This mental virus had to be strong enough in both of these directions:
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The impact on each individual. We are seeing them completely lose their rationality, empathy, humanity, morality. They're capable of so much mental gymnastics and depraved manipulation it's unbelievable. They're not with us right now folks.
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The amount of individuals infected. We're talking literally BILLLLIONSSS across all different countries and cultures, nearly all political leaders, exposed to different media, etc. Compare that to Germany in the 1930s which was like 65 million people or something in an isolated environment.
Add those two together and how the F does this happen? This is the most astonishing thing to happen to the human race in history.
Never underestimate the power of needing to be accepted by peers. Most people are hardcore zombies whose brain shuts down at the very hint that something is not the popular thought.