"The internet itself was mostly a suggestion; enough professional class Americans didn’t bother with email or even personal computers."
The professional class most certainly used email every day in 2001. I'm not sure when exactly office work became sitting in front of a computer all day, that was before my time, but I was working in offices by the mid-to-late 90s and it absolutely entailed sitting at a computer and emailing all day by then.
This is great long form journalism - an enjoyable column. Your paragraphs on Occupy were insightful. It's interesting how that has been practically forgotten. No one talks about it anymore.
Your views on the parallel rise of alternative media would fit in this nicely. People justifiably turning away from the Empire's Approved Stenographers (NYT, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox et al) contributed a lot to what you describe here.
Excellent essay. I really enjoyed this. I especially forgot about how influential American Idol was back in the 2000s.
My only mild quibble is the beginning of the 2010s. Instead of the Trump escalator, I'd pick July 13, 2013: the date of the George Zimmerman verdict. That directly led to the creation of BLM and all the cultural upheaval that followed.
I'm here because of Ross' column. Great writing!
Very interesting piece Ross. Empire/post-empire is a good way to talk about it.
"The internet itself was mostly a suggestion; enough professional class Americans didn’t bother with email or even personal computers."
The professional class most certainly used email every day in 2001. I'm not sure when exactly office work became sitting in front of a computer all day, that was before my time, but I was working in offices by the mid-to-late 90s and it absolutely entailed sitting at a computer and emailing all day by then.
This is great long form journalism - an enjoyable column. Your paragraphs on Occupy were insightful. It's interesting how that has been practically forgotten. No one talks about it anymore.
Your views on the parallel rise of alternative media would fit in this nicely. People justifiably turning away from the Empire's Approved Stenographers (NYT, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox et al) contributed a lot to what you describe here.
Excellent essay. I really enjoyed this. I especially forgot about how influential American Idol was back in the 2000s.
My only mild quibble is the beginning of the 2010s. Instead of the Trump escalator, I'd pick July 13, 2013: the date of the George Zimmerman verdict. That directly led to the creation of BLM and all the cultural upheaval that followed.
loved this