Society is so desperate for sanity from political extremists that it's tempting to praise them for a single rational stance, like MTG on the Epstein files. This is dangerous because it whitewashes a long history of destructive behavior. The true problem is the ecosystem of enablers that allows such figures to gain power in the first place.

The Epstein scandal's potential to implicate powerful figures has given it disproportionate political influence. The threat of damaging revelations acts as a hidden force shaping high-level government actions, from influencing congressional votes to orchestrating diversionary PR stunts, effectively making a deceased criminal a major political actor.

Outrage-driven news follows a predictable six-step cycle: a fringe story appears, one side reacts, the story gets amplified, the other side counter-reacts, and so on. This banal loop captures attention but distracts from more significant societal problems.

A strategic reason for a leader to resign is to de-escalate public tension. After a crisis, the leader can become a symbol of that difficult period. By stepping down, they absorb the negative sentiment, lower the political temperature, and allow their organization to move forward.

Oxford naming "rage bait" its word of the year signifies that intentionally provoking anger for online engagement is no longer a fringe tactic but a recognized, mainstream strategy. This reflects a maturation of the attention economy, where emotional manipulation has become a codified tool for content creators and digital marketers.

Extremist figures are not organic phenomena but are actively amplified by social media algorithms that prioritize incendiary content for engagement. This process elevates noxious ideas far beyond their natural reach, effectively manufacturing influence for profit and normalizing extremism.

Gamma's AI launch succeeded not just because of the product, but because they intentionally crafted a "spicy" and provocative tweet designed to spark debate. This drew engagement from influential figures like Paul Graham, massively amplifying their reach beyond what a standard announcement could achieve.

Despite declining revenues, Tesla's stock is at an all-time high due to its powerful narrative as a world-changing robotics company. This "story premium" makes retaining Elon Musk, the chief storyteller, more critical for shareholders than traditional financial metrics, justifying his massive pay package.

The same technologies accused of shortening attention spans are also creating highly obsessive micro-tribes and fandoms. This contradicts the narrative of a universal decline in focus, suggesting a shift in what we pay attention to, not an inability to focus.