this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2026
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Late Stage Capitalism
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Except that is precisely how the Overton Window shifts.
The Overton Window is a range of socially acceptable facts, beliefs, criticisms, and opinions. Anything outside that range is socially unacceptable even if it's valid.
The Overton Window isn't about what criticisms and facts are valid. It's about what criticisms and facts we are allowed to debate the validity of.
(For example, the internment of Japanese during World War II. It's possible to debate the validity of that internment based on various historical facts. But no decent person would have that debate in the first place. It's outside the Overton Window of decency. Which is why I expect Fox News to platform Michelle Malkin again shortly.)
The American media establishment has shifted the Overton Window in America, Europe, and Australia, further and further to the right over the last decades. They didn't do it by considering all valid critiques. They did it by platforming and discussing right-wing critiques of society and the facts they were based on - even the invalid ones - and insisting left-wing critiques of society and the fact they were based on - even the valid ones - were unacceptable to discuss in public.
If we insist on giving right-wing ideas the same fair consideration we give left-wing ideas, we are accepting those right-wing ideas into our conception of what the Overton Window should be. And in the battle to control that window, we are disarming ourselves.
You raise very good points. And I appreciate your long form explanation; thank you for the context.
Absolutely fuck right-wing and Democrat "reasoning" and whataboutery here. I was more thinking about leftish of center, e.g. liberal, considerations and conversations in this comm. We're never going to win over Conservatives (well, akshually, I've seen good progress in my geographical community*), but the people on the fence... those are the people for whom I think it is critical that we engage their viewpoints and show them a better way. I don't think alienating potential allies and fostering an echo chamber advances our goals.
*Pummeling fence-sitters and Conservatives with our viewpoints has only been counterproductive in my experience. Flies, honey, carrot, stick, and all that. But really (and here's where I agree with points you raised), I think it takes a wide array of approaches to get where we want to be. We're not going to seize control of any narratives with a Lemmy echo chamber. I think LSC is a good platform for pointing out how Capitalism is killing all of us and the planet and would love to post and see more of that here.