of "people" with no stake, or even a negative stake in your country, that's a naturally destabilizing factor

[spencerflem]

I genuinely don’t get how anyone could feel anything other than nihilism with regards to American democracy

[tim333]

As someone slightly older I remember when it worked quite well.

[spencerflem]

When the courts stole the election in 2000? The forty years where the only two options were slightly different flavors of Reagan?

[tim333]

Carter to Bill Clinton seemed ok.

[AndrewKemendo]

But that was always the case for first nations and black Americans.

There has literally never been a good time in America for either group.

[spencerflem]

Don’t think we disagree

[Mountain_Skies]

Yes, it's shocking how common the belief is now that democracy means a person's preferred candidate always wins. Anyone else winning is the death of democracy. The mental gymnastics some people will go through to promote this view can border on mania.

[spencerflem]

I have zero preferred candidates and likely never will

[arvid-lind]

I think it's at least partially because we can't agree on what terms like "democracy" and "fascism" mean anymore, and that doesn't seem like it's going to get any better. Things like diplomacy, bipartisanship, and cooperation can't compete with conflict and aggression in the algorithms. What do we expect will be guiding future generations of voters' opinions and decisions on this kind of stuff?

[brewtide]

"just because you are offended doesn't mean you are right".

It's the modern day way. Perhaps the online filter bubbles over the past... Long while... Have finally shown their long term real world impacts.

[IlikeKitties]

I'll add European gerontocracy to that list. Nihilism becomes the obvious and only solution.