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Notes -
This war-as-a-distraction meme dates back to the 90s, such as wag the dog, and is not just the fringe-right. Conspiratorial thinking is a major tradition/aspect of American politics. Americans in general have a low opinions of its leaders. But our leaders haven't done much to burnish this reputation, so it's understandable why so many feel this way. Even if elites are not directly coordinating, they share a similar worldview nonetheless. The us vs. them framing is not entirely wrong, but i think both sides overestimate how well the opposing side is able to coordinate.
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