American phenomenon.^17
Throughout the book, Putnam shows that this is not limited to recreational
groups but is affecting everything from labor unions to parent-teacher
associations to Rotary clubs to churches to bridge clubs. This atomization of
society has significant effects, he argues: social trust has declined, with
people becoming more isolated, less politically engaged, and all-around more
paranoid about their neighbors.^18
Loneliness is also a growing issue. Last year, for the first time, a majority
of Americans said they were lonely, and new research is suggesting that we’re
replacing a few high-quality relationships in our lives with a large number of
superficial and temporary relationships.^19
According to Putnam, the social connective tissue in the country is being
destroyed by the overabundance of diversions. He argued that people were
choosing to stay home and watch TV, surf the internet, or play video games
rather than commit themselves to some local organization or group. He also
predicts the situation will likely only get worse.^20
Historically, when Westerners have looked at all the oppressed people
throughout the world, we’ve lamented their lack of fake freedom, their lack of
diversion. People in North Korea can’t read the news or shop for clothes they
like or listen to music that isn’t state sponsored.
But this is not why North Koreans are not free. They lack freedom not
because they are unable to choose their pleasures, but because they are not
allowed to choose their pain. They are not allowed to choose their
commitments freely. They are forced into sacrifices they would not otherwise
want or do not deserve. Pleasure is beside the point—their lack of pleasure is
a mere side effect of their real oppression: their enforced pain.^21
Because, today, in most parts of the world, people are now able to choose
their pleasures. They are able to choose what to read and what games to play
and what to wear. Modern diversions are everywhere. But the tyranny of a
new age is achieved not by depriving people of diversions and commitments.
Today’s tyranny is achieved by flooding people with so much diversion, so
much bullshit information and frivolous distraction, that they are unable to
make smart commitments. It’s Bernays’s prediction come true, just a few
generations later than he expected. It took the breadth and power of the
internet to make his vision of global propaganda campaigns, of governments
and corporations silently steering the desires and wishes of the masses, a
reality.^22
But let’s not give Bernays too much credit. After all, he did seem like kind