Is economic disenfranchisement the main force fueling toxic Internet subcultures and online movements?
Sean’s Monologue: The Phenomenon of QAnon
We are joined today by Mike Trigg, a former Silicon Valley start-up guru now turned accomplished writer. Mike’s first corporate thriller Bit Flip was lauded with 5-star reviews, and now he’s on our show to talk about his newest novel, Burner, available on April 16th, 2024. Billed as a "fascinating thriller in which an online movement swallows up the person who started it" by Foreword Clarion Reviews, the novel dives headfirst into political disinformation, toxic internet subcultures, and our need for belonging and purpose in an age of distorted online personas.
Sean and Mike discuss the creation of Burner, and how it is written from a centrist point of view (even though the author is left-leaning). The stock manipulation and kidnapping elements of the book were inspired by news headlines like GameStop and January 6th. Sean praises the likability of the lead character, Shane, who Mike has dubbed “the Forest Gump of the Internet generation.”
The rest of the conversation centers around how online movements take flight – the use of Internet algorithms to normalize beliefs, the self-reinforcement, and actions driven by the underlying idea of “I am a victim, now who do I blame?” Mike and Sean talk about their election concerns and how to deprogram someone once they have been sucked into a toxic movement. The end conclusion is that – both on the Internet and in politics – people behave much better when others know who they and there is some level of accountability.
Other topics include: Mike’s time on Capitol Hill, elected officials as Internet trolls, how the Democratic Party disenfranchised blue collar America, ID verifications online, the impossibility of the TV show The Last of Us, the looming threat of AI, and the fun of recording audio books.
Find Mike on his website and all social media platforms:
https://www.facebook.com/MikeTriggAuthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/triggmike/
https://www.instagram.com/mike_trigg254/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvHXnTHvExzKghoWXejT9w https://twitter.com/mike_trigg
https://podmatch.com/guestdetailpreview/17027555998711651707240ae
Coup Save America
Coup Save America is a weekly talk show hosted by Sean St. Heart that plants the mental seeds of social change by inciting a politically progressive coup of knowledgeable citizens to challenge the status quo. Each episode focuses on a specific issue, featuring expert guests and interviews with the people who are most affected by the problems in our country. The show uses a sociological approach to raise awareness, ponder solutions, and consider the various perspectives. Coup Save America hopes to create an avenue for our nation to reach its potential for greatness!
Coup Save America is a radically left-wing expose on America that uses facts, humor, and intellectual wit to expose the myths surrounding the great western democracy that exists only in the heavily propagandized lore of American history-i-fiction. Each show features in-depth analysis of America’s anti-democratic domestic and foreign policies, a breakdown of the week's news and events that are either ignored or misrepresented by western media, information on the latest crimes emerging from the district of corruption, coverage of the wars and global conflicts being waged unbeknownst to the America people, and a depressingly comedic rundown of the political insanity emanating from both the left and right-wing spectrum.
Sean St. Heart is a sociologist, philosopher, and staunch advocate for social justice who strives to give voice to the immense social issues and problems affecting our world. Sean is the co-founder and vice president of Charitable Humans, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-governmental organization working to advance the prospects for purposeful and systemic social change. In addition to his involvement with the nonprofit, Sean is also a freelance investigative journalist and talk radio show host who is passionate about exposing corruption and challenging the biased, and often corporate influenced, narratives which pollute the mainstream news and media ecosystem.