I’m a big fan of Historian Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter “Letters From An American. She puts things in historical context and views causes and effects with a longer lens. But, given the scale of rapid fire culture war going on, how does a thinking person engage with the ‘news’?
Today’s article from Letter From an American is dense, historically framed, and politically significant. It exposes trends of authoritarianism, corporate overreach, and disinformation—topics that are central to The Codex Memeticus. But reading this kind of news daily comes with risks:
– It can create a cycle of outrage and despair.
– It can lock people into engagement-driven politics instead of actionable strategies.
– It can make it feel like knowledge itself is enough, leading to passive doomscrolling.
So, how should a practitioner of the Codex Memeticus philosophy approach it?
What ‘Letters From An American’ Reveals Through the CM Lens
This article is a perfect example of how The Construct distorts Reality through:
Oligarchic Control → The transfer of power from elected officials to billionaires.
Political Technology → Using media manipulation to shape public perception.
Deliberate Disruption → Destroying institutions to privatize them later.
Information Warfare → Overwhelming people with contradictions to exhaust their ability to resist.
This is the Construct at war with itself. It is not Reality—it is the machine spinning narratives.
What is real? Ukrainians being deported, diplomats resigning, institutions being dismantled.
What is the Construct? The manufactured narratives of power struggles and the illusion of governance.
The Codex Memeticus reminds us: Because we see the illusion we have the opportunity to not to live in it.
We have options:
We can disengage completely—but ignorance leaves us vulnerable.
We can stay plugged in—but too much news breeds stress, cynicism, and exhaustion.
Or, we can engage with intention—understanding the world without letting it dictate our emotional state.
Even using reputable sources like historian Heather Cox Richardson (Letter from an American link) and avoiding partisan clickbait, it’s easy to get caught in the daily churn of crisis and outrage.
But news should serve us, not consume us.
The Trap: Why News Feels Overwhelming
The attention economy thrives on keeping us reactive, fearful, and constantly engaged.
Even when the news is factual, the system wants you in a cycle of consumption, not action.
Common traps:
Doomscrolling: Endlessly refreshing the feed for updates.
Emotional Hijacking: Feeling personally affected by every crisis.
False Urgency: Believing you must react instantly to unfolding events.
Paralysis by Overload: Learning everything but taking no action.
A Better Way: Intentional Engagement
Instead of passively consuming news, we filter, interpret, and act with purpose.
Read With Intention, Not Emotion
- Instead of reacting, ask: What does this teach me about power and patterns?
- Example: A government slashing institutions → This is oligarchy in action, not a random event.
Seek Patterns, Not Panic
- Focus on long-term structures, not daily outrage.
- Example: Disinformation is flooding the media? → This is a known political strategy to exhaust public trust.
Exit the Scroll After Reading
- Don’t chain-read articles. Take one key insight and step away.
- Ground yourself in reality—go outside, engage with real people.
Convert Knowledge Into Action
- If news exposes institutional collapse, support local and decentralized alternatives.
- If you learn about corruption, use that awareness in how you vote, spend, and organize.
Disengage When You Cannot Act
- If a story only creates stress without solutions, it is a trap. Let it go.
- Your inner peace is not ignorance—it is a form of resistance.
The Middle Path: Stay Aware, Stay Free
A practitioner of Jo’s philosophy does not swing between ignorance and obsession.
They walk a middle path—engaged, but not consumed.
–They read the news, but do not live in it.
–They see the Construct, but do not let it rule them.
–They gather knowledge, then return to the real world to act.
Be aware, but do not be trapped.
See the system, but do not be owned by it.
Gather wisdom, then walk beyond the Scroll.
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