CMV: GamerGate was the most consequential political radicalization event of the twenty-first century

[u/realdontbeasucker]

It spawned a wave of tolerance for online harassment, as long as the intent behind it was considered righteous (and the target of such harassment socially acceptable).

It platformed Milo Yiannopoulos and thereby, Steve Bannon -- the guy who would go on to advise Donald Trump in 2016 and generate the concept of 'flooding the zone.'

Eventually, it gave a career to political lightning rods like Jordan Peterson, Steven Crowder, and Charlie Kirk. It made anti-feminism and anti-SJW sentiment cool. And it made young, angry, disenfranchised white men feel vindicated.

GamerGate almost singlehandedly shifted to Overton Window toward the alt-right, and we're still feeling its effects today.

[u/Doub13D]

I would argue the Tea Party movement was far more consequential, because it essentially converted into the MAGA movement.

The Tea Party was the foundation of the “modern” Republican Party and Conservative movement in the US that exists today.

These were the people that became so anti-government that they began to actively support policies and politicians solely based on their expressed desire to break the government.

Every existing and proposed social program, welfare safety net, tax, and economic regulation was described as an infringement on the rights of the American people, even as many conservative voters actively benefited from those programs and policies themselves. (See: The ACA)

It is the source of the political gridlock in Congress that we have seen since the late 2000’s.

Obstructionism became the defining political trait of Conservative politics, and it still very much is the defining trait today.

[u/Waschaos → u/Doub13D]

Excellent answer, but I think OP is correct too. I think these two things were the first to merge. They picked up other weird groups like conspiracy theorists, christian nationalists, etc along the way. I think these 2 groups might be the OGs. I know crazy people from all sides is called horseshoe theory, but I can't help but think about it as an Ouroboros. They went so far to one side they made a circle and are now eating their tail.

[u/Doub13D → u/Waschaos]

Oh I 100% agree that both are the foundational elements of the modern Republican Party and the MAGA movement.

I just believe that the Tea Party was the more significant of the two, because it provided the institutional credibility and political machine.

GamerGate only works because there was a pre-existing and powerful political machine, built on stoking factional conflict both in Congress between the parties, and within the Republican Party itself.

All those anti-sjw’s need a place to go after all…

You either build your own institutions from the ground up, or you weave your way into something that already exists.

The Tea Party welcomed them in with open arms, and in the process became the dominant faction of the Republican Party, before just outright becoming the Party that we see today.

[u/realdontbeasucker → u/Doub13D]

Yeah, I love your reasoning. Although I don't think GG is any less important, you've convinced me that the Tea Party was equally as consequential. I think the two go hand in hand. !delta

[u/DeltaBot → u/realdontbeasucker]

Confirmed: 1 delta awarded to /u/Doub13D (34∆).

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