The Overton Window is one of those modelling tools that can be used to neatly explain society behaviour. Politicians use it to gauge the policies that the public will support and politically minded groups use it to try and sway the public opinion on various issues.
The idea is that a policy needs to be popular if it is to ever be implemented into law. If a politician can find out where the Overton window is on an issue they can back appropriate policies that will get them elected. If it’s in the green zone then it’s safe to support. If it’s in the blue or red zone then it probably won’t fly.
If an activist wants to change the position of a political issue in the public eye, they can loudly support an ‘Insane’ idea and try to drag the Overton window in their chosen direction.
Here are a few examples of ideas that were insane in the past that have become the status quo:
Women allowed to vote (Insane in the 1800’s and policy in the UK from 1918)
Same-sex marriage (Insane in the 1900’s and policy in the UK from 2014)
Forcing people to wear masks in public and isolate at home. Insane until 2020
Trusting Science & Scientists was popular until 2021…Now a lot of people think that’s insane
Prior to 2016 the Overton window appeared to be fairly glacial in its momentum. New ideas and opinions took years to get around but all that changed with the birth of social media and this shift was bought to the attention of the world when the orange man was elected.
The Trump Years
When Donald Trump was elected he changed the game. Instead of letting the media report everything he said, Trump bypassed them entirely and used Twitter to speak to the world. This undermined the media’s business model and naturally they were furious. Not only did Trump snub them but they quickly found themselves on the back foot, reacting to what he said rather than reporting on it. What made the Trump years so crazy was that Trump’s tweet style was a mix of official announcements and shower thoughts. The world lapped it up.
Every tweet had the chance to cause an international incident and naturally the whole world was on edge during Trumps entire term of office. The curious fallout of the Trump era was the populations tolerance for political excitement had reached a new high. The public grew accustomed to what was previously considered to be an ‘insane’ communication style and are now much more willing to listen to insane ideas:
By floating insane ideas (build the wall, Ban Muslims) direct to the public, Trump shifted the Overton window on what was considered to be acceptable for any politician, let alone a standing president. The fact that his behaviour made him even more popular with his base and gained him even more votes in his second election forced the establishment to unite and mobilise in a way never seen before in order to defeat him.
The cost of Trump to the establishment has been severe. Trust in the mainstream media (used for decades to sway public opinion) is at an all time low as the public seeks its alternative sources of information.
Rogan Reigns Supreme
More people listen to Joe Rogan than any other prime time news station. It is a damning verdict on the influence of the traditional media in modern times.
Rogan is willing to talk to people who have been cancelled by the mainstream gatekeeper and the popularity of his show means ideas that are considered insane by the establishment can actually garner huge amounts of support overnight, much to the mire of our political overlords. It’s not all right-wing pundits either. Rogan had Bernie Sanders on his supporters were as mobilised as Trumps
Where is the Overton Window on Bitcoin?
Where is Bitcoin as legal tender on the Overton Window? Since El Salvador made it legal tender in 2021 the idea is no longer insane and we wouldn’t be surprised if more countries follow suit in 2022.
As digital gold we also think it’s probably in the realms of radical and will remain so while the volatility is still severe.
As an investable asset for institutional money we would probably pigeon hole it under ‘big change’. We know investment houses are looking at it and one of them will take the plunge at some point.
Overall Bitcoin is still a radical idea in the eyes of the general public, but with the flow of information being faster than ever before Bitcoin could flip from radical to popular pretty quickly.
Until Next Time
The Wealth Gap
Enjoyed the commentary on 'Overton Window' - it gives an new & interesting perspective