Thread. Interesting point, I haven't heard this take before:https://twitter.com/Chelsea_Fagan/status/950474991920975876 …
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I take this stuff as having symbolic importance, not (direct) consequentialist importance. But it still matters. The kind of behavior we allow/applaud/condemn in these high-profile contexts is how we negotiate what consensus societal values should be.
So... I think memes are a thing, and there's symbolic content that can contribute to the environment in which real things happen. Still, I notice some confusion around how this happens & how much of the influence is illusory, e.g. another effect rather than a causal factor.
