This week's GOP convention was a clear demonstration of the 'two universes phenomenon': op-ed

Writing in the Washington Post this Thursday, Charlie Warzel says that he's "never seen a clearer demonstration of the Two Universes phenomenon than this week’s Republican National Convention.

"Theirs is a universe in which the coronavirus pandemic is largely in the rear view (on Aug. 25, 1,136 Americans died from the virus) and where, according to Representative Matt Gaetz, radical Democrats threaten to 'disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home and invite MS-13 to live next door,'" Warzel writes. "A universe where the existential dangers of climate change pale in comparison to those of cancel culture — even as the West is ravaged by blackouts and wildfires and the Gulf Coast is slammed by a devastating hurricane."

According to Warzel, the RNC is adopting the same time-tested strategy that Fox News regularly employs: evoke two dueling emotions — fear and devotion — one conspiracy theory at a time.

"The power of a conspiracy theory is to offer an easy explanation for something uncomfortable, which is why conspiracy theories thrive during times of alienation or social change," he continues. "But while one conspiracy theory can be dangerous on its own, it is not a worldview. It’s when you stitch enough of them together that an alternate reality forms."

Read the full op-ed over at The Washington Post.