Diagram visualizing the Overton Window Theory, a political science theory that describes how extreme ideas become mainstream by shifting the boundaries of acceptable discourse, so that ideas that were once unthinkable slowly become acceptable. theory that describes how extreme ideas can become mainstream by slowly introducing people to more and

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   Caroline Orr Bueno (rvawonk@newsie.social)'s status on Saturday, 03-Dec-2022 10:28:30 JST Caroline Orr Bueno

   Now seems like a good time to talk about how far-right extremists are using the Overton Window theory to force their ideas into the mainstream. The premise here is that today’s fringe ideas/beliefs can become tomorrow’s normal by shifting the boundaries of acceptable discourse. You do that by introducing people to more & more extreme ideas, so everything else seems reasonable in comparison.

   eg, when “praising Hitler” becomes the comparison point, low-key bigotry suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. 1/